Acquirements

• M.Sc. in Biology-Mathematics (1987), Faculty of Science, ComeniusUniversity, Bratislava; thesis: A study of variability in the species Erysimum diffusum Ehrh.
• Ph.D. in Ecology (2007), Institute of Forest Ecology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Zvolen; PhD. thesis: Rots in selected introduced woody plants in Slovak settlements.
• Assoc. Prof. in General Ecology and Ecology of Individual and Population (2014), Faculty of Ecology and Evironmental Sciences, Technical University, Zvolen; habilitation thesis: Diversity and ecology of polypores of three genera Fomes, Laetiporus, and Ganoderma in woody plants in Slovak settlements.

 Professional career 

• 2001 – till now Faculty of Science, Matthias Belius University, Banská Bystrica, Assoc. Prof.
• 1998 – 2001 Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Technical University in Zvolen, Assist. Professor
• 1991 – 1998 School District in Zvolen, teacher

• 1987 – 1990 Institute of Dendrobiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences in Vieska nad Žitavou, botanist & researcher

Lectures and seminars (2022/2023)

The study program Teaching of Biology:

• Cytology, plant anatomy and morphology (Bc.)
• Plant physiology (Bc.)
• Diversity and phylogeny of protists, algae and fungi (Bc.)
• Applied botany (MSc.)
• Plant anatomy practicum (Bc.)
• General didactics of biology (Bc.)
• Special didactics of biology 1 (MSc.)
• Special didactics of biology 2 (MSc.)

The study program Environmental Biology:

• Diversity and phylogeny of algae and fungi (Bc.)
• Plant physiology (Bc.)
• Applied botany (MSc.)

Research interests

• Biology and ecology of wood-decaying fungi in urban and suburban areas
• Tree health in urban greenery
• Rots of urban trees
• Fungi in urban environment as indicators of air quality
• Botany and mycology at school learning and extracurricular activities

 Projects over the last 6 years

• KEGA No.014UMB-4/2023, Creation of electronic keys for determination of fungi for mobile devices – tools for various levels of education. (2023-2025), Principal Investigator

• Deep Dive Slovakia - Foundation for Jewish Heritage (2022 - 2023), co-worker

• VEGA  No.1/0564/21, Host-fungus interactions among wood decay macrofungi in habitats of different degree of naturalness over the last 40 years, co-worker

• KEGA No.006UMB-4/2020, Intelligent educational materials for applied botany, mycology and zoology (2020-2022), Principal Investigator

• VEGA No. 1/0286/17, Genetic diversity and woody plant colonization by phytopathologically important fungi from genera Fomes and Ganoderma (2017 – 2020), co-worker

• KEGA No. 025UMB-4/2017, The interactive mycological cellection – herbarium, pure cultures and DNA profiles – created and electronic practicum (2017 – 2019), Principal Investigator

• KEGA No. 049UMB-4/2016, Development of pupils’ cognitive operations through experimental activities in teaching school physics and other science subjects (2016 – 2018), co-worker

