Activities of the Institute
Visit to Riga Stradiņš University, Latvia
“Hic Locus Est, Ubi Mors Gaudet Succurrere Vitae” (This is the place where death rejoices in helping life). This Latin inscription welcomes students at the entrance to the Institute of Anatomy and Anthropology at the Faculty of Medicine of Riga Stradiņš University, Latvia. The Institute brings together the fields of anatomy, histology, and embryology and also manages an anthropological collection that was co-founded by the world-renowned pathologist and anthropologist Rudolf Virchow (1821–1902).
In early October 2025, Professor Ivan Varga visited this anatomical institution, which has a 75-year tradition, as a Visiting Professor at Riga Stradiņš University. Together with the Head of the Institute, Professor Māra Pilmane, he also visited the Latvian Academy of Sciences in Riga.
We are delighted that our colleagues from Riga have accepted our invitation to visit our Faculty in November. This visit will further strengthen cooperation not only in the field of education, but also through joint scientific projects. Staff mobility is an important component of enhancing the quality of teaching and research, while also representing an expression of the international recognition and standing of an academic institution.
A New Direction in Anatomical Research at Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Anatomy is not an unchanging or static science, although it is often mistakenly perceived as such. It is a dynamically evolving discipline that continuously adapts to the needs of clinical practice. The rapid development of robotic surgery and microsurgery has stimulated the emergence of a new field within anatomy: mesoscale anatomy.
Mesoscale anatomy focuses on anatomical structures of the human body that are smaller than those visible to the naked eye in macroscopic anatomy, yet larger than the structures studied by light or electron microscopy in microscopic anatomy. This field explores anatomical organization at the scale of hundreds of micrometers, corresponding to the thickness of individual organ sublayers or fascial structures.
In order to further define and develop this emerging area of anatomical research, an international team of anatomists gathered on 12 August 2025 at Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China. The meeting brought together experts from the University of Otago, The University of Melbourne, Medical University of Graz, and The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Professor Ivan Varga represented Comenius University in Bratislava during this international scientific meeting.
Visit to the Department of Anatomy at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen
China is home to more than 1,000 medical universities and schools. Among them, the School of Medicine of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen is recognized as one of the country's leading medical institutions. It is also ranked among the world's top universities, placing 32nd in the QS World University Rankings.
As a member of the delegation of the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFAA), Professor Ivan Varga had the opportunity to visit the School of Medicine and tour both the Department of Anatomy and the Clinical Skills Center.
The Clinical Skills Center provides students with state-of-the-art training opportunities, including robotic surgery, auscultation, ultrasonography (US) and laparoscopic simulators, as well as advanced 3D simulation technologies. Students also develop their anatomical knowledge through cadaveric dissection, where they correlate CT images with the anatomical findings they observe during dissection, thereby strengthening the integration of clinical imaging with human anatomy.
11th Asia Pacific International Congress of Anatomists (APICA 2025), Guangzhou, China
APICA 2025: International Recognition of Anatomical Research from Bratislava
The abbreviation APICA 2025 refers to the 11th Asia Pacific International Congress of Anatomists, one of the most significant international gatherings in the field of anatomy. The congress was held in August 2025 in Guangzhou, China, bringing together more than 2,000 anatomists and experts from across the globe, with particularly strong representation from the Asia-Pacific region.
The scientific achievements of our department were presented at this prestigious international forum by Professor Ivan Varga, who delivered a lecture highlighting the results of our research activities. The significance and quality of his contribution were recognized by the Congress President, Professor Yunqing Li, who presented Professor Varga with a commemorative certificate in acknowledgement of his scientific contribution.
As part of the official gala evening, Professor Varga also had the honor of inviting congress participants to Bratislava, where the 30th anniversary congress of the International Symposium on Morphological Sciences (ISMS) will take place in 2028. This invitation represents an important opportunity to further strengthen international cooperation and promote Bratislava as a future meeting place for the global anatomical and morphological sciences community.
56th congress of the Hungarian Medical Association of America (HMAA), Sarasota, USA
For the past 56 years, American physicians and scientists of Central European origin have gathered every year during the last week of October in Sarasota, Florida, to exchange scientific knowledge and professional experience. Traditionally, the congress of the Hungarian Medical Association of America (HMAA) also welcomes academics and representatives of medical faculties from Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania.
