Julius Lukeš received the National Government Award Czech Head
The most prestigious Czech award for scientists and innovators was officially received yesterday by Prof. Julius Lukeš from the Biological Centre of the CAS, who has also been working at the Faculty of Science of the University of South Bohemia since 2003. The National Government Award Czech Head is awarded by the Government of the Czech Republic, the award expresses recognition for a lifetime of successful and excellent work in the field of research, development and innovation.
Through his research, Professor Lukeš has become a prominent figure in the Czech and international scientific communities, and he is also recognized outside the scientific sphere for his popularization activities and unconventional experiments.
Prof. Lukeš has been studying parasites, especially protozoa, all his life. Protozoa are microscopic organisms known primarily for causing a number of serious diseases, such as malaria, toxoplasmosis, and sleeping sickness. With his colleagues, he focuses on the study of the molecular biology of parasitic trypanosomes and leishmaniases, but in recent years he has also worked extensively on marine protozoa, which are largely overlooked despite their key role in the ocean ecosystem. In particular, Prof. Lukeš has contributed to understanding the evolution and cellular and molecular adaptations of these ubiquitous organisms, which are more different from each other than humans are from corn. He has also contributed to our understanding of the genetic code with the discovery of the flagellum, which has been altered. Related discoveries have the potential to make a significant contribution to the treatment of severe human genetic diseases. He has published his discoveries in major scientific journals, and his work has been cited more than 20,000 times. His career has been closely associated with the Academy of Sciences in České Budějovice, although he has also worked for several years at the University of Amsterdam and two universities in California, as well as at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research.
Prof. Lukeš considers it essential to popularize science, which he endeavors to do through a range of activities, including lectures at primary schools, high schools, and universities, as well as medical conferences and associations, and regular media appearances. He enjoys creating collaborations and examining science from unconventional angles. His self-infections have been reported not only in the Czech media, but also in European, Canadian, and American media. He is the President of the American Society for Protozoology and a member of numerous European and American societies, as well as the only living Czech member of the US National Academy.
Julius Lukeš discusses how he perceives this award and why he is fascinated by parasites in the current interview for Vědavýzkum.cz. He also comments on the transformation of scientific thinking, talks about his experiences abroad, and his membership in the American Academy of NAS. In his opinion, science is both an adventure and a commitment to society.
You can read the interview at Vedavyzkum.cz - Julius Lukeš: Parasites are not our enemies, but teachers of evolution
You can watch a recording of the gala on 8 November at 18:15 on ČT 2.
