Eva Zažímalová - Biography#

Eva Zažímalová is currently president of the Czech Academy of Sciences (since 2017, second term until 2025), and scientist (part-time) at the Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences. She graduated from the Faculty of Science of Charles University in Prague (chemistry, specialization biochemistry), and received her CSc. degree (equiv. to PhD.) at the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences in biology (plant physiology) in 1983. From 2007-2012 she served as director of the Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences. In 2013 she was appointed Professor of plant anatomy and physiology at Charles University in Prague. She is a member of Scientific Councils or Boards of Trustees of several universities and research institutions in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. She served as ERC – Starting Grants panel member or panel evaluator (2014-2020). In 2021, she was appointed member of the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors to the European Commission (first term till 2024). She is honorary member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Hungary), has been awarded the title Doctor honoris causa (from the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, the Czech Republic), and decorated „Chevalier dans L’Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur“.

Her research interests include plant biochemistry and plant molecular physiology, particularly molecular mechanisms of action of plant hormones, particularly auxins.