Neuron Awards 2024

Remarkable scientific personalities along with the beauty of science were celebrated at 2024 Neuron Awards. The Neuron Foundation honoured one scientist with the Neuron Award 2024 for Lifetime Contribution to Science, seven promising scientists, and one scientific patent successfully transferred to business. The Neuron Award for Fostering Love of Science, recognizing extraordinary teachers and science popularizers, had its debut at the awards ceremony. Science is Beautiful was the overarching theme of the awards ceremony.

Meet the 2024 laureates

Klára Hlouchová

Mgr. Klára Hlouchová, PH.D

The recipient of the Neuron Award for young promising scientists in the field of biology.

Mgr. Klára Hlouchová, Ph.D., explores fundamental questions about the origin and evolution of proteins.

Jan Křetinský

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. RNDr. Mgr. Bc. Jan Křetinský, Ph.D

The recipient of the Neuron Award for young promising scientists in the field of computer science.

Mgr. Jan Volec, Ph.D., has achieved numerous successful results on challenging problems in the field of combinatorics.

Cyril Höschl

Prof. MUDr. Cyril Höschl, DrSc. FRCPsych.

The Neuron Prize 2024 for Lifetime Achievement in Science in the Field of Medicine.

"I tried to convey to people that psychiatric patients—except for rare cases—don’t bite or murder. To some extent, it seems I’ve succeeded, but you still need to keep blowing on that flame," says Cyril Höschl, one of the most prominent figures in European psychiatry.

Jan Volec

Mgr. Jan Volec, Ph.D

The recipient of the Neuron Award for young promising scientists in the field of mathematics.

Mgr. Jan Volec, Ph.D., has achieved numerous successful results on challenging problems in the field of combinatorics.

Ota Pavlíček

Mgr. Ota Pavlíček, Ph.D., Th.D.

Recipient of the Neuron Award for Young Promising Scientists in the Field of Social Sciences

Mgr. Ota Pavlíček, Ph.D., Th.D., contributes to understanding the scientific tradition and its roots within an international context.

Petr Šulc

Ing. Petr Šulc, Ph.D.

Recipient of the Neuron Award for Promising Scientists in the Field of Physics

Ing. Petr Šulc, Ph.D., is the creator of the groundbreaking oxDNA tool for modeling nucleic acids.

Tomáš Pluskal

Mgr. Tomáš Pluskal, Ph.D.

Recipient of the Neuron Award for Young Promising Scientists in the Field of Chemistry

Mgr. Tomáš Pluskal, Ph.D. excels in the field of metabolomics, which provides insights into small molecules in living organisms.

Martina  Benešová Schäfer

Dr. rer. nat. Martina Benešová Schäfer, Ph.D.

Recipient of the Neuron Award for Promising Scientists in the Field of Medicine

Dr. rer. nat. Martina Benešová-Schäfer played a key role in the development of a radiopharmaceutical that aids prostate cancer patients worldwide.

Pavel Jungwirth

Prof. Pavel Jungwirth, CSc., DSc.

Recipient of the Neuron Award for Lifetime Contribution to Science

What lies beyond the edge of water? Pavel Jungwirth has transformed the way we think about the solvation of ions and electrons in water and at water interfaces.

Jan Černý

Prof. RNDr. Jan Černý, Ph.D.

Recipient of the Neuron Award for Fostering a Love of Science

The Neuron Award for Fostering a Love of Science is being presented this year for the first time in history. The award goes to an educator and science popularizer who excels at inspiring students and nurturing new scientific talents.