Vaclav Ourednik (* June 27, 1960 in Prague) is a Swiss natural scientist of Czech origin. His work contributed in important ways to the exploration of developmental and regenerative processes in the nervous system.
After his studies in microbiology and molecular biology, he turned quickly towards the development and plasticity of the brain. With his wife and scientific collaborator, Dr. Jitka Ourednik, he worked for 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 (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences). Their work described plastic processes governing the development and regeneration of the central nervous system (CNS) and the design of innovative therapeutic approaches towards injury and degenerative disease of the spinal cord and brain. Vaclav Ourednik received various recognitions for his work, among them the Pfizer Prize in Neuroscience as co-author on a Science paper about cortical plasticity and the MJ Fox Foundation Award for his work on neuronal degeneration during Parkinson's disease. 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.
Finally, 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". Since then, the two have dedicated themselves exclusively to popular science and educative work and the running of the AAV Center in Switzerland. For their long and internationally recognized work as born Czechs living abroad, the Czech Embassy in Switzerland nominated Vaclav and Jitka Ourednik twice as candidates for the prize Gratias Agit awardet by the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Source: US National Library of the National Institute of Health, PubMed