Seven BUT students succeeded in the Brno Ph.D. talent scholarship programme

Seven doctoral students from Brno University of Technology received a scholarship check for their further research during a ceremonial evening at Brno City Hall as part of the Brno Ph.D. Talent program. Each of them received a scholarship of 330,000 CZK, which will be paid out over the next three years. The event also included presentations of successful young scientists supported in previous years and a gathering of the Brno scientific community.

Three checks were awarded to representatives of CEITEC BUT. Hana Kopřivová focuses her research on correlative imaging of malignant and benign human skin tumors using several different methods. Her research will also include advanced data processing, such as machine learning for possible tumor prediction. The goal of the project is to introduce new techniques that could assist histologists in diagnosing cancer in the future. What does she like about science? The need for continuous self-improvement and the opportunity to contribute to making the world a better place.

Viktória Parobková is focusing on detecting microplastics in the human body using tomographic and spectroscopic technologies. The findings could impact plastic usage in everyday life. She appreciates that a scientist's life is never monotonous and enjoys working on complex projects that can positively influence society.

Erik Ščasnovič is engaged in the preparation and characterization of new ceramic materials known as high-entropy oxides (HEO), which are distinguished by high configurational entropy. This high entropy stabilizes the microstructure, leading to improved mechanical or electrical properties. In the future, such materials could play a crucial role in developing new batteries with increased capacity or extended lifespan. This dynamic field provides him with many opportunities to enhance both theoretical and practical knowledge.

Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication BUT has two representatives among the awarded doctoral students. The first is Martin Ptáček, whose research focuses on signal processing, particularly estimating spatiotemporal functions in connection with localization. The estimation of spatiotemporal functions finds applications in astronomy, telecommunications network planning, and weather forecasting. The doctoral student aims to develop estimation methods to improve forecast accuracy. He believes that the experience gained will help him solve other practical problems in industry-research collaboration.

Another doctoral student from FEEC is Lukáš Zezula, who focuses on diagnosing electric drives used in applications such as electric vehicles. Reliability is crucial, ensuring that these drives function even in the event of a fault. His research aims to design diagnostic algorithms with parametric estimation to monitor fault indicators and use these indicators to optimally compensate for the faults. He appreciates the connection between theoretical designs and practical experiments in science.

One of the supported young scientists is Tomáš Dacík from the Faculty of Information Technology BUT, who designs new algorithms for working with separation logic—one of the most successful methods for analyzing pointer-based programs. His research results aim to prevent errors in low-level programs, ultimately reducing security vulnerabilities. He enjoys solving complex problems where the direction and feasibility of a solution are not immediately clear.

Also supported within the Brno Ph.D. Talent program is Tereza Juhászová. A doctoral student from the Faculty of Civil Engineering BUT, she examines the effect of the self-healing ability of concrete on improving its fatigue-mechanical properties. She aims to analyze and quantify this effect using a new test configuration for fatigue testing of quasi-brittle materials. What she appreciates about science is its precision, clarity, and diversity.

“I am convinced that the investment Brno makes in young talents will return manifold and can serve as an inspiration for other cities,” said Minister for Science, Research, and Innovation Helena Langšádlová during the ceremonial evening.
“I wish all the awardees enough perseverance and strength to fully utilize their talent in their profession,” said Brno councilor Anna Putnová, former dean of the Faculty of Business and Management BUT, who represented the absent Brno Mayor Markéta Vaňková at the ceremony. The scholarship awards were also attended by BUT Rector Ladislav Janíček, along with his colleagues Martin Bareš from MU and Jan Mareš from Mendel University.
Brno Ph.D. Talent Program was established in 2009 to support local talented scientists in their careers. The program is fully funded by the budget of the City of Brno. Out of dozens of applicants, 25 talented doctoral students from local universities in science and engineering disciplines are selected. Over the next three years, JCMM communicates with the selected students, overseeing the competition process, scientists, and their programs.

Congratulations to all the awardees!

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Author	Mgr. Petr Kubíček
Published	2023-03-22 17:00
Link	https://www.vut.cz/en/but/f19528/d239368