Our Research Team

Head of the Team

doc. Mgr. Dominik Heger, Ph.D.

Phone:	+420 549 493 322
E‑mail:

social and academic networks:

I studied chemistry at Masaryk University in Brno (the Czech Republic). Both my Master’s and Ph.D. degrees were completed under the supervision of Petr Klán. While the Master thesis (2002) titled Synthesis and energy transfer of bichromophores led to the introduction of the photoremovable protecting group (2,5-dimethylphenacyl), the Ph.D. work (2006) was oriented towards spectroscopy of organic compounds on ice, namely assessing the aggregations, pH change and solvatochromic behavior of frozen compounds. During the studies, I joined the groups of Andrej Loupy (Université Paris XI, Orsay, France), Michael Greenleave (University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA), and Jakob Wirz (Basel Universitaet, Switzerland).

My postdoctoral stay at Basel Universitaet, Switzerland (2006-2007) was guaranteed by Jakob Wirz and involved primarily an investigation of various photoremovable protecting groups with time resolved techniques. After his retirement, Joggi generously allowed us to transfer his equipment to Brno, thus facilitating smooth continuation of the research. Since 2007, I have been active within photochemical groups at Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.

Academical and professional background

2017: Assoc. professor
2008: Researcher, assistant professor
2007: Postdoc Basel, Joggi Wirz
2006: Ph.D. in Chemistry, Petr Klán
2002: Master in Chemistry, Petr Klán

Academic stays

2018-2019: Sabatical fellowship at the University of Kentucky, KY, USA
2006 - 2007: Postdoctoral fellowship at the Universität Basel, Switzerland
2003: Internship (5 months) at the Universität Basel, Switzerland
2001: Internship (2 months) at the University of Missouri, MO, USA

Awards and achievements

2018: Visiting professor scholarship
2013: Outstanding junior researcher award by the Spectroscopic Society of Jan Marek Marci
2005: Award of the Dean of the Faculty of Science, Masaryk University

Current Members of the Team

Mgr. Lukáš Veselý

Phone:	+420 549 49 5680
E‑mail:

social and academic networks:

Lukáš joined the group in 2017 as an undergraduate student. His current research focuses on the spectroscopic study of freeze-concentrated solutions and stress separation during freezing, which is the topic of his PhD project.

Mgr. Radim Štůsek

Phone:	+420 549 49 5680
E‑mail:

social and academic networks:

Radim joined the group in the year 2020 and obtained Bachelor degree in the year of 2022. He is currently working on his diploma thesis, which is focused on the mechanisms of freezing-induced acidity changes. He obtained an internal MUNI grant to pursue this endeavor.

Mgr. Marie Garncarzová

Phone:	+420 549 49 5671
E‑mail:

Marie joined the group in 2021 and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry in 2022. She is currently working on projects concerning simple organic molecules and their photophysical behavior in aqueous solutions, in/on ice and crystals.

Mgr. David Mužík

Phone:	+420 549 49 5671
E‑mail:

social and academic networks:

David joined the group in 2019 and acquired a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry at Masaryk University in 2021. During his Master’s degree in Physical Chemistry he dealt with the spectroscopic study of 1-methylnaphthalene, which was also the topic of his diploma thesis and he currently continues in this research topic.

Jan Ryšávka

Phone:	+420 549 49 5671
E‑mail:

After Jan began his undergraduate studies in 2022, he joined the group in 2023. His current focus is the effect of freezing on aqueous solutions, specifically on pharmaceutical formulations.

Mgr. Jan Zezula

Phone:	+420 549 49 5671
E‑mail:

Jan is focused on the fluorescent spectroscopy of PAHs in frozen aqueous solutions.

Former Members of the Team

Mgr. Vít Ladányi, Ph.D.

Vít conducted research on UV-vis spectrophotometry, specifically in determining pKa through titrations and chemical actinometry. Vít's Ph.D. thesis focused on the determination of molar absorption coefficients and photoisomerization quantum yields of azobenzene and its appropriate use as a chemical actinometer.

Vít currently works as a quality controller and radiochemist at Georadis, specializing in calibrating radiometric instruments such as gamma spectrometers and magnetic susceptibility/conductivity meters. Additionally, he is involved in a private radon measurement business.

Mgr. Ľubica Vetráková, Ph.D.

L'ubica joined and left the group.

Mgr. Kamila Závacká

During her time in the group, Kamila dealt with the determination of the quantum yields of azobenzene photoisomerization in solvents with various viscosity and she also studied properties of frozen aqueous solutions using UV-Vis spectrophotometry and differential scanning calorimetry.

Currently, she works at the Institute of the Scientific Instruments of the CAS, where her PhD topic focuses on the development of a methodology for environmental scanning electron microscopy to enable observation of frozen aqueous solution in close-to-natural conditions.

Mgr. Markéta Melicharová, Ph.D.

Markéta joined and left the group.

Mgr. Gabriela Ondrušková, Ph.D.

Gabriela joined the group in 2015 and earned a Ph.D. degree in 2020. Her research was focused on the spectroscopic study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (naphthalene and 1-methylnaphthalene) on ice. Currently, she occupies an RnD position in organic chemistry at a Slovak company.

Mgr. Jan Krausko

Jan joined and left the group.

Susrisweta Behera, Ph.D.

Susrisweta joined the group in 2019 and received her Ph.D. in 2024.Her research topic focused on using different spectroscopy techniques to study the acidity change of excipients upon freezing.

She is currently working as a research scientist at Evomedis in Austria and her research focuses on innovative methods to obtain viable lyophilized cells.

Former students:

Bc. Ondrej Kubinec (awarded Bachelor degree in 2022)
Bc. Jan Duda (awarded Bachelor degree in 2021)
Bc. Mikita Bandarenka (awarded Bachelor degree in 2021)
Bc. Matej Ščepán (awarded Bachelor degree in 2021)
Bc. Ján Michael Komárník (awarded Bachelor degree in 2017)
Mgr. Monika Chrástková (awarded Master degree in 2016)
Bc. Martina Hejduková (awarded Bachelor degree in 2014)
Mgr. Beáta Magyarová (awarded Master degree in 2013)
Mgr. Jitka Klášková (awarded Master degree in 2013)
Mgr. Jitka Procházková (awarded Master degree in 2013)
Bc. Lenka Filipová (awarded Bachelor degree in 2011)
Bc. Filip Crkoň (awarded Bachelor degree in 2011)
Bc. Alexandra Vincencová (awarded Bachelor degree in 2009)

Former staff members:

Mgr. Zuzana Gogal'ová (postdoctoral fellow 2020-2021)
Lokendra Pratap Singh (postdoctoral fellow 2019-2020)