Tereza Jeřábková Receives Prestigious L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award

Tereza Jeřábková has gained experience at leading European scientific institutions. She worked as a Research Fellow at the European Space Agency (ESA) and also worked at the European Southern Observatory (ESO). She is now building on her experience in European astronomical research at the Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, where she focuses on one of the key questions in modern astrophysics: how stars and star clusters formed and evolved throughout the history of the Universe.

Her research connects the study of the early Universe with observations of the Milky Way today. She investigates the evolution of stellar populations from the first galaxies to the present-day Milky Way. Studying stars and star clusters allows astronomers to better understand how galaxies formed and evolved over billions of years.

An important part of her work is also her involvement in the ELT (Extremely Large Telescope) project, led by the European Southern Observatory. Once completed, the ELT will become the world’s largest optical and infrared telescope, opening up entirely new possibilities for observing the Universe. Jeřábková has played an important role in involving Czech scientists in this ambitious international project, contributing not only to her own research but also to strengthening the position of Czech astronomy within the international scientific community.

An Award Highlighting Outstanding Women in Science

The L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science programme is one of the major international initiatives supporting women in scientific research. Established in Paris in 1998, its aim is to recognise women’s scientific achievements, support young female researchers at the beginning of their careers, and highlight the importance of their work to contemporary society.

In the Czech Republic, the programme has been running since 2006, and this year marks its 20th anniversary. Since its launch, the award has been presented to 56 Czech women scientists, who have collectively received approximately CZK 12.5 million in financial support. Worldwide, the programme has recognised more than 5,000 women in 140 countries.

The laureates also become ambassadors for Czech science for the following twelve months. Through their stories, the programme highlights the achievements of women in science and seeks to inspire the younger generation to study and pursue careers in science and technology.

The award also includes financial support of CZK 200,000, which the laureates can use according to their individual needs. The funding is intended to give them greater freedom to develop their research and advance their professional careers.

Alongside Tereza Jeřábková, this year’s award has also been presented to doc. Ing. Viola Tokárová, Ph.D. from the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (UCT Prague), whose work focuses on biomimetic engineering and the development of new diagnostic tools, and Xiaohui Ju, Ph.D. from Mendel University in Brno, whose research focuses on intelligent nanomaterials and micro- and nanorobotic systems for biomedical applications.

Tereza Jeřábková Strengthens Czech Participation in European Astronomy

The award recognises not only Tereza Jeřábková’s scientific work, but also her international experience and her ability to connect Czech research with major European scientific projects. Her work at ESA and ESO has given her experience at institutions at the heart of European space and astronomical research. At Masaryk University, she is now drawing on this experience in her research into the history of stars and galaxies and in developing international cooperation among Czech astronomers.

Being named one of this year’s L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science laureates represents significant recognition of Tereza Jeřábková’s scientific achievements to date, while also highlighting the importance of the questions she addresses through her research.

Photo: L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award