Notable publications over the last 6 years

Gáper J., Murgašová K., Pristaš P., Gáperová S. 2023. The first record of the tinder polypore, Fomes fomentarius on spruce in the Carpathians with comments on its occurrence on coniferous hosts in Europe. Reports of Forestry Research. 68 (3), 186 - 190. ISSN 0322-9688. Pristaš P., Beck T., Nosáľová, L, Gáperová S., Gáper J. 2023. How different molecular markers estimate the diversity of European species of the Ganoderma genus. Journal of fungi. 9 (10), 1 - 9. ISSN 2309-608X. Gáperová S., Gáper, J., Franc, V., Turisová, I., Perháčová, Z., Michalíková, A. 2022. Applied botany, mycology and zoology. [in Slovak] 1. vyd., Banská Bystrica : Fakulta prírodných vied Univerzity Mateja Bela v Banskej Bystrici, 249 s., ISBN 978-80-557-2027-2. Dostupné na: https://www.fpv.umb.sk/app/cmsFile.php?disposition=i&ID=21414 Pristaš P., Beck T., Piknová M., Gáperová S., Šebesta M., Gáper J. 2022. Intragenomic variability of ITS sequences in Bjerkandera adusta. Journal of Fungi 8, 654. doi: 10.3390/jof8070654 Náplavová K., Beck T.,  Gáper J., Pyszko P., Gáperová S. 2021. Synanthropic process evaluation (with factors affecting propensity to parasitism) and host range within the genus Ganoderma in Central Europe. Forests 12, 1437.doi: 10.3390/f12111437 Michalíková A., Beck T., Gáper J., Pristaš P., Gáperová S. 2021. Can wood-decaying urban macrofungi be identified by using fuzzy interference system? An example in Central European Ganoderma species. Scientific Reports 11, 13222. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-92237-5. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-92237-5 Náplavová K., Beck T., Pristaš P., Gáperová S., Šebesta M., Piknová M., Gáper J. 2020. Molecular data reveal unrecognized diversity in the European Ganoderma resinaceum. Forests 11, 850. doi: 10.3390/f11080850. Beck T., Gáperová S., Gáper J., Náplavová K., Šebesta M., Kisková J., Pristaš P. 2020. Genetic (non)-homogeneity of the bracket fungi of the genus Ganoderma (Basidiomycota) in Central Europe. Mycosphere 11, 225-238. doi: 10.5943/mycosphere/11/1/3. Náplavová K., Gáper J., Gáperová S., Beck T., Pristaš P., Soares C., Lima N. 2020. Genetic and plant host differences of Fomes fomentarius in the Mediterranean region. Plant Biosystems 154, 125-127. doi: 10.1080/11263504.2019.1701129. Gáperová S., Gáper J., Michalíková A., Beck T., 2019: Electronic practicum in mycology. [in Slovak] (ePUB), vysokoškolské skriptá. Banská Bystrica : Fakulta prírodných vied, 2019, 109 s. ISBN 978-80-557-1672-5, EAN 9788055716725. Dostupné na. https://www.fpv.umb.sk/sgaperova/elektronicke-praktikum-z-mykologie.html Náplavová K., Gáper J., Gáperová S., 2018. Fomes fomentarius lineages throughout the world. In 11th international mycological congress [elektronický zdroj] : mycological discoveries for a better world : abstract book. San Juan : International Mycological Association, 441. Beck T., Šebesta M., Masný M., Náplavová K., Pristaš P., Gáper J., Gáperová S., 2019. Distribution of Ganoderma species in Slovakia and Moravia in selected areas during 2014 – 2018. [in Slovak] Quaestiones rerum naturalium 6, 1-17. Gáper J., Gáperová S., Gašparcová T., Kvasnová S., Pristaš P., Náplavová K., 2018. Indoor fungal destroyers of wooden materials – their identification in present review. Wood Research 63, 203-214. Beck T., Gáper J., Šebesta M., Gáperová S., 2018. Host preferences of wood-decaying fungi of the genus Ganoderma in the urban areas of Slovakia. Annales Universitatis Paedagogicae Cracoviensis Studia Naturae 3, 22-37. Gašparcová T., Gáper J., Pristaš P., Kvasnová S., Gáperová S., 2017. Comparison of ITS-PCR-RFLP and MALDI-TOF MS methods for the identification of wood-decaying fungi of the genus Ganoderma. [in Slovak] Chemické listy 111, 388-391. Pristaš P., Kvasnová S., Gáperová S., Gašparcová T., Gáper J., 2017. Application of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for in vitro identification of wood decay polypores. Forest Pathology 47, e12352. doi: 10.1111/efp.12352. Gáper J., Gáperová S., Pristaš P., 2017.  Medicinal value and taxonomy of the Tinder Polypore, Fomes fomentarius (Agaricomycetes): A Review. International Journal of medicinal mushrooms, 18 (10), 851-859.