On 29 January 2020, two prominent scientists from the Institute of Physiology, Zdeněk Drahota and Alena Sumová, received honorary medals awarded by the Czech Academy of Sciences from the hands of the President of the CAS, Eva Zažímalová.

Zdeněk Drahota received the Jan Evangelista Purkyně Honorary Medal for Merit in the Biomedical Sciences. Zdeněk Drahota significantly contributed to the development of the study of animal metabolism with a focus on the processes of energy conversion in the cell. Highly respected in the international biochemical community, his research into the basic mechanisms of mitochondrial energy function laid the foundation for the development of the study of mammalian bioenergetics. Knowledge of the structure, function, and biogenesis of mitochondria has become one of the main and highly successful research directions of the Institute. It has led to the establishment of several new laboratories, which carry out first-rate research into mitochondrial issues, from molecular structure to translational aspects of metabolic disorders.

Alena Sumová received the Vojtěch Náprstek Honorary Medal for Merit in Science Popularisation. Her research focuses on the study of biological clocks and time systems in mammals, including humans, which affect both physical and mental abilities and the overall setting of the organism. The primary goal of Alena Sumová and her group is to understand the impact of disruption of time regulation on human health during early development, in adulthood, and at old age. Alena Sumová often discusses this topic in the media; she gives interviews and commentaries on television and radio. She also works as a teacher, conducting seminars at universities and developing programmes for secondary schools. More