Award of the Minister of Health for Medical Research and Development
Since 2019, the Minister of Health has been presenting selected projects with awards for excellence in applied health research and development, achieved on the basis of special-purpose support provided by the Ministry of Health ČR. Each year, expert evaluation panels AZV ČR propose the best few successfully completed projects in a given year, from which the scientific Board and the Bureau of the Agency then select ten candidates for the award. Five research teams will receive the main award for their projects, the Minister of Health Award for Health Research and Development, together with a financial reward of CZK 100,000, while five other research teams will receive an Honorary Mention from the Minister of Health.
Statute of the Minister of Health Award
Awards granted in 2023
Minister's Award
* prof. MUDr. David Cibula, CSc.(Charles University, 1st Faculty of Medicine) for the project Prospective observational study on sentinel node biopsy in patients with early stage cervical cancer - Part 2
* prof. RNDr. Daniel Růžek, Ph.D. (Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine) for the project Genetic basis of the clinical picture and severity of tick-borne encephalitis
* RNDr. Pavel Krejčí, Ph.D.(St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno) for the project Development of FGFR3 inhibitor for the treatment of skeletal dysplasia
* doc. Ing. Jan Rusz, Ph.D. (Charles University, 1st Faculty of Medicine) for the project Objective testing of types of speech disorders and their influence on pharmacotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease
* prof. MUDr. Pavel Kršek, Ph.D . (Charles University, 2nd Faculty of Medicine) for the project Stratification of patients with focal cortical dysplasia to optimize epilepsy surgery
Honorary recognition of the Minister
* doc. RNDr. Ivo Rudolf, Ph.D. (Institute of Vertebrate Biology, CAS ČR) for the project Preparedness for the introduction of exotic mosquito-borne viral diseases - One Health approach
* prof. Ing. Stanislav Kmoch, CSc. (Charles University, 1st Faculty of Medicine) for the project Determination of causes of rare genetic diseases in the pediatric population using new methods of genome analysis
* doc. MUDr. Andrea Burgetová, Ph.D. (Charles University, 1st Faculty of Medicine) for the project Quantitative multiparametric MRI in longitudinal follow-up of patients with multiple sclerosis: correlation with clinical status and biochemical markers
* prof. MUDr. Jan Lebl, CSc. (Charles University, 2nd Faculty of Medicine) for the project Study of etiopathogenesis and optimization of treatment in children with intrauterine growth restriction and postnatally persistent growth failure
* doc. MUDr. Štěpánka Průhová, Ph.D. (Charles University, 2nd Faculty of Medicine) for the project Genes affecting pancreatic beta cell function and their significance in the pathogenesis and treatment of monogenic forms of diabetes
Awards granted in 2022
Minister's Award
* prof. MUDr. Vojtěch Melenovský, CSc. (Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine) for the project Mechanisms of right ventricular dysfunction in chronic heart failure
* prof. MUDr. Jan Betka, DrSc. (Motol University Hospital) for the project Interaction of cells in the tumor microenvironment as a new tool for predicting the efficacy of head and neck cancer therapy
* prof. MUDr. Anna Šedivá, DSc. (Motol University Hospital) for the project Modern approaches to primary immunodeficiencies: application of molecular and functional diagnostics in therapy
* prof. MUDr. Libor Vítek, Ph.D. (General University Hospital in Prague) for the project Study of bilirubin degradation products formed during phototherapy of neonatal jaundice
* doc. Ing. Karel Holada, Ph.D. (Charles University, 1st Faculty of Medicine) for the project New possibilities of intravital diagnostics of prion diseases from peripheral tissues and cerebrospinal fluid
Honorary recognition of the Minister
* doc. MUDr. Mgr. Marek Mráz, Ph.D . (Masaryk University/Central European Institute of Technology) for the project Role of microRNAs and their target molecules in follicular lymphoma transformation and aggressiveness of chronic lymphocytic leukemia
* prof. MUDr. Jan Starý, DrSc. (Charles University, 2nd Faculty of Medicine) for the project Biology and immunopathology of bone marrow failure and combined autoimmune cytopenia (Evans syndrome) in children
* prof. MUDr. Jan Martínek, Ph.D . (Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine) for the project G-POEM in the treatment of refractory idiopathic and diabetic gastroparesis - a randomized and controlled "sham" study
* prof. MUDr. Luděk Červenka, CSc. (Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine) for the project Role of renal dysfunction in the progression of chronic heart failure and its possible clinical applications: preclinical studies in animal models
* RNDr. Ruth Tachezy, Ph.D . (Charles University, Faculty of Science) for the project Determination of phenotype and function of immune cells as predictors of response to treatment in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck
Awards granted in 2021
Minister's Award
* prof. MUDr. Pavel Klener, Ph.D. (Charles University, 1st Faculty of Medicine) for the project New prognostic and predictive indicators in patients with mantle cell lymphoma at diagnosis and during treatment
* prof. MUDr. Robert Mikulík, Ph.D. (St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno) for the project Nanoliposomal systems for rapid thrombus diagnosis using MRI
* prof. MUDr. Přemysl Jiruška, Ph.D. (Institute of Physiology, CAS ČR, v. v. i.) for the project The importance of functional and structural reorganization of brain networks in the pathogenesis of cognitive deficit and epilepsy after stroke
