Milan Němý from our institute has been awarded the prestigious Jan Bures Award for 2023. This award, which is given by the Alzheimer Foundation, recognizes the best scientific article in the field of neuroscience. Milan Němý, who works in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Assistive Technology at the CIIRC, received this award for his innovative research on the mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease. His award-winning paper, „Cholinergic white matter pathways along the Alzheimer’s disease continuum“ (Brain, IF 15.255), provides new insights that may contribute significantly to better understanding and treatment of this serious disease.
„Receivig the MUDr. Jan Bures Award for the best scientific publication by young authors is a great honour for me. It is an award referring to one of the most respected Czech scientists and the founder of modern neuroscience. For me, this award is a sign of recognition from the Czech community of neuroscientists and neurologists, which I appreciate immensely. At the same time, I see it as a commitment to continue pushing the boundaries of the field of neuroscience , as well as strengthening the collaboration between the technical and medical community,“ says Milan Němý about receiving the award.
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MUDr. Jan Bureš Award – award for outstanding scientific work
The MUDr. Jan Bureš Award is named after a prominent Czech neurophysiologist who made his mark in the field of neuroscience with his research. Jan Bureš, MD (1926-2012) was a pioneer in the study of on memory, the hippocampus and the neocortex. His scientific contributions are recognized not only in the Czech Republic but also worldwide, as evidenced by his membership in the prestigious National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
The prize, awarded by the Alzheimer Foundation, is aimed at supporting young scientists who bring new knowledge to the field of neurology, psychiatry, geriatrics and neuroscience, with an emphasis on Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. The winning team receives a prize of 50,000 CZK and is not only financial support but also recognition from the scientific community.
„In our study, we found that certain specific white matter pathways in the brain play a key role in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Using diffusion-weighted MRI imaging techniques and advanced image processing, we were the first in the world to visualize these pathways in vivo in healthy individuals and patients with Alzheimer’s disease. This allowed us to identify microstructural changes at different stages of the disease. Interestingly, this method is also sensitive to changes in individuals with subjective cognitive decline. This is a condition in which these individuals experience problems with memory or other cognitive domains for more than six months and seek professional help, yet according to psychological and cognitive tests they are still within the normal range,“ adds Milan Němý about his research.
Based on the results of this article, Milan Němý is convinced that the microstructural integrity of specific brain pathways has high potential as a reliable non-invasive biomarker.
The process of evaluation and awarding the prize
Only publications published in the calendar year 2023 were eligible for the competition. These publications had to be original research communications or meta-analyses, published in peer-reviewed journals with Q1 or Q2 rankings according to the Journal Citation Reports 2023. The submitted articles were carefully reviewed by the board of the Alzheimer Foundation, which then selected the winning work through a secret ballot.
