Minister of Education honors four experts from Masaryk University

Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Mikuláš Bek presented the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports Awards in the field of higher education, science, and research to twenty laureates from Czech universities and the Czech Academy of Sciences for their exceptional academic, pedagogical, and scientific achievements and for their lifelong contribution to the development of science in the Czech Republic. Four awards went to Masaryk University.

The Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Award for outstanding students and graduates of study programs and for extraordinary achievements by students was presented to Ladislav Bartoš, who works at the CEITEC MU research center. Ladislav Bartoš is a recent graduate of the doctoral study program in Life Sciences at the Faculty of Science. He wrote his dissertation on the topic of Translocation of Amphiphilic Molecules through Biological Membranes under the supervision of Robert Vácha and defended it with an excellent summa cum laude result. He was nominated for the Minister's Award by CEITEC MU with the support of the faculty and the National Center for Biomolecular Research, in particular for his exceptional research and publishing activities, which already during his doctoral studies achieved international recognition in prestigious journals such as Nature Communications, Structure, Soft Matter, and Biophysical Journal, with his work in Structure and Soft Matter being selected for the cover of the journal. Bartoš has also previously received the Dean's Award of the Faculty of Science and the university-wide MUNI Scientist Award.

The second award winner is Milan Chytrý from the Faculty of Science, who received the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Award for outstanding educational activities at the university. Milan Chytrý places great emphasis on close cooperation with students at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. His lectures are based on clarity and emphasis on the essentials. He has made all his current lectures publicly available on YouTube so that students can watch them at any time. At the beginning of each lecture, he uses Kahoot tests to motivate students to prepare continuously. In seminars, he emphasizes a safe atmosphere in which students learn to speak and discuss. He gives feedback sensitively, often using the sandwich method, and involves other students as well. Discussions with doctoral students are conducted in English and often go into greater depth than the presentations themselves, bringing new ideas and professional collaborations. When supervising final theses, he emphasizes that students should enjoy the topic and see its significance. Each semester, he also mentors foreign master's and doctoral students. In all forms of teaching, he strives not only to impart knowledge, but also to create a stimulating, safe, and friendly environment that helps students develop independence, professional skills, and a love for their field.

The award for outstanding achievements in research, experimental development, and innovation was presented to Richard Štefl, who works at CEITEC MU. The award is presented by the Ministry for outstanding achievements in research, experimental development, and innovation over the past five years with financial support from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic. Richard Štefl is an internationally recognized structural biologist whose research contributes significantly to understanding the regulation of gene expression and its impact on human health. His team investigates how genetic information is transcribed, modified, and regulated in cells and how specific proteins and RNA structures are involved in these processes. His research provides new insights into the dynamics of cell regulation and helps explain how disorders in these processes can lead to serious diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. In recent years, he and his team have published highly influential studies in prestigious journals such as Molecular Cell, Nature Communications, Cell, Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, and Nature. Štefl is also the recipient of the prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant.

The last award winner from MU is Robert Vácha, who received the František Běhounek Award. Biophysicist Robert Vácha from the CEITEC MU research center has long been involved in research on biological membranes—using computer simulations, he studies how interactions between cell membranes and proteins take place. His research provides new insights into how key processes in cells work, including those related to the onset and development of diseases. These findings then serve as the basis for the development of new drugs, therapeutic approaches, or biochemical tools. Vácha successfully combines computer simulations with experimental research. He is actively involved in international projects and is a two-time recipient of the prestigious ERC grant for research into antimicrobial peptides that could overcome bacterial defense mechanisms and represent a new way to combat antibiotic resistance.