This year, the 56th HMAA Conference was attended by Professor Ivan Varga, representing the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University, together with Associate Professor Ladislav Czakó, MD, PhD, MPH, Head of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University.
Professor Varga delivered two presentations. The first focused on the historical connections among anatomists from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Austria. The second presented the latest research findings from our Department on immune cell populations in the fallopian tube and uterus.
29th International Symposium on Morphological Sciences (ISMS 2025), Lisbon, Portugal
More than 200 anatomists from 46 countries around the world participated in the 29th International Symposium on Morphological Sciences (ISMS), which was held in July 2025 at NOVA Medical School in Lisbon, Portugal.
Professor Ivan Varga took part in the meeting of the ISMS Commission, presented research results on uterine natural killer (NK) cells in relation to infertility, and chaired a session dedicated to emerging trends in anatomy education. Discussions and exchanges with colleagues and friends from the international anatomy community represent an invaluable source of inspiration for new scientific projects and collaborations, while also contributing to the implementation of innovative approaches in anatomical education.
The event also brought further international recognition to Slovak anatomy. During its meeting in Lisbon, the International Commission for Symposia on Morphological Sciences decided that the next, jubilee 30th International Symposium on Morphological Sciences (ISMS) will be held in Bratislava in 2028. The President of the congress will be Professor Ivan Varga, Head of the Institute of Histology and Embryology at the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University in Bratislava.
The tradition of ISMS congresses dates back to 1971, when the first symposium was held in Mexico City. Since then, this prestigious international event has been hosted by cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Toronto, Brussels, Kyoto, Istanbul, and Cape Town. In 2028, the congress will be hosted by Bratislava and the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University.
Following tradition, the incoming ISMS President, Professor Ivan Varga, received a commemorative medallion during the closing ceremony of the 29th ISMS. The medallion bears the engraved history of previous ISMS congresses, including the years, host cities, and organizers since 1971. It was presented to him by members of the ISMS Commission: Professor Diogo Pais from Portugal, Professor Guido Macchiarelli from Italy, and Professor Tatsuo Ushiki from Japan.
Special appreciation also belongs to the strong and friendly support provided by the Slovak Anatomical Society of the Slovak Medical Society, led by its President, Professor Ingrid Hodorová, which will serve as an important partner in organizing this prestigious international event.
Professor Jozef Zlatoš celebrated his significant jubilee
It was 1935 when MUDr. Július Ledényi, then associate professor of anatomy at the Comenius University, published his Slovak nomenclature - Nomina Anatomica - through the Slovak Matrix in Turčianske Sväté Martin. Maybe it is a coincidence, maybe it is fate, but in the same year Jozef Zlatoš was born - the future professor of anatomy at the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University in Bratislava. To this day, he still sees the work Slovak Nomenclature of Body Science as his “twin”, which influenced his professional direction.
Prof. MUDr. Jozef Zlatoš, DrSc. was born on April 25, 1935 in Pruské near
Ilava. After successfully passing his final exams at the Gymnasium in Trenčín in 1953, he began studying general medicine at the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University in Bratislava. During his studies, he actively participated in student scientific and professional activities at the Department of Anatomy and presented his research results on the variability of the brachial plexus in cats at student conferences in Bratislava and Prague. From his fourth year of study, he became an assistant researcher, and from his fifth year, he became an assistant at the Department of Anatomy. From the end of his university studies in 1959 until his retirement in 2007, he devoted his entire working life to teaching at the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University in Bratislava, first at the Department of Anatomy (later the Institute of Anatomy) and, from 1990, at the Institute of Histology and Embryology. Even after his retirement, he continued to work as a professor emeritus at Comenius University.
MUDr. Jozef Zlatoš defended his candidate thesis (CSc.) in 1968 and was
appointed associate professor of anatomy in 1974. In the field of normal anatomy, histology, and embryology, he obtained the title of Doctor of Medical Sciences (DrSc.) in 1992 and was appointed professor in 1997. He specialized mainly in functional neuroanatomy and was a follower of Professor Gustáv Čierny's neuroanatomical school. His main interest was the microtopography of motor neurons in the spinal cord of cats and humans, which was based on the needs of neurosurgical practice.
