Meet the 2021 Neuron Award laureates

The Neuron Endowment Fund has presented the Neuron Awards to outstanding Czech scientists. It gave three awards for lifelong contribution to science, seven awards for young promising scientists, and new this year is the Neuron Award for the exceptional connection of science and business. We introduce the 2021 Neuron Award laureates.

NEURON AWARD FOR LIFELONG CONTRIBUTION TO SCIENCE

Josef Prchal

A globally recognised haematologist with Czech roots who is devoted to both science and medical practice. His subject is red blood cells. Josef Prchal has contributed to his field by describing the common origin of stem cells, by discovering the molecular basis of Chuvash erythrocytosis and, using the example of Tibetans, by identifying the genes responsible for human adaptation to high altitudes.

Václav Petříček

A world-recognised scientist at the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences who works on developing systems for computing complicated crystal structures. He is the author of the unique program JANA, which thanks to regular updating since 1984 has become the most comprehensive tool for measuring them. The program makes it possible to study structural details and is used in the development of new materials.

David Preiss

A brilliant mathematician who has solved many important problems. That is how colleagues speak of David Preiss, who is a professor at the University of Warwick, where he works on geometric measure theory. He is also one of the few Czech experts to have won an ERC Advanced Grant for their work, intended for internationally recognised scientists.

**NEURON AWARD FOR THE EXCEPTIONAL CONNECTION

OF SCIENCE AND BUSINESS**

Vítězslav Bryja

Kamil Paruch

Radoslav Trautmann

The newly presented Neuron Award goes to three names from the university community for the academic spin-off CasInvent Pharma. With the support of Masaryk University they are developing a drug against leukaemia with the plan of selling their work at the clinical testing stage to a global pharmaceutical company.

NEURON AWARD FOR YOUNG PROMISING SCIENTISTS

Prokop Hapala

He receives the Neuron Award in the field of chemistry for clarifying and theoretically elaborating the basic principles of a new microscopic method with ultra-high resolution. Prokop Hapala's work is recognised by the scientific community as fundamental for imaging atoms, bonds and electric fields in individual molecules.

Martin Tancer

He receives the Neuron Award in the field of computer science for his contribution to solving algorithmic and structural problems in topology. In recent years Martin Tancer has achieved several fundamental results concerning the computational complexity of the problem of embedding two- and three-dimensional objects in three-dimensional space.

Jitka Palich Fučíková

She receives the Neuron Award in the field of medicine for research in the area of tumour immunology and the immunotherapy of tumour diseases. Jitka Palich Fučíková takes part in the development and testing of an immunotherapeutic vaccine against cancer of the prostate, ovaries and lungs; she is the author of two international patents and of dozens of scientific publications in international peer-reviewed journals.

Lenka Zdeborová

She receives the Neuron Award in the field of physics for the comprehensive solution of physical problems using algorithms based on neural networks. Lenka Zdeborová applies the methods of physics to problems in computer science, combinatorics and machine learning. Her aim is to understand which complex scientific problems can be solved with the help of computers and neural networks.

Jan Hladký

He receives the Neuron Award in the field of mathematics for innovative applications of continuous methods in graph theory. Among the most significant results of Jan Hladký's work are the solution of the approximate version of Ringel's packing conjecture of 1963 and of the conjecture of Loebl, Komlós and Sós of 1995.

Zuzana Musilová

She receives the Neuron Award in the field of biology for research into the evolutionary processes of fish and the study of their adaptations from innovative angles. Zuzana Musilová has revealed that fish vision can be modulated by changes in DNA, including the multiplication of genes. Her research is gaining international attention in leading journals and in the Czech Republic she has founded her own research group devoted to the evolution of fish senses.

Petr Sedláček

He receives the Neuron Award in the field of social sciences for research into the roles of firms and startups in macroeconomics. Petr Sedláček is a world-class economist, a professor at Oxford who is moving to a university in Sydney. He publishes regularly in prestigious scientific journals including the American Economic Review and has won an ERC Starting Grant.