Resume
Wojciech J. Stec, born in 1940 in Warsaw, majored in chemistry and then obtained a Ph.D. at Technical University of Lodz in organic chemistry in the laboratory of Jan Michalski at the Technical University of Lodz. After postdoctoral research with John R. Van Wazer from 1969-70, he continued his research in the Centre of Molecular and Macromolecular Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Lodz, focusing on the stereospecific synthesis of P-chiral organophosphates, with an emphasis on biologically active compounds. His group initiated studies in chirotechnology, exemplified by the first synthesis of enantiomerically pure cyclophosphates of therapeutic relevance, such as cyclophosphamide, isophosphamide and trophosphamide. His contribution to the synthesis and stereochemistry of organophosphates includes the conformational analysis of dioxaphosphorinanes, stereospecific PN-PX conversion demonstrated by the first stereospecific syntheses of Rp- and Sp-cAMPS, design of novel approach to stereospecific synthesis of diesters and amidoesters of phosphorothioic and isotopically labeled [16O, 17O, 18O] monoesters of phosphoric acids. His oxathiaphospholane approach to the synthesis of P-chiral organophosphates flourished in the first stereocontrolled synthesis of phosphorothioate oligonucleotides, class of compounds chemically synthesized first in 1983 by Stec et al. and now used in antisense therapy of viral and cancer diseases. Besides phosphorothioates, work of Wojciech Stec and his team paved the ways for stereocontrolled syntheses of various DNA triesters and DNA- and RNA-methanephosphonates. His group designed numerous P-chiral compounds useful as chemical tools for structural studies, intermolecular interaction and nucleolytic enzymes mechanisms. Besides biophosphates, Stec's research team was a pioneer, at that time, in protein engineering and recombinant DNA technology in Poland.
During 1983-84 Dr. Stec was working as Distinguished Visiting Scientist in the National Center for Drugs and Biologics, FDA, Bethesda, MD, USA. He was also invited as Visiting Professor to Max-Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen (1976, 1986), Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany (1981), Beijing Medical University, PR China (1998), National Institute for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research, Tsukuba, Japan (2000). His contribution to health sciences has been awarded by NIH, Fogarty International Center, electing Prof. Stec as the Fogarty-Scholar-In-Residence (July 1992-June 1993).
In 1994 Prof. Stec was elected as the corresponding member and in 2007 as the full member of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
In December 2006 he was elected to a Vice President of the Polish Academy of Sciences (term finished in December 2010).
He was also appointed as the member of Advisory Boards of Antisense and Nucleic Acid Drug Development (now Oligonucleotides), European Journal of Chemical Biology (ChemBioChem) and The European Journal of Organic Chemistry.
Educational activity of Prof. Wojciech J. Stec is reflected by the number of his students; 29 chemists and biochemists received Ph.D. degree under his supervision. Prof. Stec is the author and co-author of over 400 published original communications, papers, and reviews. He was also the editor of few monographs, like "Phosphorus Chemistry in Biology", Pergamon Press, 1980, and "Biophosphates and Their Analogues", Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1987. Besides, he is the author of numerous essays concerning science in Poland, advocate for many voices of young researchers.
Affiliations:
- Polish Chemical Society (1965-Present),
- Polish Biochemical Society (1981-Present)
- American Chemical Society (1983-Present)
- Societas Scientiarum at Litterarum Varsoviensis (Elected Member-1981)
- European Association for Cancer Research (1983-Present)
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (1989-Present)
In 2003-2004 Prof. Wojciech J. Stec spent 15 months as the Vice President for Research in Pharmasset, Inc., antiviral drugs developing company in Atlanta, GA., contributing to the development of new promising anti-HCV drug candidate, PSI-6130.
In 2004 Professor Stec received the prestigious award of The Foundation for Polish Science (commonly called the "Polish Nobel Prize").
In 2006 Professor Stec was nominated by the European Patent Office (The European Commission's Directorate - General Enterprize and Industry) for the "European Inventor of the Year Award 2006".
Above all he is the Founder and Distinguished Professor of The Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Centre of Molecular and Macromolecular Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lodz, Poland.
March, 2011