He constructed a stereotactic apparatus, which he used to construct topographic maps of various parts of the human spinal cord. Professor Zlatoš's device is also depicted in a review article on the world history of spinal cord stereotaxy by Eric M. Gabriel and Blaine S. Nashold in the Journal of Neurosurgery (1996). His scientific work resulted in the creation of the first stereotactic atlas of the spinal cord, which formed the core of his doctoral dissertation.
During his career, Professor Zlatoš completed a three-month study stay with
Professor Romanes in Edinburgh, England (1971) and later at the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje, in what was then Yugoslavia (1984). As part of his teaching activities, he was secretary of the Anatomical Institute of the Faculty of Medicine at Comenius University for 20 years, starting in 1970. In 1990, he took over the leadership of the Institute of Histology and Embryology at the Faculty of Medicine at Comenius University from Professor Karol Kapeller and led this department until 2005. As part of his teaching career, Professor Zlatoš also devoted himself to popularizing anatomy. He was the co-author of Zdravoveda (Health Science, 1989) and the color anatomical atlas Ľudské telo (The Human Body, 2004).
In May 2025, we also commemorated the significant life anniversary of Professor Jozef Zlatoš at the Institute of Histology and Embryology of the Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University. We are very pleased that after a festive lunch with the institute staff, the honoree received the Golden Medal “Propter Merita” of the Slovak Medical Society from Prof. MUDr. Juraj Payer, PhD., MPH, FRCP, FEFIM, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University and First Vice-President of the
Slovak Medical Society.
Ad multos annos, profesor!
Ivan Varga and Renáta Mikušová, on behalf of the team at the Institute of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University
Teaching Mobility at the Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland, December 2024
In the pre-Christmas period, Assistant Professor Michal Miko actively participated in the teaching programme at the Jagiellonian University Medical College (Uniwersytet Jagielloński, Collegium Medicum) in Kraków, Poland. During his visit, he conducted practical classes in histology for international students enrolled in the Medicine and Dentistry programmes at the Department of Histology. He also attended a pre-clinical Problem-Based Learning (PBL) seminar and introduced the activities and educational achievements of our department to his Polish colleagues.
The visit provided a valuable opportunity to compare different approaches to teaching and learning, exchange educational experience, and gain inspiration for further innovations in anatomy and histology education at both institutions.
The experience also confirmed that the quality of teaching provided by our department in Bratislava is fully comparable with that of the renowned Jagiellonian University, one of the oldest and most prestigious medical schools in Central Europe.
Success of PhD Student Mgr. Claudia Feitscherová, November 2024
On the occasion of International Students’ Day, celebrated on 18 November 2024, Mgr. Claudia Feitscherová, a full-time PhD student at the Institute of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, received an award from the Rector of Comenius University, Professor Marek Števček, in recognition of her outstanding academic and scientific achievements.
Her doctoral research focuses on the distribution of immune cells within selected organs of the reproductive system and their role in fertility, employing immunohistochemical methods. To date, she has co-authored eight indexed scientific publications, including articles published in prestigious international journals such as Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology and Experimental Biology and Medicine.
In addition to her research activities, Claudia is actively involved in teaching at the Institute of Histology and Embryology and regularly contributes to science outreach and public engagement initiatives promoting human anatomy, histology, and embryology. These include participation in events such as the European Researchers’ Night.
Congratulations, Claudia! We are proud of your achievements, wish you every success in completing your doctoral dissertation, and look forward to your future accomplishments.
11th Baltic Morphology Meeting 2024, november 2024
The traditional anatomical congress of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia was held this year at the Institute of Anatomy and Anthropology (Anatomicum) of Riga Stradiņš University in Riga, the capital of Latvia.
The invited speakers included Professor Andreas Winkelmann, Head of the Institute of Anatomy at the Medical School Brandenburg (Germany); Professor Michał Polguj, Head of the Department of Anatomy at the Medical University of Lodz (Poland); Professor Dainius Pauža, Head of the Institute of Anatomy at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (Lithuania); Professor David Kachlík, Head of the Department of Anatomy at the Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague (Czech Republic); and Professor Ivan Varga from Bratislava.
