Henner Prize and Habilitation Thesis Defense in One Month – Dr. Ondřej Volný from STROKE Team is an Associate Professor

The Henner Prize for the outstanding original publication of 2020, intended for young authors in the field of neurology under 35 years of age, was awarded to Ondřej Volný, MD, PhD, researcher at the International Clinical Research Centre of St. Anne’s University Hospital in Brno (FNUSA-ICRC) at a ceremony in Olomouc. The researcher of the STROKE team, led by Prof. Robert Mikulík, was awarded this prestigious prize by the Czech Neurological Society. The scientist and physician, who is involved in neurology, especially in research on the treatment of stroke patients, also became one of the youngest associate professors in the history of Czech neurology this month.

Due to the pandemic measures of the past years, Ondřej Volný could only receive the Henner Prize this year. In his work, he focused on a specific group of patients whose stroke resulted in the occlusion of a large cerebral artery, but contrary to the expectations of experts, the stroke resulted in a relatively mild neurological deficit, such as a drop in the corners of the eyes or a weakening of the hand. “In my work, among other things, I addressed whether it is better to provide surgical treatment to these patients in the future or to treat them only medically,” explained researcher Ondřej Volný. The original work, Thrombectomy vs. medical treatment in patients with stroke in the anterior cerebral circulation and low NIHSS scores (i.e. low neurological deficit), also resulted in substantial help to teams of fellow neurologists who will design protocols for new studies in future years. The publication, which was described as excellent and original by the committee of the Czech Neurological Society, was created by Ondřej Volný in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Calgary, where he worked for a year and a half not only as a clinical researcher, but also as a clinician (stroke fellow). “Currently, I am still in contact with the scientific team in Calgary and I will do everything I can to ensure that the Czech Republic continues to be involved in planned studies in stroke research,” adds Ondřej Volný.

At the moment when the clinical researcher of the Cerberovascular Team of the FNUSA-ICRC in Brno and also a physician and deputy head of the Neurological Clinic for Science and Research at the Ostrava University Hospital received the Henner Prize, he already knew that he had successfully defended his habilitation thesis. The appointment decree from the Rector of Masaryk University in Brno, Prof. Martin Bareš, is dated 1 May. Dr. Ondřej Volný thus became one of the youngest associate professors in the history of Czech neurology. He is only 35 years old. “The topic of my habilitation thesis was Diagnosis and recanalization treatment of strokes, an issue I have been working on for almost 10 years. I started the habilitation procedure at Masaryk University in Brno on 4 February last year and on 24 March this year I gave my last lecture before the Scientific Council of the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University in Brno, so the process took more than a year,” explained Associate Professor Ondřej Volný.

The team of colleagues from FNUSA-ICRC congratulates Associate Professor Ondřej Volný and wishes him many more successes in his clinical and research work.