“Movement is one of the basic attributes of life and an “elixir of health” that is available to virtually everyone.”
Prof. Barbara Ukropcová, MD, PhD, conducts research on the impact of acute and regular exercise on health, as well as the beneficial effects of regular physical activity in the prevention and treatment of metabolic, neurodegenerative, and other chronic diseases. She lectures on the impact of exercise and the results of her research to students at the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University, as well as to professionals and the general public. Prof. Ukropcová is/was the principal investigator of many domestic and international research projects, which include the implementation of cross-sectional and training intervention clinical studies. She is the author/co-author of monographs, scientific publications in prestigious professional journals, and popular science articles. She has received several awards for her scientific work, her efforts to translate her findings into practice, and her popularization of science (Bratislava Blueberry, 2008; Slovak Woman of the Year, 2017), the Slovak Academy of Sciences Award for scientific research results for 2020, and the Sečanský Award of the Obesity Section of the Slovak Diabetes Society 2024). She is a member of the OS SDS committee, a founding member and member of the committee of the multidisciplinary Slovak Obesity Association, the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO), the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), and a founding member of the EASD ExPAS (Exercise and Physical Activity Study Group), which focuses on exercise and physical activity in the prevention and treatment of diabetes.
“Both acute and regular exercise cause dynamic changes of metabolism, changes which we can record in real time using methods of integrative, cellular, and molecular physiology.“
Mgr. Jozef Ukropec, DSc. focuses his research on human molecular physiology and pathophysiology. He is the head of the Department of Metabolic Diseases who developed his research focus during his post-gradual and post-doctoral stays in the prestigious research institutions in Norway, the USA, Germany, and Switzerland. Dr. Ukropec is the principal investigator and co-investigator of a number of research projects, the author and co-author of book chapters and articles in prestigious scientific journals and popular magazines. Dr. Ukropec supervised the scientific work of many undergraduate, master and doctoral students from the Faculty of Natural Sciences (Commenius University, Bratislava). He maintains active international collaborations with various eminent research institutions (ETH, Switzerland; Medical University of Vienna, Austria; Monash University, Australia; National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan). Dr. Ukropec was a finalist for the ESET Science Award (2021) and received the Slovak Academy of Sciences Award (2020) and the Sečanský Award from the Obesity Section of the Slovak Diabetes Association (2024) for his scientific and research work.
MSc. Lucia Slobodová, PhD, is a graduate of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport at Charles University, with a PhD in human pathophysiology, and focuses on studying the effects of regular exercise on cognitive health and physical fitness in seniors. She obtained her bachelor’s degree with a specialization in regeneration and nutrition in sports at the Faculty of Sports Studies at Masaryk University in Brno. Dr. Slobodová focuses on eliminating musculoskeletal disorders and is also the guarantor of a course for Power Yoga instructors of levels I, II, and III, accredited by the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic.
Mgr. Viera Litváková is a graduate of the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics and the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport at Comenius University in Bratislava, specializing in mathematics and physical education. She developed a very positive attitude towards sports, especially athletics and swimming, during her childhood. During her university studies, she devoted herself to fitness bodybuilding, and in 1992 she also competed (7th place in the Slovak Championships). Currently, she focuses primarily on competitive running, but she is also actively involved in mountain hiking, cross-country skiing, and ski mountaineering. She also coaches children, both at elementary schools in various sports clubs and as a coach at the Matej Tóth Academy, and she is a running race organizer and referee. She strives to pass on the knowledge she has gained from various training courses, seminars, and self-study, enriched by her own valuable experience, to her students in the form of stimulating training sessions aimed at improving their physical and mental fitness. Her goal is for her students to consider movement and exercise a normal part of their lives, so that they develop a positive “addiction” to movement.