Prof. Tomáš Zima, MD, DSc. Dr.h.c. graduated on the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University of Prague in 1990, professor of medical chemistry and biochemistry since 2001 and Head of Institute of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine. He was the Dean of the First Faculty of Medicine (2005-2012) and between 2014-2022 he was the Rector of Charles University Prague. He was visiting professor at Università degli Studi di Milano in 2024.
His main research interests include oxidative stress, advanced glycation end-products, experimental nephrology, alcohol organ damage, tumor markers, prenatal screening and laboratory management and accreditation. He is author of more then 550 articles, 11 books (e.g. Zima, T. et al – Laboratory Diagnostics 4th edition (2025), e.g. Zima, T., Weisstub, D. N., (Eds). Medical Research Ethics: Challenges in the 21st Century. Springer, 2023) and co-author of 90 chapters in books.
Prof. Zima is a member in many learned, universities and scientific societies (Academia Europea, Czech Medical Academy, Czech Learned Society, UNICA, EUROPEUM member of Board of Trustees, Scientific Panel for Health (2014-2020), BioMedAlliance member Heaalth Research Committee (2016-2022), Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS - Chair of Executive Committee 2011, 2020) , member Education and Management Division EMD IFCC 2021-2026, member Committee on Conferences and Congresses CCC IFCC 2014-2019. Currently, he is the president of the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM), term 2026-2027 and was the member of the Executive Board from 2011 to 2019.
Plenary lecture: Research vs. clinical laboratory methods and regulations: understanding the key differences
This presentation will address the fundamental differences between research methods (immunoassays, mass spec, chromatography for research, molecular biology, in-house etc) and those employed in clinical laboratory settings (validated in vitro diagnostic (IVD) kits). The Laboratory medicine is regulated by national directives and also management quality is also implemented (e.g. ISO 15189). There are the similarities e.g. analytical process and differences in these processes across research and clinical settings and will briefly mention the regulatory requirements, analytical performance measures, and validation processes that clinical methods must undergo compared to research methods. These important issues are also important for basic research to ensure the reliability and accuracy of scientific studies so that research methods are suitable for clinical application. Examples of successful transitions from research to clinical practice will be briefly provided to illustrate the process and its impact on scientific studies.
Prof. Lada Rumora, PhD, is a full professor with tenure and head of the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Haematology at the University of Zagreb Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry. She graduated in Medical Biochemistry from the same institution, where she also obtained her MSc and PhD degrees in the field of biomedicine and healthcare.
She pursued scientific and professional training at McGill University in Montreal, as well as at the medical faculties in Prague and Warsaw. Throughout her academic career, she has been leading several courses within the integrated undergraduate and graduate studies Pharmacy and Medical Biochemistry, as well as doctoral and specialist postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry.
Her scientific interests include molecular mechanisms of chronic diseases, oxidative stress, signalling pathways, inflammation, and molecular biological investigations of genes and their transcriptional products. She is principal investigator and collaborator on numerous national and international scientific projects and is the author of many scientific publications and invited lectures.
Professor Rumora has supervised numerous undergraduate and doctoral theses.
She has received annual awards for scientific achievement from the Croatian Society of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine and the Association of University Teachers and Other Scientists in Zagreb, as well as an award from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry for excellence in scientific and teaching activities. She was also awarded the prestigious Andrija Štampar Award by the University of Zagreb for outstanding scientific achievements and exceptional contributions to education in biomedical sciences.
Since 2024, she has been vice president for higher education of the Scientific field committee for biomedicine and healthcare, fields of basic medical sciences, clinical medical sciences, public health and health care, dental medicine and pharmacy, and since 2025 head of the integrated undergraduate and graduate study Medical Biochemistry at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry.
Plenary lecture: Medical biochemist in the educational system
High-quality education of medical biochemists represents the cornerstone for the development of professional competencies, professional responsibility, and the long-term excellence of the profession. In an era marked by rapid technological progress, digitalization, and increasingly complex demands of the healthcare system, the role of the medical biochemist in the educational process has gained particular significance.
This lecture will consider the role of the medical biochemist within the educational system from the perspective of medical biochemistry students, who gradually acquire fundamental and professional knowledge during their studies, as well as from the perspective of medical biochemistry teachers, who, through their knowledge, experience, and professional values, shape future generations of experts.
Special emphasis will be placed on the importance of educational quality in maintaining professional excellence, as well as on the responsibility of the educational system in formation of competent and responsible medical biochemists. The role of the medical biochemist in education is not only educational but also strategic, as it is through education that the profession ensures its continuity, quality, and future development.
Daria Pašalić (born Mikačić), born in 1969 in Split, is a medical biochemist and full professor with permanent tenure at the University of Zagreb School of Medicine. She graduated in 1993, obtained her MSc in 2000, and completed her PhD in 2004 at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry in Zagreb, focusing on lipoprotein lipase and lipid disorders.
Her scientific work is in biomedicine, particularly atherogenesis, lipid metabolism, and molecular diagnostics. She has participated in numerous national and EU projects, as well as projects funded by the Croatian Science Foundation, and has supervised several doctoral theses. She is co-author of many scientific publications and several university textbooks and manuals.
At the School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, she teaches integrated medical studies in Croatian and English, including Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry I and II and Clinical Biochemistry, which she also coordinates. She is active in postgraduate and dental medicine studies, and at the doctoral level in Biomedicine and Health, where she coordinates Biochemical Methods in Biomedical Research and serves on the Committee for Teaching Texts.
She has also held teaching roles at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry and was a guest professor at the University of Mostar (2019–2025).
She served as Editor-in-Chief of Biochemia Medica (2017–2022) and guest editor of Diagnostics (2023–2024). She has held leadership roles in the Croatian Society of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CSMBLM), Portal of Croatian scientific and professional journals, and European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM), including President of CSMBLM (2018–2022) and Head of EFLM Education Committee (2017–2024), renewed from 2026. She is an EFLM Academy Award laureate (2023), an evaluator of international grants, and an active organizer and invited lecturer at international scientific events.
Plenary lecture: Genetics and Epigenetics: Where Are We Today in Translational Research and Clinical Application
This plenary lecture provides an integrated overview of the latest advances in genetics and epigenetics and their transformative role in the development of modern public health. Particular emphasis is placed on translational medicine as a critical bridge between fundamental biomedical discoveries and their application in clinical practice and population-based strategies. Through contemporary examples, the lecture will illustrate how genomic and epigenomic data enable a more precise understanding of risk for chronic non-communicable diseases and create opportunities for the development of personalized and stratified approaches to prevention. It will also address the role of environmental and lifestyle factors in regulating gene expression across the life course, highlighting the importance of a life-course approach and precision public health. Key implementation challenges will be discussed, including ethical, legal, and social considerations, as well as the need for robust infrastructure, data systems, and interdisciplinary capacity building. Ultimately, the lecture will outline how the integration of genomics and epigenetics can enhance the effectiveness, equity and sustainability of public health systems at a global level.
