Science, family and balance: Monika Kratochvílová gets support for her career and childcare

Monika Kratochvílová, assistant professor at the Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, MU and member of Professor Michal Masařík's Cancer Research Lab, received the Martina Roesel Memorial Grant. The grant was established in honour of this internationally renowned scientist in the field of physical chemistry, who passed away in 2015. Her legacy has been continued by colleagues at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, who have been providing financial support to young parent scientists since 2016, aiming to combine cutting-edge scientific work with the care of preschool children. The grant is now administered by the IOCB Tech Endowment Fund. The financial contribution of 150,000 crowns will allow Dr Kratochvílová to continue her research work while devoting more time to her sons.

"I had heard about the grant before, but I was reminded of it again thanks to an email from Grantovin. The funds help me pay for my younger son's stay in the children's group at LF MU. Thanks to this, I not only have more peace of mind for my work, but also, paradoxically, more space for my family," says Monika Kratochvílová, who has long been researching the influence of metals on the origin and development of cancer. In her dissertation, for example, she showed that excessive zinc supplementation can have a rather negative impact on prostate cancer patients, which challenged earlier assumptions about its protective role. "Studying the behaviour of cancer cells provides valuable information not only for basic research but also for the development of new drugs. At the same time, I draw attention to the risk of uncontrolled use of dietary supplements. People are often unaware that excessive supplementation can worsen their health," explains Kratochvílová.

Michal Masaryk's research group is constantly growing with new members and cooperates with other departments, including the University Hospital in Motol, Charles University and the University of Science and Technology. These institutions provide valuable samples and new compounds that Monika and the team test and validate for their anti-cancer potential. "Our work is a team effort - I could never achieve such results on my own. A big thank you to my colleagues who spend hours in the lab while I do the analysis and data visualisation," she adds.

"Being selected is not only a great relief but also a commitment. It is actually very fortunate that I did not have to completely interrupt or even end my career in science. I am lucky to have an understanding and supportive boss who has allowed me to move from working in the lab to working at the computer. Then I can do it mostly from home. It is also to Professor Masaryk's credit that he has managed to put together an exceptional team of people who help each other and do not try to compete with each other. This is the only way I could continue my work and get involved in other projects. My colleagues spent time in the lab doing experiments and I spent my evenings at the computer calculating statistics and producing graphs and figures for joint publications. I am equally lucky in my husband, my life partner, who understands that even women on maternity leave need to engage their minds and create something meaningful from time to time. He understands that sometimes preparing a publication is more urgent than housework and that a publisher will not wait," Kratochvílová concludes.

Her story is proof that quality support and understanding in the family and work environment can be the key to success not only in science but also in personal life.