In his invited lecture, Professor Varga presented the results of an immunohistochemical study focusing on uterine natural killer (NK) cells in relation to implantation and recurrent pregnancy loss. This research is being conducted in collaboration with his PhD student, MUDr. Lenka Lapides, and Professor Pavol Babál, Head of the Institute of Pathological Anatomy at the Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava.
ENLIGHT Conference in Estonia, October 2024
The fourth ENLIGHT Teaching and Learning Conference was held at the University of Tartu from 7 to 9 October 2024, with the theme Innovation and Creativity in Higher Education. Participants were able to share their experiences and ideas on how ENLIGHT's educational goals and concepts can be linked to the practice of teaching and learning.
Comenius University sent a strong team to Tartu and its Faculty of Medicine was not missing. Our Department of Histology and Embryology was also represented and we hope that we will be able to implement some of the progressive and modern ideas of education in the curriculum of the courses we teach.
(photo: Zeinäb Mirzojeva, Andres Tennus a Marianna Danková)
Lecture of prof. Ali Mirjalili, September 2024
On September 20, 2024, Professor S. Ali Mirjalili, MD, PhD, the Head of Human Anatomy department at The University of Auckland, New Zealand, delivered the first lecture for General Medicine students in the winter semester of the new academic year 2024/2025. The lecture took place in the Great Auditorium of our Faculty of Medicine and covered a fascinating combination of gross anatomy, microscopic anatomy, and the development of the cardiovascular system. The lecture was well-received by students, scientists, and teachers in attendance, showcasing international cooperation in medical studies at our institute. We eagerly anticipate more such excellent lectures in the future! Thank you again, professor! We will happily host you again!
IFAA Meeting, South Korea, September 2024
At the beginning of September 2024, Professor Ivan Varga, actively participated in the world anatomy congress (IFAA 2024 meeting) in Gwangju, Republic of Korea. One of the goals of such world events is to connect experts from different countries and support their mutual cooperation. We believe that this will also lead to the internationalization of Slovak anatomy, and soon our colleagues and students will be visited by some internationally recognized experts, such as prof. Wojciech Pawlina (Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, USA), prof. Ali Mirjalili (University of Otago, New Zealand), prof. Friedrich Paulsen (FAU Erlangen, Germany) or prof. David Kachlík (Charles University, Czech Republic). Another important part of the world congress were the sections dedicated to the innovation of the teaching of anatomy and morphological sciences, which is receiving a lot of attention worldwide.
Cooperation with International Federation of Medical Students Associations, August 2024
We were also active at our institute during August. This summer, an interactive workshop focused on Clinical Embryology and Reproductive Health was held under the auspices of the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA) and the Slovak Association of Medical Students (SloMSA).
The workshop was led by Lenka Lapides, MD gynecologist and PhD student at our institute and Martin Klein, MD, PhD., Assistant Professor at our institute.
Almost 20 medical students from all over the world took part in this education activity. We thank them for the fantastic atmosphere and stimulating discussion!
Thesis defences at the institute
International Congress in Prague, September 2023
A part of the team of the Institute of Histology and Embryology participated in the 17th European Association of Clinical Anatomy & 14th International Symposium of Clinical and Applied Anatomy in Prague (14th - 17th September 2023). Mr. Prof. Ivan Varga chaired together with prof. Susana Biasutto from Argentina in the section focused on anatomy education. In this section MUDr. Paulína Gálfiová delivered with great success a lecture on the ultrastructure of organs of the digestive system in the image of scanning electron microscopy in the context of teaching microscopic anatomy.
We also presented three posters as part of our active participation:
Varga et al. - Immunohistochemical Study of Uterine Natural Killer (UNK) Cells and Their Role During Implantation
Gálfiová et al. - Teaching Human Embryology Nowadays: Are The Specimens of Human Embryo Still Useful Enough?
Csöbönyeiová et al. -Morphological Study of the Lymphatic Lacunae Inside the Uterine Tube Mucosal Folds and Their Possible Role in Reproduction
At the congress we also met many friends and colleagues from all over the world, e.g. from the USA, Canada, Argentina, New Zealand, Romania, Greece, Hungary, Poland and of course from the Czech Republic, with whom we exchanged valuable experiences and ideas.
