MVDr. Kateřina Jirků, Ph.D.
Maiden:Pomajbíková
Job Position: Head of Laboratory - Laboratory of parasitic therapy
Phone:
+420-38-777-5470
E-mail:
pomajbikova@paru.cas.cz
Room:
126
Brief Profile
Profile
Kateřina Jirků (ResearcherID: G-9858-2014) has led her own research laboratory at the Institute of Parasitology since 2013. Her research focuses on intestinal eukaryotic organisms—particularly protists and helminths—and their role within the complex gut ecosystem. She has a long-standing interest in Blastocystis and the tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta, their interactions with the gut microbiome and the host, and how their occurrence and biological significance are shaped by lifestyle and environmental factors. Her work contributes to a broader re-evaluation of organisms traditionally regarded as parasites, highlighting that their relationships with their hosts may be far more complex than previously assumed.
She studied veterinary medicine and subsequently completed a PhD in veterinary parasitology at the University of Veterinary Sciences Brno. She became involved in research while still a student, combining studies of parasites and intestinal symbionts of primates with extensive fieldwork. Between 2006 and 2012, she repeatedly worked in Africa, where she studied wild chimpanzees and gorillas, helped establish a diagnostic parasitology laboratory at a chimpanzee rehabilitation centre in Kenya, and participated in a rabies vaccination programme for dogs.
After establishing her own laboratory, she gradually built an international research programme integrating parasitology, microbiology, ecology, and gut microbiome research. An important milestone was the award of a prestigious Human Frontier Science Program grant in 2015 in collaboration with the University of British Columbia (Co-I: Laura Wegener Parfrey), followed by several other national and international research projects. As a principal investigator or co-investigator, she has secured several major research grants funded by, among others, the Czech Science Foundation, the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, and the Research Council of Norway. She has also developed long-standing international collaborations with leading institutions across Europe, the USA, and Canada, including the University of British Columbia, Duke University, University of Kent, University of Stavanger, Statens Serum Institut, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
She is the author or co-author of 58 scientific publications, 43 of which have been published in Q1 or Q2 journal, and has served as corresponding or senior author on 27 papers. Among the most recent outputs of her team is a study published in Nature Communications. In recognition of her scientific achievements, she received the Otto Wichterle Award of the Czech Academy of Sciences in 2018 and was a finalist of the L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science programme in 2024.
- 2008–2013 – Ph.D. in Veterinary Parasitology, Department of Pathological Morphology and Parasitology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno
- 2001–2008 – DVM (MVDr.), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno
Professional Experience
- 2013–present – Head of Research Laboratory, Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences
- 2017–2025 – Researcher and lecturer, Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice
- 2009–2013 – Junior Researcher, Department of Pathological Morphology and Parasitology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno
Scientific Awards
- 2024 – Finalist, L’Oréal–UNESCO For Women in Science programme
- 2018 – Otto Wichterle Award of the Czech Academy of Sciences for outstanding young scientists
Research Focus
Kateřina Jirků’s research lies at the interface of parasitology, microbiology, ecology, and gut microbiome research, with a particular focus on intestinal eukaryotic organisms and their relationships with the host. Her main research areas include:
- ecology, diversity, and epidemiology of intestinal protists, particularly Blastocystis and Dientamoeba fragilis
- the role of intestinal eukaryotic symbionts—protists and helminths—in host health and disease
- interactions between intestinal eukaryotes and the bacterial microbiome and their impact on gut ecosystem function
- the effects of lifestyle and environmental factors on the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome and eukaryome
- the immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects of intestinal helminths and the mechanisms underlying their interactions with the host
- ecology, genetic diversity, host specificity, and zoonotic potential of intestinal parasites in humans, primates, and other animals
