One of the most cited chemists in the world, Pavel Hobza of the UP Faculty of Science – who also works in its Regional Centre for Advanced Technologies and Materials – went to Munich at the end of August to accept the prestigious 2017 Schrödinger Medal. The World Association of Theoretical and Computational Chemists(WATOC) granted the award for his outstanding work on non-covalent interactions.
“The World Association of Theoretical and Computational Chemists only recognises one laureate per year. Thus, this is a very prestigious award, and I am greatly honoured,” said Prof Hobza.
He was also honoured to give the plenary lecture at the association’s congress, which takes place once every three years. His talk was on the theme of non-covalent interactions. He spoke on his fundamental results in this field, including the discovery of improper hydrogen bonding, before roughly 1500 colleagues in the Munich Philharmonic concert hall.
“I also introduced our current research and future prospects. In addition, I mentioned the plans I and my colleagues have in the Regional Centre for Advanced Technology and Materials. I really enjoyed the lecture. And the best part was the very fruitful discussion which followed,” said Prof Hobza, sharing his impressions.
The medal has been awarded since 1987, and winners include two Nobel prize-winners, John A. Pople and William Lipscomb. Another medal-winner is the outstanding Czech chemist Josef Michl.
Professor Hobza has earned a global following thanks to his discovery of improper hydrogen bonding. His other important scientific endeavours include clarifying the role of interactions in protein-DNA complexes and also explaining the role of dispersion energy in biomacromolecules. He is the recipient of a number of important awards, including Czech Mind, and is also a member of the Learned Society of the Czech Republic. He repeatedly places high in the prestigious Highly Cited Researchers global list.