We bring you a selection of the most interesting achievements and events at our faculty in the field of science and research in December 2025.
Achievments
December was very generous in recognising the scientific work of our researchers. Four representatives of our faculty were honoured in this year's MUNI SCIENTIST awards. Out of a total of 39 laureates, Leandro Loriga from the Institute of Medical Psychology and Ethics, Klára Marečková from the First Neurological Clinic of St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno and CEITEC MU, and Jitka Blažíčková, together with Nicola Silva, both from the Institute of Biology, received awards for their excellent research results. Four doctoral students from our faculty were successful in the Brno PhD Talent competition: Elena Sekaninová (Neuroscience), Casimira Valeria Chuquimez Ventura (Biomedical Sciences), Martina Šindlerová (Biomedical Sciences), and Barbora Petrlíková (Biomedical Sciences). President Petr Pavel then appointed three new professors: Aleš Hampl in the field of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Alexander Poprach in the field of Oncology, and Eva Vlčková in the field of Neurology.
SCIENCE INTO PRACTICE
The Life Science Transfer Academy shows young scientists the path to innovation. A groundbreaking scientific discovery is just the beginning. An equally challenging journey leads from the laboratory to real-world applications – to technologies that can help patients, advance medicine, or increase agricultural yields. Participants in the first run of the Life Science Transfer Academy, a two-month educational program for young scientists in the life sciences, explored how to navigate this journey. The course was created and organised in cooperation between our faculty, CEITEC MU, and the JIC innovation agency. Successful graduates from the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Science, and CEITEC received the first micro-certificate ever issued by our faculty in doctoral studies.
article of the month
There was a generous selection of excellent publications, so we have chosen just two to illustrate this point. A team of authors from the Dpt. of Histology and Embryology, the Dpt. of Ophthalmology of Brno University Hospital, and the Wellcome Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine at Queen’s University Belfast published an article in Cell & Disease on the effect of gradually increasing hyperglycemia on the human retina using human retinal organoids. Its main contribution is the discovery of increased vulnerability of photoreceptors in the late stages of development and the identification of molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration associated with diabetic retinopathy in a human-relevant model that better reflects reality than animal models.
Authors from the 1st. Dpt. of Neurology at St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, CEITEC MU, ICRC, and the Czech Academy of Sciences subsequently published a study in the journal Epilepsia, identifying key brain network nodes that support memory encoding and demonstrating how their function can impact cognitive preservation in epilepsy surgery. This contributes to a better understanding of the brain networks crucial for memory and helps to plan surgical procedures more effectively with regard to preserving cognitive functions in patients with epilepsy.
med muni in media
At the end of the year, the renovation of the pavilion was completed, where further development of cell and gene therapy for patients with rare diseases, as well as pediatric and adult oncology patients, will take place. The renovation was reported by Novinky.cz, Právo, and other media outlets. For more details, please refer to the article on our website.
let´s introduce
Monoclonal Gammopathies and their Molecular Origin Group. Led by Sabina Ševčíková at the Institute of Pathological Physiology, this team, also known as Babák's myeloma group, focuses on researching the biological mechanisms of monoclonal gammopathies, particularly multiple myeloma, its extramedullary spread, and aggressive forms of plasma cell leukaemia. The group studies how tumour plasma cells lose their dependence on the bone marrow environment and spread to soft tissues. A key area of their research is liquid biopsies, which enable non-invasive monitoring of tumour heterogeneity, with a particular focus on non-coding RNA as a potential tool for better diagnosis and monitoring of the disease.
interesting events
What can you look forward to in the first month of a new year? For example, another Research Breakfast, interesting lectures, conferences, and courses. You can find an overview of all events in the Event Calendar.
stetoskop podcast
Andrea Pokorná accepted an invitation to appear on the December episode of the Stetoskop podcast. The Vice-Dean for Non-Medical Study Programs and Head of the Department of Health Sciences discussed the issue of pressure ulcers, which listeners are more familiar with under the name bedsores or pressure sores.
another news
Everything that's happening in science and research at our university. Read about interesting events and the achievements of our scientists and researchers in September.
Don't want to miss any news? Follow Science_MEDMUNI on X.
Do you have a new publication, project, or award to share? Do you know someone who has achieved something noteworthy? Write to us at research@med.muni.cz.
In the face of strong international competition, two postdoctoral researchers have been successful in this year's Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions - Postdoctoral Fellowships call. They will continue to develop their research projects under the guidance of scientists at the Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University.
On Wednesday, February 11, we celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, an opportunity to highlight the importance of equal access to scientific careers and the conditions in which science is created.
