Jitka Ourednik
Jitka Ourednik born Hanzíková is a natural scientist of Czech origin now living in Switzerland. She is a daughter of the Czech contemporary sculptor Stanislav Hanzik.
Biography
Her work contributed in important ways to the exploration of developmental and regenerative processes in the nervous system. With her husband and scientific collaborator, Dr. Vaclav Ourednik, she worked for over three decades at renowned universities and institutions such as Harvard University and ETH Zürich. Together, they published in high-profile scientific journals like Science, Nature and PNAS. Their work described plastic processes governing the development and regeneration of the central nervous system and the design of innovative therapeutic approaches towards injury and degenerative disease of the spinal cord and brain.During the International Year of Astronomy 2009, the two researchers founded the Alpine Astrovillage, a center for astrophotography and stargazing. It is situated in the Eastern Swiss Alps, in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Val Müstair-Swiss National Park. For her scientific, educative, and popularizing work, Jitka Ourednik received many credits and recognitions. She organized scientific congresses and chaired talk sessions during national and international events. Her neuroscientific research focused on the induction of then still unexplored regenerative capacities of the CNS in relation to transplantation of embryonic neural tissue and of neural stem cells. In 2005, the scientist couple was invited to present their new ideas and findings during the prestigious Nobel-Forum lectures for young investigators at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. Since 2009, the two have dedicated themselves exclusively to their popular science and educative work and the running of their AAV Center in Switzerland. For her long and internationally recognized work as a born Czech living abroad, the Czech Embassy in Switzerland nominated Jitka Ourednik already twice as candidate for the prize Gratias Agit.
Scientific work: Developmental and regenerative neuroscience, selected publications
Source: '' of the, PubMed- "" 1993, '
- "Segregation of human neural stem cells in the developing primate forebrain" 2001, '
- "Neural stem cells display an inherent mechanism for rescuing dysfunctional neurons" 2002, ''
Popularization of science: Astrophotography
- Homepage of the astrophotography center Alpine Astrovillage Edition associated with the AAV Center. It publishes non-fiction books, audioplays and other publications about the cosmos and astrophotography
Public media: Selected reports
- "Od neuronů ke hvězdám", Report by Martin Uhlíř, May 2017
- "" on line article by Tammy Plotner about the AAVcenter in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve "Val Müstair - Swiss National Park" in Universe Today
- "" A movie feature about the AAV center in the German TV, Bayerischer Rundfunk
- "" Report by Marcel Huwyler about the AAV center and Drs. Jitka and Vaclav Ourednik, ''Schweizer Illustrierte''