Kováč Ladislav

prof., RNDr., DrSc.
Born April 9, 1932 in Zavážna Poruba, Slovakia

• Biochemistry, Cognitive Biology
• Honorary member of Learned Society since 1995

Educational and professional preparation:

• 1950-1954, Studies of biochemistry, Charles University, Prague
• 1954-1957, Graduate studies, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Prague
  (Ph.D. in 1957)
• 1964, Visiting Researcher, Laboratoire de génetique physiologique, CNRS, Gif-surYvette, France
• 1984, DrSc
• 1991, Professor of Biochemistry

Employment and academic positions:

• 1957, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, Comenius University, Bratislava
• 1964, Associate Professor (docent), Comenius University, Bratislava
• 1964-1970, Head of the Department of Biochemistry, Comenius University, Bratislava
• 1967-1968, Visiting Professor, Max-Planck Institut fuer Ernaehrungsphysiologie, Dortmund, Germany
• 1969-1970, Visiting Professor, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA
• 1970, in purges following the Soviet invasion, dismissed from the University
• 1970-1976, Clinical Chemist, Psychiatric hospital, Pezinok
• 1977-1989, Research Scientist, Head of the Department of Bioenergetics, Institute of Animal Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Ivanka pri Dunaji
• 1982-1983, Research Associate, Centre de génetique moléculaire, CNRS, Gif-surYvette, France
• 1985, Visiting Professor, University of Stockholm, Sweden
• 1987, Visiting Professor, University of Bordeaux II, France
• 1988-1989, Visiting Professor, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
• 1989-1990, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Slovak Republic
• 1990-l992, Ambassador of Czechoslovakia to UNESCO, Paris
• 1997-1999, Visiting Professor, Konrad Lorenz Institutut für Evolutions- und Kognitionsforschung, Alternber/Donau, Austria

Membership in selected domestic scientific bodies:

• Founding Member of the Slovak Learned Society (1999)

Membership and positions in selected international organizations and societies:

• Founding Member of the Internationale Akademie Schloss Baruth (1996)
• Fellow of the Konrad Lorenz Institut für Evolutions- und Kognitionsforschung (elected 1999)
• Fellow of the World Innovation Foundation (elected in 2001) 
• Chairman of the U. N. Intergovernmental Committee for Science and Technology for Development (1990-1992)
• Member of the Advisory Committee of the U. N. Intergovernmental Committee on Science and Technology for Development (1990-1992)
• Member of the Education Committee, International Union of Biochemistry (1991-1993)
• Member of the Advisory Board, Conferences on Yeast Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (1986-2001)
• Member of the Advisory Board, European Bioenergetic Conferences (I982-l985)
• Member of the International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life (1987-)
• Member of the Committee, International Bioenergetic Groups (1980-1984)
• Member of the Board, European Journal of Biochemistry (1969-1979)
• Member of the Administration Board, Masaryk University, Brno (1997-2002)
• Member and Secretary of the Scientific Council of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science in Europe (2001- 2006) 
• Member of the European Group on Life Sciences (2002-2006)

Notable awards:

• State Science Award (1985)
• Research fellow of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (1995-2000)
• Silver Medal of the Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic, 1993
• Silver Medal of the University of Opava, 2004
• Plenary lectures at the international Congress of Genetics (1980), International Congress of Microbiology (1986), European Bioenergetic Conferences (1982, 1986).

Selected publications:

• L. Kováč, T. M. Lachowicz, P. P. Slonimski: Biochemical genetics of oxidative phosphorylation. Science 158, 1564 (1967)
• L. Kováč: Biochemical mutants: An approach to mitochondrial energy coupling. Biochim. Biophys. acta 346, 101 (1974)
• L. Kováč, J. Kolarov, J. Šubík: Genetic determination of the mitochondrial adenine nucleotide translocator and its role in the eukaryotic cell. Moll. Cell. Biochem. 14, 11 (1977)
• L. Kováč: Overview – bioenergetics between chemistry, genetics and physics.
  Curr. Top. Bioenerg. 15, 331 (1987)
• J. Nosek, Ľ. Tomáška, H. Fukuhara, Y. Suyama, L. Kováč: Linear mitochondrial genomes: 30 years down the line. Trends in Genetics 14, 184 (1998)
• L. Kováč: Fundamental principles of cognitive biology. Evolution and Cognition 6, 51 (2000)
• L. Kováč: Two cultures revisited: New widening gaps. World futures 58, 1-11 (2002)
• L. Kováč: Science and September 11th: a lesson of relevance. World Futures 59, 319-334 (2003)
• L. Kováč, J. Nosek, Ľ. Tomáška: An Overlooked Riddle of Life’s Origins: Energy-dependent Nucleic Acid Unzipping. J. Mol. Evol. 57, S182-S189 (2003)
• L. Kováč: Science, an essential part of culture. EMBO Rep. 7, 128-132 (2006)
• L. Kováč: Life, chemistry and cognition. EMBO Rep. 7, 562-566 (2006)
• L. Kováč: Physics, mind and society, back and forth. Appl. Magnet. Resonance 31: 11-28 (2007)