History of the Department of Medical Biology

The Department of Biology was founded in 1926. Over the years, it was headed by zoology professors O.M. Nikольsky, V.L. Pauli, and histology professor V.F. Rubashkin.

Since 1930, the Department was headed by Yevhen Oleksandrovych Finkelstein (1897–1976). The Department’s research focused on animals that serve as vectors and reservoirs of pathogens of human infectious diseases and, subsequently, on experimental morphology and the development of tumors.

During the Second World War, the Department was evacuated to Orenburg, where it continued its work. After returning to Kharkiv in 1944, the Department resumed its activities at 12 Trincklera Street.

In 1948, the Department was headed by Associate Professor Vasyl Ivanovych Biriukov. In 1962, Associate Professor Varvara Oleksiivna Samarova became Head of the Department, followed by Professor Polina Vasylivna Mykhailova in 1963. From 1973 to 1977, the Department was headed by Associate Professor M.M. Pavlova.

From 1977 to 1993, the Department of Medical Biology was headed by Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Svitlana Volodymyrivna Zhukova. In 1987, together with Professor A.O. Sliusarev, she prepared a biology textbook that was subsequently reprinted several times, including in Moldovan and Armenian.

From 1995 to 2002, the Department of Medical Biology, Parasitology and Genetics was headed by Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Hennadii Fedorovych Zhegunov. In 1996, the Department introduced, for the first time in its history, biology instruction in English for international students.

From 2002 to 2025, the Department was headed by Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Valerii Vasylovych Miasoiedov.

Since September 1, 2025, the Department has been headed by Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor Iryna Pavlivna Meshcheriakova.

History of the Department of Medical Genetics

The history of the Department of Medical Genetics dates back to 1965, when the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Medical Faculty of Kharkiv Medical Institute was headed by Professor Ivan Ivanovych Hryshchenko. At his initiative, Olena Yakivna Trunova (Hrechanina) established a research and clinical direction focused on the correction of disorders of sexual development based on modern genetic knowledge.

Surgical and therapeutic correction of abnormalities of the reproductive organs was initiated, along with the development of genetic laboratory support, including cytogenetic and biochemical laboratories.

In 1967, a Laboratory of Clinical Genetics was established at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, headed by O.Ya. Hrechanina. Research was initiated into the genetic aspects of labor disorders, abnormalities of sexual differentiation, immunological conflicts during pregnancy, congenital malformations, intrauterine infections, and methods of prenatal diagnosis. A student scientific society was also established.

Subsequently, the laboratory expanded the teaching of medical genetics to fourth-, fifth- and sixth-year students, actively developed research activities, and introduced modern methods of prenatal diagnosis, including amniocentesis and amniofetography. In 1971, representatives of the laboratory participated for the first time in an international congress in Mexico City.

In 1979, the Laboratory of Clinical Genetics was transformed into a Medical Genetic Consultation Service. The first All-Union Conference on Prenatal Diagnosis of Congenital Malformations and Hereditary Diseases was held on its premises. During this period, clinical cytogenetics, ultrasound, invasive and non-invasive diagnostic methods, immunoenzymatic diagnostics, and the system of medical genetic care were actively developed.

An important milestone was 1984, when O.Ya. Hrechanina, with the support of the Regional Health Department, established and headed the Kharkiv Interregional Medical Genetic Center. The Center became a clinical training base for students and one of the leading centers for medical genetic care.

In 1989, the Department of Clinical Genetics was established at the Kharkiv Institute for Postgraduate Medical Education, where physicians from across Ukraine received training in medical genetics. In 1991, the Ukrainian Association of Ultrasound Diagnostics Specialists was established.

In 1995, the high level of ultrasound diagnostics developed at the Department and the Center was recognized at the World Congress in Japan. In 1997, Professor O.Ya. Hrechanina’s scientific achievements were recognized with the State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology.

In 2000, the Department of Medical Genetics was established at the Kharkiv State Medical University on the basis of the Center and was headed by Professor O.Ya. Hrechanina. Modern educational technologies were introduced, educational and methodological materials, electronic lecture courses, and catalogs of regional hereditary disorders were developed. Three monographs on clinical genetics were prepared and published.

From 1999 to 2003, the Department participated in the State Genetic Monitoring Program, which contributed to determining the incidence of congenital malformations in the region and developing a system of prospective genetic counseling. Research conducted by the Department made it possible to study mitochondrial DNA haplotypes in the Ukrainian population, establish molecular diagnostics of mitochondrial diseases, and develop cooperation in the diagnosis and treatment of organic acidemias.

From 2003 to 2015, Professor O.Ya. Hrechanina served as the Chief Freelance Specialist in Medical Genetics of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. With her participation, a concept for medical care for patients with rare diseases, a national program on rare diseases, and relevant legislative proposals were developed.

Department of Medical Biology and Medical Genetics

In 2026, the Department of Medical Biology and Medical Genetics of Kharkiv National Medical University was established through the merger of the Department of Medical Genetics with the Department of Medical Biology.

Since September 1, 2025, the Department has been headed by Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor Iryna Pavlivna Meshcheriakova.

Currently, the Department of Medical Biology and Medical Genetics comprises the Head of the Department — Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor I.P. Meshcheriakova; Associate Professors — Candidates of Medical Sciences T.D. Aliieva Kyzy, O.V. Buhaіova, L.V. Molodan, O.V. Shmulich, Candidates of Biological Sciences V.Yu. Dzhamieiev and Yu.O. Sadovnychenko; Assistants — Candidate of Biological Sciences N.H. Puzik, K.A. Kuznetsov, I.K. Kuznietsova, V.M. Yelisieiev; Senior Laboratory Assistant O.M. Sotnyk; and Laboratory Assistants S.A. Duzkriatchenko and O.L. Shcherbynska.

The main areas of the Department’s activities include educational and methodological work, research, educational activities, organizational work, consulting, clinical and diagnostic activities, and international cooperation.