Jaroslav Flegr

Jaroslav Flegr
Born (1958-03-12) 12 March 1958 (age 66)[1]
Prague, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic)
NationalityCzech
Known forresearch into toxoplasmosis
AwardsIg Nobel Prize in Public Health (2014)
Scientific career
FieldsParasitology
InstitutionsCharles University in Prague

Jaroslav Flegr (born 12 March 1958) is a Czech parasitologist, evolutionary biologist, and author of the book Frozen Evolution.[2] He is professor of biology at the Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague,[3] and is a member of the editorial board of the journal Neuroendocrinology Letters.[4]

His work on how toxoplasmosis—an infection caused by the protozoan parasite T. gondii—influences personality,[5] sex ratios,[6] and rates of traffic accidents,[7][8] has received coverage in The Atlantic,[9] Salon,[10] and The Guardian.[11] Flegr maintains that toxoplasmosis might increase the rate of traffic accidents by as much as one million collisions per year.[12][13][14] He also believes that T. gondii contributes to suicides and mental disorders such as schizophrenia.[9]

  1. ^ "Jaroslav Flegr – nakladatelství Academia". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
  2. ^ Hall, B.K. (2009). "A review of Frozen Evolution: Or That's Not the Way It is, Mr. Darwin, edited by Jaroslav Flegr". Evolution & Development. 11 (1): 126–129. doi:10.1111/j.1525-142X.2008.00310.x. Retrieved 24 June 2009.[dead link]
  3. ^ Jaroslav Flegr University website
  4. ^ Board of Editors Archived 16 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine Neuroendocrinology Letters website
  5. ^ Flegr J (May 2007). "Effects of Toxoplasma on Human Behavior". Schizophr Bull. 33 (3): 757–60. doi:10.1093/schbul/sbl074. PMC 2526142. PMID 17218612.
  6. ^ Kanková S, Sulc J, Nouzová K, Fajfrlík K, Frynta D, Flegr J (February 2007). "Women infected with parasite Toxoplasma have more sons". Naturwissenschaften. 94 (2): 122–7. Bibcode:2007NW.....94..122K. doi:10.1007/s00114-006-0166-2. PMID 17028886. S2CID 9610443.
  7. ^ Flegr J, Havlícek J, Kodym P, Malý M, Smahel Z (July 2002). "Increased risk of traffic accidents in subjects with latent toxoplasmosis: a retrospective case-control study". BMC Infect. Dis. 2: 11. doi:10.1186/1471-2334-2-11. PMC 117239. PMID 12095427.
  8. ^ Flegr J, Klose J, Novotná M, Berenreitterová M, Havlícek J (2009). "Increased incidence of traffic accidents in Toxoplasma-infected military drivers and protective effect RhD molecule revealed by a large-scale prospective cohort study". BMC Infect. Dis. 9: 72. doi:10.1186/1471-2334-9-72. PMC 2692860. PMID 19470165.
  9. ^ a b McAuliffe, Kathleen (2012). "How Your Cat Is Making You Crazy." March issue.
  10. ^ Catherine Price (13 March 2007). "Want a boy? Change the kitty litter". Salon.com. Retrieved 24 June 2009.
  11. ^ Adam, David (25 September 2003). "Can a parasite carried by cats change your personality?". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 24 June 2009.
  12. ^ "Cat bug link to 1m crashes". Edinburgh: Scotsman.com. 4 June 2009. Retrieved 24 June 2009.
  13. ^ "Czech scientists make unique finding on Rh factor effect". Prague Monitor. Archived from the original on 7 June 2009. Retrieved 24 June 2009.
  14. ^ Caroline Davis (8 August 2002). "Times Higher Education – Findings: 'Harmless' bug may be killer". Times Higher Education Supplement. Retrieved 24 June 2009.