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Prof. RNDr. Jiří Šponer, DrSc., born March 2, 1964
Workplace
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Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Královopolská 135, 612
65 Brno, Czech Republic
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e-mail: sponer@ncbr.chemi.muni.cz
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http://www.ibp.cz/labs/LSDNA/
Current Positions

Head of Department, Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic,
Brno

Senior Researcher, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of
the Czech Republic, Prague.

Professor, Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University,
Olomouc

Professor, National Center for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk
University, Brno
Education and Academic Qualifications

Master degree (RNDr), Physics, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, 1987.
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CSc (eq. PhD), Biophysics, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University,Brno, 1992.
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DrSc. (Doctor of Science), Biophysics/Molecular Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech
Republic, 2001.
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Associate Professor of Biophysics, Masaryk University, Brno, 2002.
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Professor of Biomolecular Chemistry, Masaryk University, Brno, 2009
Employment Summary

1988-1989: Scholarship, Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, Brno (including one-year
army service).
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1990 - 1992: Postgraduate student, Masaryk University, Brno.
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1993: Postdoc, Institute of Biohysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.
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1994-2003: Researcher and Senior Researcher, J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry,
Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic (part time 2001-2003).
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Since 2001-present: Senior Researcher and Head of Department, Institute of Biophysics,
Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic.
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Since 2004: (part time) Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of
Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic. Senior researcher.

Since 2007 (part time) Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký
University, Olomouc, Czech Republic. Professor.
Pedagogical Activities

Courses - Molecular interactions and their role in biology and chemistry - Faculty of Science,
MU Brno;
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Structure and dynamics of nucleic acids - Faculty of Science, Palacky Univerzity, Olomouc;
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Structure and dynamics of nucleic acids - Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague
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PhD program officially available via the following specializations and Universities:
Biomolecular Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biophysics – Faculty of Science, Masaryk University,
Brno; Physical Chemistry - Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Olomouc, Biomolecules
and Nanostructures, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague
Scientific and Research Activities

Structural molecular biology and biophysics, physical chemistry of molecular interactions,
computational chemistry, atomistic simulations of biopolymers, structural studies of
functional RNA molecules (ribosome, ribozymes), DNA and their complexes with ligands and
proteins, quantum-chemical studies of molecular interactions in nucleic acids, bioinformatics
of nucleic acids.
Academical Stays

Department of Chemistry, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, USA. 1994 -2001, ca 15
months. Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
1997 - 2 weeks, 1998 - 2 weeks, 1999 - 2 weeks. Department of Chemistry, University of
Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany, 1999 - 3 weeks, 2000 - 3 weeks. Department of Chemistry,
Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, US, 2000, 2 weeks. Department of
Medicinal Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA, 2000, 1 week, University
Autonoma Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, 2002, 1 month.
„Politics“
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Member of the Council of the Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech
Republic, Brno
Scientometric data

184 papers and reviews in international journals and books. ~6,200+ citations (all forms of
autocitations excluded, 17 „100+“ cited papers, total ~8,300 citations in ISI WOS database, Hindex 50).
Other information

Senior Editor, Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, Adenine Press, NY, USA,
since 2001.
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Hlavka Foundation Award, 1995.
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Prize od the Learned Society of the Czech Republic for junior scientists, 1999.
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Prize of Ministry of Education of the Czech Republic for senior scientists, 2000.
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Wichterle Award, 2003.
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Wellcome Trust International Senior Research Fellow in Biomedical Science, 2003.
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2006 - elected regular member of The Learned Society of the Czech Republic (eq. to NAS).