Vice-Rector for Science and Research honored excellent doctoral students

The awards were presented by Vice-Rector for Research and Doctoral Studies Šárka Pospíšilová to those who were selected based on the successful completion of their doctoral studies within the standard four-year period, extended by no more than one year, and for achieving high-quality research results included in their dissertations. The award, first given in 2021, aims to motivate doctoral students to complete their studies on time and to achieve outstanding research outcomes.

Recipients of the MU Vice-Rector's Award for Excellent Results in Doctoral Studies:

Ladislav Bartoš and his supervisor Robert Vácha
Ladislav Bartoš graduated from the Faculty of Science with a degree in Life Sciences. During his studies, he focused on protein associations in phospholipid membranes. Using computational simulations, he was able to elucidate the mechanism of lipid transport in mitochondria. These new findings have applications in the development of medicinal substances and the creation of proteins with new properties.

Tomáš Brom and his supervisor Ctirad Hofr
Tomáš Brom graduated from the Faculty of Science with a degree in Genomics and Proteomics. He combined research approaches from proteomics, biochemistry, and structural biology and focused on the molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative and tumor diseases. The results of his work contributed to clarifying the function of key proteins and opened up new possibilities for the development of targeted therapies.

Lucie Curylová and her supervisor Jan Škoda
Lucie Curylová graduated from the Faculty of Science with a degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Genetics. Her research focused on the biology of sarcomas, which are among the most common and serious oncological diagnoses in children. The outcomes of her work have major significance for the development of precision therapies for pediatric patients and for increasing their chances of survival.

Alžbeta Devánová, her supervisor Michal Horsák, and consultant Jan Sychra
Alžbeta Devánová graduated from the Faculty of Science in the program Ecological and Evolutionary Biology, specializing in Hydrobiology.
Her research explored the biodiversity of invertebrates in temporary field ponds.
Her dissertation brings important findings for the protection of wetland communities and highlights previously overlooked risks of seemingly beneficial environmental measures.

Veronika Farková and her supervisor Tomáš Kašparovský
Veronika Farková graduated from the Faculty of Science in the program Biochemistry.
In her dissertation, she developed new methods for precise analysis of fatty acids in diverse biological samples.
Her research provided new insights important for nutrition, healthcare, and the food industry, and made a significant contribution to the development and applications of advanced gas chromatography methods.

Helge Hecht and his supervisor Elliott James Price
Helge Hecht graduated from the Faculty of Science in the Environment and Health program, specializing in Mathematical Biology, Bioinformatics, and Modeling. In his dissertation, he developed new computational methods for analyzing data from untargeted high-resolution mass spectrometry. His research helps to better understand the relationships between environmental factors, such as pollution or lifestyle, and biochemical changes in the human body.

Matúš Chvojka and his supervisors Vladimír Šindelář and Hennie Valkenier
Matúš Chvojka graduated from the Faculty of Science in the Chemistry program, specializing in Organic Chemistry. He focused on diseases caused by dysfunctional channels in cell membranes, such as cystic fibrosis. He developed a new type of transport compounds to replace nonfunctional proteins in patients, opening new possibilities for targeted therapies.

Kristóf Kanalas and his supervisor Jiří Rosický
Kristóf Kanalas graduated from the Faculty of Science in the Mathematics and Statistics program, specializing in Algebra, Number Theory, and Mathematical Logic. He developed infinitary positive model theory within category theory and extended it to an infinitary setting. His research led, among other things, to a generalization of Lurie’s theorem on regular functors and significantly contributed to the open question of whether k-pure morphisms in k-accessible categories are regular.

Lucia Kaplan Pastíriková and her supervisor Filip Hrbáček
Lucia Kaplan Pastíriková graduated from the Faculty of Science in the Physical Geography program. She studied long-term permafrost development and active layer thickness changes on James Ross Island in Antarctica. Her research provided a new methodological framework for more precise assessment of climate change impacts in polar regions.

Roman Přibyl and his supervisor Vilma Buršíková
Roman Přibyl graduated from the Faculty of Science in the Physics program, specializing in Plasma Physics. Using plasma technologies, he created durable thin layers with antibacterial and antiviral properties and explored methods to improve the efficiency and control of plasma processes in sterilization and material treatment. His results are applicable to developing modern materials in medicine, industry, and electronics.

Photo: Martin Indruch