Scientists from our Faculty Excel in Neuron Foundation Awards

Sunday 19.1.2025

On Sunday, January 19, during a gala evening at the National Museum, the Neuron Foundation celebrated top Czech scientists. Among the honorees were four prominent researchers affiliated with the Faculty of Science, Charles University. Professor Jan Černý received the newly introduced award for fostering a love for science. Promising scientist awards were presented to Dr. Klára Hlouchová, Dr. Tomáš Pluskal, and Dr. Martina Benešová-Schäfer.

This year, the Neuron Foundation introduced the Love for Science Award, which was granted to Professor RNDr. Jan Černý, Ph.D. from the Department of Cell Biology. A beloved lecturer, Professor Černý is dedicated to popularizing science and supporting young talents through initiatives such as Biology Olympiads and the Science program at Charles University, which he co-founded. The award was presented to him by President Petr Pavel.

The Neuron Award for Promising Scientists was granted to seven young researchers achieving significant success in their fields. Among them were individuals associated with Charles University as well as our alumni:

Klára Hlouchová, Ph.D. – A researcher at the Department of Cell Biology at the Faculty of Science, she investigates fundamental questions about the origins and evolution of proteins. Her team discovered that while life on Earth utilizes 20 amino acids, fewer would suffice for many functions. Her findings contribute to understanding the potential for life elsewhere in the universe. She leads a synthetic biology research group at the Faculty of Science and has previously worked at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry (IOCB). As a postdoctoral researcher, she was affiliated with the University of Colorado Boulder and NASA's Astrobiology Institute, focusing on the evolution of metabolic pathways, which led her to explore the origins of life. Read an interview with her here.

Tomáš Pluskal, Ph.D. – An external researcher at the Department of Cell Biology, he excels in metabolomics, which provides insights into small molecules in living organisms. His research plays a key role in discovering new drugs. He has been leading an international research team at the IOCB in Prague for four years.

Martina Benešová Schäfer, Ph.D.  – A graduate of nuclear chemistry at the Faculty of Science, she earned her doctorate at Heidelberg University, where she contributed to the development of a radiopharmaceutical aiding prostate cancer patients.


The 2024 Neuron Award for Lifetime Achievement in Science was presented to Professor Mgr. Pavel Jungwirth, CSc., DSc., a physical chemist and graduate of Charles University’s Faculty of Mathematics and Physics. His groundbreaking work has advanced understanding of the solvation of ions and electrons in water and at water interfaces.

“Pavel Jungwirth has revolutionized how we think about the solvation of ions and electrons in water and at water interfaces, which is crucial for understanding key processes in heterogeneous atmospheric chemistry, chemical technology, and intracellular biological interactions,” the award citation states.

Jan Volec, Ph.D. – A graduate of the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, he has successfully tackled challenging problems in combinatorics, resolving longstanding conjectures in collaboration with colleagues. He currently lectures on graph theory, linear programming, coding theory, and game theory at the Czech Technical University’s Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering.

Ota Pavlíček, Ph.D., Th.D. – A researcher at the Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences, he earned doctorates from the Hussite Theological Faculty at Charles University and Sorbonne University. His research delves into the identities and behaviors of historical scientific elites. He also develops digital tools for virtual time travel.