About us

The Department of Biological Chemistry of Kharkiv National Medical University is one of the oldest departments in our country. In 1863, department called the Cabinet of Medical Chemistry and Physics was established at the Medical Faculty of Kharkiv University, which later became the Department of Medical Chemistry (1884), physiological chemistry, and eventually biological chemistry. But long before these events at Kharkiv University, at the Department of Physics and Chemistry, O.I. Khodnev (worked at the university from 1846 to 1854) first read an independent course in physiological chemistry entitled “The Course of Physiological Chemistry, read at Kharkov University by Adjunct Professor A. Khodnev.”, which was published in 1847. This course became the generally recognized first textbook of biochemistry.

The department trains students in educational and professional programs “Medicine”, “Pediatrics”, “Dentistry”, “Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy”, “Laboratory Diagnostics”, “Nursing” and studies educational components (disciplines) “Biological Chemistry”, “Biological chemistry of normal and motor activity”.
In the training of students at the department modern teaching methods are widely used: verbal (lectures, talks), distance (lectures, video lectures, practical classes), visual (presentations, diagrams, tables), practical (independent work, case method, brainstorming, work in groups, test tasks).
Elective courses “Clinical Biochemistry” and “Improvement of knowledge in physiology, biological chemistry, microbiology, virology and immunology in preparation for EDC” are taught at the department.
The department conducts educational and scientific training of doctors of philosophy in the disciplines “Modern research on medical and biological disciplines” and “Good laboratory practice and basics of evidence-based medicine” (specialty 222 “Medicine”).

Research interests of the department:

1. “Biochemical mechanisms of development of dysmetabolic processes under the influence of chemical environmental factors”;
2. “Biochemical mechanisms of induction of intestinal inflammation and means of its correction”;
3. “The role of profibrotic proinflammatory and prooxidant factors in the biochemical mechanisms of chronic rhinosinusitis”;
4. “Biochemical and morphological justification for the use of tantalum-based coatings in surgical practice”;
5. The effect of e-cigarettes and IQOS on the body of experimental animals.

Topics of scientific research of the department, research of the department.

The topic of the initiative research of the department “Biochemical mechanisms of induction of intestinal inflammation and means of its correction”, No. DR 0120U102645
The topic of research funded by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine from the State Budget “Study of the effectiveness, mechanisms of action and safety of nanoparticles of orthovanadates of rare earth elements to optimize radiation therapy in oncopathology”, No. DR 0120U102645

Preparation of PhD, doctors of sciences:

One doctoral and 2 candidate theses are performed at the department:
The doctoral thesis is performed by Tkachenko A.S. “Pathophysiological mechanisms of induction of intestinal inflammation by food additive E407a”;
Candidate’s thesis is performed by graduate students of the department:
Kislov O.V. “Biochemical and morphological justifications for the use of tantalum-based coatings in surgical practice”
Babenko O. “The role of apoptosis and proliferation processes in the mechanisms of development and correction of experimental colitis in rats”

Defense of theses.

For the last five years one doctoral thesis and six candidate theses have been defended at the department:
Marakushin D.I. defended his doctoral thesis on “Pathophysiological mechanisms of development of structural-metabolic and functional disorders due to the effects on the body of oxyethylated nonylphenols and their derivatives.”
Stupnytskyi M.A. got his PhD on “Pathophysiological mechanisms of development of combined thoracic trauma and risk criteria for its complications.”
Maksimova I.G. got her PhD on the topic “Biochemical mechanisms membraneotropic action of organic mixtures based on imidozolines”.
Polikarpova G.V. got her PhD on the topic “Comparative study of the course skin burns of various origins in guinea pigs in the experiment”.
Bondareva A.V. got her PhD on the topic “Biochemical mechanisms of violation of the disposal of oligoesters of polyhydric alcohols and means of their correction.”
Bezrodna A.I. got her PhD on the topic “The effect of block copolymers based on oxypropylene and ethylene on the indicators of the functional state of the liver of rats and the correction of its violation.”
Onishchenko A.I. got his PhD on the topic “The role of profibrotic, proinflammatory and prooxidant factors in the biochemical mechanisms of chronic rhinosinusitis.”

Scientific products of the department:

For the last 5 years:
Discoveries in the field of biophysics by Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor V.I. Zhukov “The phenomenon of piezo-biosynthesis in biological tissues.”

Patents: 24 utility model patents and 6 invention patents.

Published: 10 monographs; more than 201 articles, 41 of them in the Scopus scientometric database; 5 manuals; 2 textbooks.

Participation in research projects, including international ones.

The department has participated in international projects with:

1. The Republic of Belarus, Belarusian state medical university
2. The Republic of Turkey, Cukurova University Medical Faculty Dept of Medical Biochemistry

Scientific and practical conferences:

Every year the department holds an International scientific and practical conference “Actual problems of experimental and clinical biochemistry”, Kharkiv, Ukraine.

The Department of Biochemistry at KhNMU cooperates with the Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran), Department of Biochemistry, Belarusian State Medical University (Minsk, Belarus) and Department of Biochemistry, Gomel State Medical University (Gomel, Belarus). In February 2017, Professor Nakonechna O.A. and assistant Tkachenko A.S. visited the Tehran University of Medical Sciences (Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran). A visit of assistant Tkachenko A.S. to the department to the Belarusian State Medical University allowed to establish cooperation with KhNMU and sign the appropriate agreement between the two institutions. Department assistant Tkachenko A.S. in 2018 visited and presented his researches at the USERN Congress 2018 in Reggio Calabria (Italy) and attended a qualification upgrading course (Primary Immunodeficiencies, 10-14 November 2018). In February 2019, Associate Professor Tkachenko A.S. presented his speech at the fourth USERN Congress in Budapest, Hungary. Associate Professor Tkachenko A.S. is a member of the grant from the Civilian Research & Development Foundation; CRDF) for a joint research project with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID, USA), which is one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Topic: Establishing TB Portal of Mycobacterium tuberculosis cases from Kharkiv, Ukraine. In 2021, Associate Professor Tkachenko A.S. made a speech at the USERN Congress in Istanbul (Republic of Turkey).
It is planned a 4-months internship of the graduate student O.V. Kislov in Quebec City (Canada) at the Laboratory of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, which functions at the Laval University (led by Prof. D. Mantovani) – September –December 2022.
It is planned the participation of the department assistant T.O. Briukhanova at the 90th Congress of the European Association for the Study of Atherosclerosis in Milan (Italy) – autumn 2022.
Pre-clinical trials of a synthetic oligopeptide for the treatment of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in cooperation with German colleagues are planned.
An international cooperation agreement with the Ukrainian-Chinese Centre for Cell Therapy and Pulse Medicine is planned to be established. Main focus of the research: the usage of oligopeptides as therapeutic agents in experimental collitis and burns of various genesis.