Eliška Zlámalová

“The scientific mind does not so much provide the right answers as ask the right questions.” Just as Claude Levi-Strauss, I always asked myself many questions. I wanted to understand and know the huge world around me as much as possible, and I was fascinated by how it was almost always the sciences that could answer many of my questions. While a student at the eight-year Nad Štolou High School, I got captivated by biology and chemistry. Soon I took an interest in those subjects after school as well and attended many lectures and courses with my great teachers, friends, and also by myself.

An important moment was when, two years ago, I decided to participate in the High School Science Activities competition, as part of which students work on various projects, write papers and then read and defend them before a jury of experts in the field. After careful consideration, I chose the field of medicinal diagnostics because it perfectly marries biology, chemistry and often other sciences as well, and joined the research team of scientists from ICT Prague, the 3rd Medical Faculty of Charles University, and the Psychiatry Center Prague.

The subject we focus on is monitoring brain neurotransmitters and prenatal exposure to methamphetamine. I learned a lot and better understood certain other aspects of this type of work during the 18 months on the team. I also understood that scientific work will always fulfill me. Few things can match the feeling of discovering something completely new and holding results that nobody else has ever seen in your hand. There are always many more questions than answers, but I believe that if I am lucky enough to find answers, even just a minuscule portion of them, the search will be worth it. This is a way to make the world a little better. Adding a mere single piece to a puzzle that will eventually create something that helps thousands of people is a life goal that makes sense and is worth working hard for.

The project that I processed and wrote on the basis of our research and the experience that I gained in the process helped me to win the High School Scientific Activities award in the Chemistry category and the Czech Heads competition in the FUTURA “Solutions for the Future” category; following a successful interview and defense of my work, I was chosen to represent the Czech Republic in the European Union Contest for Young Scientists.

I am sure it was this success, experience and knowledge that helped me to make it to the University of Edinburgh, where I have been a Medical Biology student since September 2012. I owe a great deal of gratitude to The Kellner Family Foundation for making my studies in the UK considerably more viable financially. At this point, I cannot wait to actually come to the University, become part of university life and join the cutting edge research.

Secondary

Nad Štolou High School in Prague 7; graduated in 2012

Tertiary

The University of Edinburgh, UK, started in 2012

E-mail

zlamalova.eliz@seznam.cz

Goals

My goal is to participate in research during my studies at the University of Edinburgh. Also, I would like to travel a lot, play sports, and once I graduate from university, I would like to do a job that I enjoy and that is meaningful.

Interests

Swimming and synchronized swimming, horseback riding, traveling, reading, friends and much more.