* RNDr. Hana Hansíková, CSc. (Charles University, 1st Faculty of Medicine) for the project Molecular mechanisms of hereditary disorders of glycosylation
* Ing. Veronika Vymetálková, Ph.D . (Institute of Experimental Medicine, CAS ČR, v. v. i.) for the project Investigation of acquired chemoresistance by profiling genes involved in DNA repair in colon cancer patients
Honorary recognition of the Minister
* prof. Ing. Zdeněk Sedláček, DrSc. (Charles University, 2nd Faculty of Medicine) for the project Analysis of genetic variants associated with mental retardation and autism spectrum disorders using next-generation sequencing
* doc. MUDr. Tomáš Novotný, Ph.D. (University Hospital Brno) for the project Clinical significance and electrophysiological evaluation of c.926C>T mutation of KCNQ1 gene (p.T309I) as a possible "founder mutation" of long QT interval syndrome
* prof. MUDr. David Šmajs, Ph.D . (Masaryk University, Faculty of Medicine) from the project Development of a new typing system for the syphilis agent, Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum, focused on proteomic differences
* doc. MUDr. Michal Tomčík, Ph.D. (Institute of Rheumatology) for the project Role of Hsp90 (Heat shock protein 90) in selected rheumatic diseases
* doc. MUDr. František Duška, Ph.D. (Charles University, 3rd Faculty of Medicine) for the project Functional electrical stimulation-assisted bicycle ergometry in critically ill patients: relationship between muscle physiology and long-term functional outcome of treatment
Awards granted in 2020
Minister's Award
* prof. MUDr. Jan Zuna, Ph.D. (Charles University, 2nd Faculty of Medicine) for the project Biology of BCR/ABL1-positive leukemias
* prof. RNDr. Daniel Růžek, Ph.D. (Biological Centre of the CAS ČR, v. v. i.) for the project Development and testing of new promising antivirals and their prodrugs active against tick-borne encephalitis virus
* prof. MUDr. Karel Šonka, DrSc. (General University Hospital in Prague) for the project REM sleep behaviour disorder - clinic, context and development
* doc. MVDr. Aleš Hampl, CSc. (Masaryk University, Faculty of Medicine) for the project Epithelial Tissue Engineering: Cells and Protocols for Regenerative Medicine
* MUDr. Petra Laššuthová, Ph.D . (Charles University, 2nd Faculty of Medicine) for the project Whole Genome and RNA Massively Parallel Sequencing as a Tool for Elucidation causes of rare types of hereditary neuropathies
Honorary recognition of the Minister
* prof. MUDr. Jan Trka, Ph.D. (Charles University, 2nd Faculty of Medicine) for the project Extensive genomic profiling for personalized diagnosis and treatment of hematopoietic disorders in children
* Prof. MUDr. Sergej Zacharov, Ph.D . (General University Hospital in Prague) for the project Neurodegenerative processes in methanol-exposed patients: a prospective study after mass methanol poisoning in the Czech Republic in 2012
* Prof. MVDr. Alois Nečas, Ph.D . (General University Hospital in Prague) for the project Healing of extensive bone, tendon and ligament defects using new biomaterials
* doc. RNDr. Běla Bendlová, CSc. (Institute of Endocrinology) for the project Thyroid tumours in children and adolescents and their molecular genetic basis
* MUDr. Michal Pazderník, Ph.D . (Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine) for the project Monitoring of coronary artery graft disease using optical coherence tomography
Awards granted in 2019
Minister's Award
* Mgr. Pavel Krejčí, Ph.D. (Masaryk University, Faculty of Medicine) for the project Identification of new treatment options for achondroplasia through the analysis of interaction between FGFR3 and adapter protein Frs2
* doc. MUDr. Pavel Klener, Ph.D. (Charles University, 1st Faculty of Medicine) for the project Targeted inhibition of BCL2 proteins in experimental therapy of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)
* doc. MUDr. Tomáš Kalina, Ph.D. (Charles University, 2nd Faculty of Medicine) for the project Dysregulation of the immune system: lymphocyte properties in patients with immunodeficiency and autoimmune manifestations
* prof. MUDr. Marek Svoboda, Ph.D . (Masaryk Institute of Oncology) for the project Development of new low molecular weight anticancer drugs based on the principle of synthetic lethality
* prof. MUDr. Jiří Gallo, Ph.D. (Palacký University in Olomouc, Faculty of Medicine) for the project Antibacterial surface treatment of orthopaedic implants based on nanotubes and nanosilver
Honorary recognition of the Minister
* prof. MUDr. Ladislav Vyklický, Ph.D., DrSc. (Institute of Physiology, CAS ČR, v. v. i.) for the project Genetic and functional study of NMDA receptors with a focus on possible diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia
* prof. MUDr. Pavel Seeman, Ph.D. (Charles University, 2nd Faculty of Medicine) for the project Use of massively parallel sequencing of a panel of genes associated with childhood epilepsy and epileptic encephalopathy for diagnosis of causes of epilepsy in ČR
* MUDr. Ester Mejstříková, Ph.D . (Charles University, 2nd Faculty of Medicine) for the project Phenotypic plasticity of leukemia cells and its genetic basis - relation to therapy and detection of minimal residual disease
* doc. Ing. Jaroslav Hrabák, Ph.D. (Charles University, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen) for the project Molecular-epidemiological typing of multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas spp. strains with a focus on their hidden sources
* prof. MUDr. Ondřej Viklický, CSc. (Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine) for the project Alloreactivity in kidney transplantation in living donors
