Tell us something about yourself:
I completed a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Biotechnology and a master's degree in General and Applied Biochemistry at the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague. In addition, the bachelor's programme of Teaching Special Subjects also at UCT Prague. During my master's degree, I spent one semester on Erasmus at the Technical University of Dresden. I am currently completing my doctoral studies in Biochemistry at UCT Prague. During most of my doctorate, I worked part-time at the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague, in 2019 I started working at the Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology of the 2nd Medical Faculty of Charles University and the Motol University Hospital as a researcher. I completed both studies (Bc. And Mgr.) with a red diploma. For my diploma thesis I received the Dean's Award and the Hlávek Foundation Award. In 2019, I won 1st place in the Biomaterials section at the 19th Interdisciplinary Meeting of Life Scientists.
What do you like most about working as a scientist?
I enjoy the whole process from reading articles through planning the experiment, its implementation to its evaluation, especially if I perform all of it. I consider writing articles as the less entertaining part, although I enjoy working with language when all the facts are in place.
What do you consider to be your greatest achievement(s) to date?
As much as I enjoy most of the scientific process, there were sometimes moments in it when I got far beyond my comfort zone. So I consider my greatest professional success to be the fact that I'm still on the track and I didn't run away somewhere behind a desk to do paperwork or to routine diagnostics, although I would probably experience less intellectual frustration there. But that is said to simply belong to science…
Why do you prefer science to the commercial sphere?
At the end of my master's degree, it seemed to me that I could do better at science than at selling chemicals or working in a diagnostic laboratory. There are not many opportunities to do science in the commercial sphere in the Czech Republic in my fiel.
What would you say to those who are thinking about doing a PhD at UCT Prague?
The choice of institution is important, but I think it is more important to consider what to do with the doctorate in general. So: get as much information as possible about what awaits you throughout the doctorate (ideally also with a particular supervisor) and think about whether it is worth it. At the same time, expect that it will be a bit harder work than you expect, and it will probably take longer than you expect now. And also consider what to do with it then - will you want to continue in science (or even teach/lecture), or rather not? If not, you may not need to be tortured by a doctorate, and perhaps not going to a doctorate will make you happier and healthier. Or maybe you will find yourself in science. If you decide to go to UCT Prague, it is definitely not a bad place.