Czech science has achieved extraordinary international success in the field of molecular biology. Veronika Niederlová, a recent doctoral graduate at the Department of Cell Biology, was selected among the top young scientists as part of the prestigious 2026 International Birnstiel Award for Doctoral Studies in Molecular Life Sciences, where she received an Honourable Mention.
The Birnstiel Award recognizes the most talented doctoral students from around the globe. This year's 8th edition drew 109 nominations from leading international institutions (each institution or PhD program may submit only one candidate annually). The selection committee chose six main laureates and recognized seven additional scientists with honourable mentions for the exceptional quality of their research.
Representing Czech Immunology
Veronika Niederlová received the award for her research in the field of T cell immunology. She is pursuing her doctoral studies and research under the supervision of Ondřej Štěpánek at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IMG CAS).
Although Veronika Niederlová's primary research affiliation is with the IMG CAS, her success is also a fantastic showcase for the Faculty of Science, Charles University, with which the institute collaborates closely in doctoral education and the training of the next generation of top biologists. The results of her work confirm that research conducted at Czech institutions and in cooperation with the Faculty of Science at Charles University achieves the highest international standards.
About the Birnstiel Award
The award is organized internationally by the Max Birnstiel Foundation and the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) in Vienna. Established in honor of the distinguished molecular biologist Max Birnstiel, it supports promising early-career scientific talents.
The main laureates for 2026 are:
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Joe Dobbs (EMBL, Germany)
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Maximilian Madern (Hubrecht Institute, Netherlands)
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Hannah Tam (Harvard University, USA)
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Stephen Tang (Columbia University Medical Center, USA)
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Abigail Xie (Sloan Kettering Institute, USA)
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Zhejing Zhang (Kyoto University, Japan)
The awards ceremony will take place on November 4, 2026, in Vienna.
We congratulate Veronika Niederlová and her supervisor Ondřej Štěpánek on this prestigious international achievement!
Learn more about the awards here.