On November 16, 2025, Professor M.D. Bohuslav Ošťádal, D.Sc., received the prestigious Josef Hlávka Medal at the Lužany Chateau. The award was presented to him for his lifelong contribution to Czech science, particularly in experimental cardiology, as well as for his inspiring teaching activities that have profoundly influenced several generations of scientists and physicians.
Professor Ošťádal is among the most prominent figures in Czech physiology and cardiology. He graduated in 1963 from the Faculty of Paediatrics at Charles University in Prague and, already during his studies, began researching developmental changes in the heart muscle in collaboration with Professor Otakar Poupa. Since 1966, he has been actively involved in advancing cardiovascular research at IPHYS, where he served as Director from 1990 to 1996, making significant contributions to the institute’s growth and success. He founded the Laboratory of Developmental Cardiology, where he continues to work as Professor Emeritus.
His scientific career has been closely connected with key discoveries in the study of developmental changes in the heart muscle. He described sex-based differences in susceptibility to ischemic heart injury and developed the concept of “fetal programming,” which links early-life stimuli with the resilience of the cardiovascular system in adulthood. He has published more than 280 research articles in internationally recognized journals that are widely cited and is the author of two Czech and several international monographs.
Professor Ošťádal excels at bridging experimental research with clinical practice. He is one of the founders of the Commission on Experimental Cardiology, which has been regularly bringing together clinicians and experimental scientists since 1972. In 2000, he initiated the establishment of the Centre for Cardiovascular Research, which involved more than 100 research and clinical professionals. Internationally, he has held numerous distinguished positions, including serving as a member of the Executive Committee of the International Society for Heart Research (1993–1998) and President of the International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences (2015–2018). He has also played an important role in organizing numerous national and international scientific meetings, including the highly successful XV World Congress of the ISHR, held in Prague in 1995.
Equally noteworthy is his extensive teaching career. For over fifty years, he taught pathological physiology at the 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, where his humanity, depth of knowledge, and dedication to his field have shaped generations of students and young scientists. Many of them now work at leading institutions in the Czech Republic and abroad.
Professor Ošťádal is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the Mendel Medal, honorary memberships in domestic and international academies, annual awards of the Czech Society of Cardiology, the J. E. Purkyně Award, and the Libenský Medal.
We sincerely congratulate Professor Ošťádal on receiving the Josef Hlávka Medal and deeply appreciate his scientific legacy, inspiring mentorship, and tireless dedication to advancing Czech physiology and cardiovascular research.