Conference dedicated to the celebration of 100 years of teaching of histology in Slovakia
International Congress in Portugal, September 2022
From 15th to 17th September 2022, part of the scientific and pedagogical team of the Institute of Histology and Embryology of the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University, headed by Prof. Ivan Varga, participated in the 13th International Symposium of Clinical and Applied Anatomy - ISCAA 2022 in Vilamoura, Portugal. In the form of posters we presented our scientific results on the following topics:
Communication between epithelial cells of fallopian tubes and oocytes, sperm and early embryo and its importance in reproduction
Paulína Gálfiová, MD, and team: Comparison of the ultrastructure of the surface of the fallopian tube epithelium in bioptic and necroptic specimens in scanning electron microscopy.
Professor Ivan Varga presented his lecture in the section focused on innovations in teaching anatomy, where he shared his experience with the implementation of the new compulsory elective course Clinical Embryology and Reproductive Medicine into the curriculum of the study programme of general medicine.
At the conference we also met many experts from abroad such as prof. David Kachlík and MUDr. Radovan Hudák (2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague) and prof. Susana Biasutto (National University of Cordoba, Argentina).
Visit to Professor Kapeller
The staff of our institute do not forget the greats of history and still cultivate lively and convivial relations with former employees and executives. This was evidenced by a recent home visit by the Institute staff to Professor Kapeller, our long-time head of institute. On this occasion, we also presented the highest award of the Slovak Medical Society - the Honorary Plaque of T. R. Niederland for his merits for the development of the Slovak Medical Society, which was awarded to him on the occasion of the centenary of the teaching of histology in Slovakia. We are very glad that even at his venerable age (year of birth 1926), the professor is still a fountain of knowledge and an inspiring personality for us!
Our Institute at European Researchers' Night
The 16th edition of the European Researchers' Night took place on 30 September 2022 in the Old Market Hall in Bratislava. The aim of this science festival is not only to promote science and research itself, but also to encourage young people to experience learning. At this year's festival in Bratislava, numerous lectures were given and dozens of departments from various universities and the Slovak Academy of Sciences presented their activities. The Faculty of Medicine of the Charles University in Bratislava also found its place at this event.
The block of popular-scientific lectures was started in the morning by prof. RNDr. Ivan Varga, PhD., Head of the Institute of Histology and Embryology of the Faculty of Medicine of Charles University with a lecture entitled "Before we are born". He took the high school students through an engaging presentation full of pictures through a story that begins with fertilization and ends with childbirth. A story that lasts an average of 266 days, and we've all been through it once. But no one remembers it from their own experience.
At the same time, our institute in cooperation with the Anatomical Institute of the Faculty of Physical Sciences of the University of Physical Sciences created a stand called "Mysteries of the structure and development of the human body" in the premises of the Old Market Hall and offered those interested a unique insight into the macroscopic as well as microscopic structure of the human body. In the anatomical part, plastic models of the whole body and organ systems, as well as real plasticised models and corrosive preparations of selected organs of the human body were exhibited. In the histological part, the interested visitors could see stained sections of various organs of the human body in a light microscope. Newly created models of developmental stages of human embryos, which were printed by the staff of the institute with the help of a 3D printer, with the support of the project of the Ministry of Education KEGA 81UK-4/2021 "Creation of study materials for the newly created subject of Clinical Embryology and Reproductive Medicine", were a diversification of the exhibition
Cooperation with the Faculty of Health Care Studies, University of West Bohemia
Thanks to the cooperation between our institute and the Faculty of Health Care Studies, University of West Bohemia, a visit by Mgr. MUDr. Michal Miko, PhD., took place on September 19–20 at the faculty.
During his stay, he had the opportunity to become acquainted with teaching in the study programmes of Physiotherapy, General Nursing, Midwifery, and Emergency Care, and to thoroughly tour all teaching facilities used by students, including the Simulation Centre equipped with a real ambulance vehicle. He also shared his expertise with second-year Midwifery students in the form of a lecture on the topic of the first and second weeks of embryonic development, methods of assisted reproduction, and the ethical and moral issues related to IVF.
He also had the opportunity to visit and tour the campus of the University of West Bohemia, located in the Bory district, where most of the university’s faculties are situated.
As part of the cooperation with our institute, we also highly value the collaboration with Prof. RNDr. Ivan Varga, PhD., who has become one of the mentors of the Faculty of Health Care Studies in the field of science and research and will support the development of high-quality publication outputs.