Mgr. Vojtěch Baláž, Ph.D.
Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic
Office: 00420 54156 2666 | Personal: 00420 773 606 512
balazv@vfu.cz | vojtech_balaz@hotmail.com
- Bio
- General information
- Current affilliations
- Research interests
- Selected publications
- Contribution
- Research activities
- Publications
General information
Research interests and areas of expertise
Main interest in emerging infectious diseases, invasive species, conservation biology, molecular diagnostics, zoonotic pathogens, disease surveillance, with good background knowledge in zoology (especially herpetology), evolutionary biology and science popularisation.
Expertise in field sampling of animals. Laboratory and computational skills in design, optimisation and use of PCR, qPCR, LAMP, DNA sequence analysis.
Involved in Czech Health Research Council project: Hidden threat of natural foci of understudied tick-borne infections. Case of the genera Rickettsia, Anaplasma, Babesia
Co-applicant at project funded by Technological Agency of Czech Republic: Conservation of amphibian biodiversity when emerging infectious diseases spread
Lead multiple 1-year research projects funded by Internal Grant Agency of VETUNI Brno (rodent borne zoonotic pathogens, diseases of amphibians and reptiles)
Selected publications
Baláž, V., J. Vörös, et al. 2014. Assessing risk and guidance on monitoring of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Europe through identification of taxonomic selectivity of infection. Conservation Biology 28:213-223.
EFSA, V. Baláž, et al. 2017. Scientific and technical assistance concerning the survival, establishment and spread of *Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans* (Bsal) in the EU. Efsa Journal 15.
Franklinos, L. H. V., Lorch, et al. (2017). Emerging fungal pathogen Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola in wild European snakes. Scientific Reports, 7, 3844.
Balážová, A., V. Baláž, J. Ondruš, P. Široký. 2020. Duplex qPCR assay for detection and quantification of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Rickettsia spp. Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases 11.
Vaclavik, T., A. Balazova, V. Balaz, E. Tkadlec, M. Schichor, K. Zechmeisterova, J. Ondrus, P. Siroky. 2020. Landscape epidemiology of neglected tick-borne pathogens in central Europe. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases. 10.1111/tbed.13845
Lastra González, D., V. Baláž, J. Vojar, P. Chajma. 2021. Dual Detection of the Chytrid Fungi Batrachochytrium spp. with an Enhanced Environmental DNA Approach. Journal of Fungi 7:258.
Balazova, A., Noskova, E., Siroky, P., Durrant, C., Balaz, V. (2021). Diversity and dynamics of zoonotic pathogens within a local community of small mammals. Biologia, 76(11), 3267-3273.
Contribution to understanding of Angiostrongylus cantonensis
Research activities and projects
Involvement in project funded by Southeast Asia - Europe Joint Funding Scheme on Research and Innovation: Development and Application of Advanced Diagnostic Tools for Human Eosinophilic Meningitis Caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis
Development of LAMP diagnostic tools for AC detection in field conditions
Publications
Sears, W. J., Y. Qvarnstrom et al. 2021. AcanR3990 qPCR: a novel, highly sensitive, bioinformatically-informed assay to detect Angiostrongylus cantonensis infections. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 73(7), e1594–1600.