Dr. Ross Andel Awarded Visiting Professor Status at Charles University (Czech Republic)

Dr. Ross Andel, School of Aging Studies in the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, University of South Florida (USF) has been awarded Visiting Professor status at the 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, by Charles University’s President/Rector Tomas Zima.  A long-time collaborator with colleagues from the Czech Brain Ageing Study and other Czech researchers, Dr. Andel has contributed to the development of multiple research projects in the Czech Republic and to publication of about two dozen articles using data collected in the Czech Republic, including research on early identification of cognitive impairment. He has also hosted numerous Czech scholars in the USF School of Aging Studies and, in the past year, sent two doctoral students from the School of Aging Studies to work with colleagues in the Czech Republic. 

Dr. Andel (left), shown here with Vladimir Komarek, Professor and Dean of the 2nd Faculty of Medicine at Charles University, remarks “Being born and raised in the Czech Republic, I feel very fortunate to have been able to contribute to research and academic activities in the Czech Republic for the past decade or so. This recognition of my efforts by the 2nd Faculty of Medicine at Charles University is very special to me.”

In addition, Dean Komarek signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the USF and Charles University, which was also signed by USF Provost Ralph Wilcox. This should lead to further research and academic exchange efforts, as well as joint applications for external funding of research.”

Founded in 1348, Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. It was the first university in Central Europe and ranks in the upper 1.5 percent of the world’s best universities.  Together with the associated Motol Faculty Hospital, the 2nd Medical Faculty is the most modern health center and center of health education in the Czech Republic, offering pre-graduate and postgraduate education to students, doctors and other professional staff working in all fields of medicine.  It is also home of a number of specialized teams, some of them unique in Central-European context (e.g., paediatric cardiology, children's cochlear centre).

For more information about this and other work by Dr. Andel, contact him at randel@usf.edu.   For more information on the School of Aging Studies, see the website.  For more information regarding the Charles University of Prague, see its website.

Serving nearly 48,000 students, the University of South Florida is one of the largest public universities in the nation, and among the top 50 universities, public or private, for federal research expenditures. The College of Behavioral & Community Sciences serves more than 2,600 students with six undergraduate, nine masters, and five doctoral programs housed in seven academic departments/schools. Its School of Aging Studies, established in 1967, is one of the nation’s oldest and largest degree-awarding programs in Gerontology, and its Ph.D. in Aging Studies program, which began in 1994, has gained national prominence.