Vonka Vladimír

Prof., MUDr., DrSc.
Born on July 31, 1930

• Virology, experimental oncology
• Member of Learned Society since 1994 (Founding member)
• Member of Administrative Board, LS Foundation Fund, 2000-2001

Educational and professional preparation:

• 1949-1955, Faculty of General Medicine, Charles University (CU), Prague;
• 1963, CSc.; 1981, DrSc.;
• 1992, Professor (Second Faculty of Medicine, CU).

Employment and academic positions:

• 1955-1956, Secondary physician, Department of Internal and Infectious Diseases, Regional Institute of National Health, Ústí nad Labem;
• 1956, research scientist, Department of Viral Neuroinfections, Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Prague;
• 1957-1991, research, later scientific worker and head scientific worker in virology and experimental oncology, Research Institute of Immunology, Prague (which later merged with Institute of Sera and Inocula, Prague);
• 1991-present, scientific worker, Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Prague;
• 1964-1965, World Health Organization (WHO) scholarship, Dept. Virology and Epidemiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA;
• 1968-1969, visiting professor of virology at Baylor;
• 1983-1984, visiting scientific worker, Department of Microbiology, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, Pa. (USA).

Membership and positions in international organizations and societies:

• 1968-present, Member, American Society of Microbiology (ASM);
• 1996-1999 chairman; Morrison Rogosa Award of ASM
• 1969-1991, Member, various WHO expert O commissions
• 1989, Corresponding Member, CSAS
• 1992-present, Elected Member (emeritus), ASM
• 1994, Elected Member, Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society
• 1997-present, Elected Member, Academia Scientiarum et Artium Europae, Salzburg, (Austria)
• 2000-present, European Association for Cancer Research, also member of Council
• 2004, Founding Member, Czech Medical Academy

Notable awards:

• 1964, WHO Senior Research Training Grant
• 1983, Annual Award, Minister of Health (for scientific work)
• 1985, Award, Literary Fund, with J. Závada (for the popular science book, The Mystery of Cancer)
• 1988, J. E. Purkyně Memorial Medal (awarded on 200^th anniversary of his birth), Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (CSAS)
• 1991, J.G. Mendel Memorial Medal, Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic (AS CR)
• 1994, Annual award, Minister of Health (for scientific work)
• 1995, Prof. J. Trapl Medal, Institute for the Mother and Child Care (Podolí)
• 1997, Annual Award, Minister of Health (for scientific work)
• 1998, Cited in Marquis Who’s Who in the World
• 1998, Memorial Medal on 650^th anniversary of founding of Charles University
• 2000, Cited in Outstanding Intellectuals of the 20^th Century (Cambridge, UK)
• 2000, Gold Memorial Medal, Second Faculty of Medicine, CU
• 2000, Annual Award, Minister of Health (for scientific work)
• 2000, „Special Recognition,” Minister of Health (“for contributions to Czech medical research“)
• 2001, Cited in Marquis Who’s Who in Science and Engineering
• 2001, Award Paul Jansen Foundation (for oncology)
• 2003, Memorial Medal, on 50^th anniversary of the founding of Second Faculty of Medicine, CU
• 2003, Certificate of Appreciation, WHO

Selected publications:

• Vonka V.: Causality in medicine: the case of tumours and viruses. Phil. Trans. Royal Soc. 355, 1831-41 (2000)
• Vonka V., Kaňka J., Roth Z.: Herpes simplex type 2 virus and cervical neoplasia. Adv. Cancer Res. 48, 149-191 (1987)
• Vonka V., Kaňka J., Jelínek J. et al.: Prospective study on relationship between cervical neoplasia and herpes simplex type 2 virus. I. Epidemiological characteristics. Int. J. Cancer 33, 49-60 (1984)
• Vonka V., Kaňka J., Hirsch I., et al.: Prospective study on relationship between cervical neplasia and herpes simplex type 2 virus. II Herpes simplex type 2 antibody presence in sera taken at enrollment. Int. J. Cancer 33, 61-66 (1984)
• Břicháček B., Hirsch I., Šíbl O., Vilikusová E., Vonka V. The Presence of Epstein-Barr virus DNA in carcinoma of palatine tonsil. J. Nat. Cancer Inst. 72, 809-915, (1984)
• Závada J., Vonka V. Záhada rakoviny (The Mystery of Cancer). Edice Columbus, Ml. Fronta, Prague 1985
• Vonka V., Hirsch I.: Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen. Progr. Med. Virol. 28, 145-179 (1982)
• Hirsch I., Vonka V.: Ribonucleotides linked to genetic material of herpes simplex virus type 1. J. Virol 13, 1162-68 (1974)
• Kutinová L., Brouček J., Vonka V.: Increased oncogenicity and synthesis of herpes simplex virus antigens in cells of a hamster line exposed to herpes simplex type 2 virus. J. Nat. Cancer Inst. 149, 964-970 (1973)
• Vonka V., Závadová H., Kutinová L., Řezáčová D. Development of antibodies to viral and tumour antigens of papovavirus SV40 in monkeys. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 125, 790-94 (1967)