A total of seventeen students from Masaryk University have received the Brno PhD Talent award, twelve of whom work in our faculty. This year, 151 doctoral students from Brno universities applied for the scholarship, the highest number in the competition's sixteen-year history. Congratulations to all the awardees!
The ceremonial presentation of cheques took place on Tuesday 10 March at the New Town Hall in Brno. The Brno PhD Talent competition is open to doctoral students in the natural sciences and technical fields at Brno universities. From a record total of 151 applicants, the expert committee first selected 51 finalists. These finalists then presented their research projects in the second round of the competition, resulting in 25 winners. Over the next three years, the winners will each receive a scholarship of CZK 360,000, allowing them to focus on their scientific work and further develop their research.
The award-winning students’ research projects focus on a wide range of topics, including medicine, pharmacy, biotechnology and advanced technologies. Masaryk University laureates’ work includes developing new approaches to treating Alzheimer’s disease, researching innovative therapeutics for acute myeloid leukaemia and searching for more effective ways to treat stroke patients. Other projects investigate new methods of vagus nerve stimulation for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, the potential for early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases and the molecular mechanisms of natural tooth healing.
Some of the projects exhibit significant technological and biotechnological overlap. For instance, students are involved in developing computational methods to search for new drug candidates, innovating agricultural biotechnology and improving the properties of protein enzymes used in industry, medicine and everyday life.
“Four Brno universities take part in the competition, and since 2009, over three hundred young scientists have won the award. The Brno PhD Talent Scholarship has helped them start their research careers and develop their potential. It is a pleasure to see how many talented individuals there are in Brno and to witness the positive impact they are having on the world around us through their ideas”, said Markéta Vaňková, Mayor of Brno.
From an organisational perspective, the competition is run by JCMM, while the City of Brno provides the subsidy.
The winners of the Brno PhD Talent award 2025/26 from Masaryk University’s Faculty of Science are:
Jan Česnek
Environment and Health (RECETOX): Investigating Alzheimer’s disease and screening drugs using in vitro neuronal membrane models.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia and poses a significant socioeconomic challenge on a global scale. This project uses innovative microfluidic membrane models to investigate the interactions of Aβ42 and ApoE — two key proteins that influence the pathogenesis of AD — with lipid membranes. The project aims to provide molecular mechanistic insights into the pathological processes of AD and accelerate the discovery of new AD drugs.
Tim de Martines
Environment and Health (RECETOX) – Advanced protein profiling and rational engineering of next-generation therapies for ischemic stroke
The project aims to provide patients with improved treatment procedures after a stroke by modifying a promising thrombolytic protein, staphylokinase, which can dissolve blood clots. Advanced computer modelling will improve our understanding of how this protein works and how it can be improved in a targeted manner.
Martin Havlásek
Environment and Health (RECETOX) – Development of a Drug Design Strategy Based on a Structure for Drug Discovery in Alzheimer’s Disease
Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is a potentially promising therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease treatment. However, its structural properties present challenges for traditional computational strategies. This project aims to develop an innovative computational procedure that will overcome these limitations and enable the identification of promising drug candidates.
Pavel Kolodin
Experimental Plant Biology (National Centre for Biomolecular Research, CEITEC) – Genome editing in Brassicaceae
Population growth, climate change and industrial demands require innovation in agricultural biotechnology. Brassica species, particularly B. napus, are of great economic importance, but traditional breeding methods are reaching their limits. This project aims to improve the efficiency and accuracy of gene editing, creating a robust platform for enhancing Brassica crops.
Patrik Lindovský
Life Sciences (National Centre for Biomolecular Research, CEITEC): Fusion Peptide Design
This project will contribute to the development of targeted drug delivery systems to enable the treatment of diseases previously considered incurable.
Anna Lněničková
Physiology, Immunology and Developmental Biology of Animals (Department of Experimental Biology) – Sensitisation of colorectal tumours to the combined induction of p53 and ISR
In order to improve the prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer, a specialised mouse model is being developed to monitor how tumour cells respond to different drugs that affect key cellular anti-tumour pathways. The project’s goal is to identify a combination that activates these pathways sufficiently to cause cancer cell death.
Patrik Matušů
Haematology and Oncology (Department of Experimental Biology) – Inhibition of Casein Kinase 1 Alpha as a New Therapeutic Approach to the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia
This research focuses on acute myeloid leukaemia, particularly the limited treatment options available to relapsed and refractory patients. The study examines new selective CK1 inhibitors, their mechanisms of action and resistance and efficacy in various patient samples, as well as their verification in mouse xenograft models. The aim is to elucidate the role of CK1 in the pathogenesis of AML and support the progression of these inhibitors towards clinical trials.
Anastasia Moskvina
Department of Plasma Physics and Technology – Plasma-modified scaffolding with MXene for simultaneous osteosarcoma therapy and bone tissue engineering
Osteosarcoma is an aggressive bone tumour that primarily affects individuals under the age of nineteen. Standard therapeutic methods, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, are not always effective and often cause serious side effects. The nanomaterial systems being developed combine anti-tumour photothermal therapy with support for bone tissue regeneration, offering an effective yet gentle treatment option.
Petr Pazourek
Department of Condensed Matter Physics – Structural Properties of Ferroelectric Topological Insulators and Other Modern Materials
This project investigates the structural and electronic properties of ferroelectric topological insulators, focussing on thin films of the chalcogenide compounds PbSnTe, PbGeTe, PbSnSe, PbGeSe and SnGeTe deposited on BaF2 substrates. Using temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and transport measurements, the project aims to elucidate ferroelectric phase transitions and their connection with belt structure modifications.
Monika Rosinská
Mathematical Biology, Bioinformatics and Modelling (RECETOX) – EnzymeMiner: Pioneering a New Wave of Enzyme Discovery
Protein enzymes are found everywhere, from medicines and detergents to beer brewing. This project involves searching protein databases to identify proteins with the desired function, but with improved properties, enabling them to function at lower temperatures.
Jaroslava Šafářová
Physiology Immunology and Developmental Biology of Animals (Department of Experimental Biology) – Targeting the DSG2–MMP14 axis to overcome the progression of metastases and resistance to therapy
This project focuses on the role of the adhesive molecule desmoglein-2 (DSG2) and the enzyme MMP14 in tumour metastasis. The study aims to elucidate this mechanism and verify the DSG2-MMP14 axis as a potential therapeutic target, with the ultimate goal of developing new strategies to suppress the spread of metastases.
Viliam Volko
LifeSciences (National Centre for Biomolecular Research, CEITEC) – Development of Paramagnetic NMR Spectroscopy for Structural Analysis
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a widely used method in chemistry, biology and medicine. Many transition metal complexes have unpaired electrons, which cause signal expansion and large paramagnetic shifts. This study aims to develop a procedure for calculating these shifts in systems designed for catalysts, artificial biomolecules and structural biology markers.
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