Silver Commemorative Medal of the Faculty of Science, Charles University 2023 - Assoc. Prof. RNDr. Jitka Forstová, CSc.
Assoc. Prof. Forstová has significantly contributed to the establishment and development of virology education, particularly by founding the first research virology group at our faculty and introducing numerous virology lectures and practicals. During her long career at the faculty, she inspired many students to take an interest in virology, many of whom later became outstanding virologists, finding positions at top institutions both in our country and abroad.
CELSA Award 2022 - Assoc. Prof. RNDr. Ruth Tachezy, Ph.D.
The CELSA Award is given annually to recognize university staff who have gone beyond their duties to serve society and humanity. Assoc. Prof. Tachezy was honored for her engagement during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, including her work during the initial testing phase and later in communication with relevant institutions, the media, and the general public.
Minister of Health’s Honorary Award for Health Research and Development for 2022 - Assoc. Prof. RNDr. Ruth Tachezy, Ph.D
This award is given annually for health research supported by the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic. Assoc. Prof. Tachezy received it for her project "Determination of the phenotype and function of immune cells as predictors of treatment response in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck".
Dean’s Award for Best Doctoral Thesis 2022 - Mgr. Zuzana Cihlářová, Ph.D.
A doctoral student from our Molecular and Cellular Biology, Genetics, and Virology programme received this award for her dissertation titled "Defects in DNA Repair and RNA Metabolism Associated with Human Neurological Disorders". The work provided crucial insights into the molecular mechanisms of this protein’s action, which may contribute to the development of new therapeutic approaches for treating neurodegenerative disorders.
Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Award for Outstanding Students and Graduates and Exceptional Student Achievements for 2021 - Mgr. Jiří Pospíšil, Ph.D.
A doctoral student from our Molecular and Cellular Biology, Genetics, and Virology programme received this award for his dissertation titled "Intracellular and Intercellular Regulation of Gene Expression in Gram-positive Bacteria", where he investigated bacterial nanotubes and described how these channels form only after bacterial death, a groundbreaking finding that disproved previous claims in scientific literature.
Gold Commemorative Medal of Charles University 2020 - Prof. RNDr. Stanislav Zadražil, DrSc.
Prof. Zadražil, who was a long-time staff member of our Department and led the Department from 1991 to 1998, received this medal for his significant lifelong work in the fields of molecular biology and genetics, and for his long-term scientific and teaching activities at Charles University (he began as an external lecturer at the Department of Biochemistry in 1966, and from 1980 also at our Department, where he taught biochemistry and molecular biology of nucleic acids, methods for their study, and gene engineering; in 1992, he was appointed the first full professor of molecular biology in the country).
Silver Commemorative Medal of the Faculty of Science on the Occasion of the 100th Anniversary of the Faculty's Founding 2020 - Prof. RNDr. Zdena Palková, CSc.
Prof. Zdena Palková is dedicated to the study of yeasts as multicellular organisms and has published original key findings in this field that have initiated new research directions. Through her studies, she has enabled the understanding of fundamental processes in the evolution of multicellular organisms and uncovered new aspects of cancer biology, including the potential for testing anti-cancer agents. She has trained numerous students, with whom she has jointly developed unique techniques for preparing samples from yeast colonies. Her work is published in prestigious high-impact journals, she has led and continues to lead numerous national and international research grants, and, not least, she has made a significant contribution to the implementation of the BIOCEV project, in whose council she actively participates.
"Student's Velemlok" Award for the Biology Section 2015/2016 - Assoc. Prof. Ivo Konopásek, CSc.
This quaintly named award ("Velemlok" means the Giant Salamander in Czech and there is quite an interesting history behind the award name!) is given to the best teachers of the Faculty of Science ot Charles University selected annually within its four main Sections. Assoc. Prof. Konopásek has been a long-time coordinator and lecturer of various microbiological lectures and practicals, which consistently received positive feedback from students. His lectures have always been valued for his ability to explain and describe facts in great detail, while remaining entertaining and understandable.