Petra Bencurova

Petra Bencurova serves as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Futureneuro Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), specializing in neuroscience research with emphasis on epilepsy and stress-related neurological disorders. Her work bridges molecular biology, neuroimaging, and translational medicine.

Education:

• PhD in Neuroscience (2021) - Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
• MSc (Mgr) in Biochemistry/Genomics and Proteomics - Masaryk University
• BSc (Bc) in Biochemistry - Masaryk University

Her research focuses on epilepsy mechanisms, particularly age-dependent epileptogenesis, miRNA dysregulation, and white matter development disruptions. She investigates prenatal/perinatal stress impacts on brain structure using longitudinal cohorts, and explores cortisol biomarkers in dental tissues for archaeological stress assessment. Her work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) through neurological disorder research.

Analysis of her 8 most recent publications (2017-2023) reveals three dominant research trajectories: (1) Epilepsy-related miRNA profiling across developmental stages, (2) Structural brain changes from early-life stress exposure, and (3) Novel biomarker development using dental cortisol. Her work demonstrates strong translational focus, connecting rodent models with human patient data while emphasizing age-of-onset as critical variable in neurological disorders.

Scientific Recognition:

• ORCID: 0000-0002-4147-1277
• Publications cited 295+ times across multiple platforms (Mendeley, X, Wikipedia)

As a Postdoctoral Fellow at Futureneuro Centre, she contributes to RCSI's Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders research cluster. Her work involves advanced techniques including diffusion tensor imaging, miRNA sequencing, and ELISA-based cortisol measurement. Current projects examine developmental origins of epilepsy comorbidities and cross-species validation of molecular biomarkers.

The Futureneuro Centre provides her research infrastructure within RCSI's School of Medicine, facilitating collaborations between basic scientists and clinicians to address unmet needs in neurological care.