prof. RNDr. Jan Palouš, DrSc.

(born in 1949 Prague)

J. Palouš graduated from the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of Charles University where in 1973 he received the degree of RNDr. (rerum naturalium doctor). Since 1972 he has until now been working at the Astronomical Institute of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (CSAS), later the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ASCR). In 1993 he defended a doctoral thesis (DSc.) and in 2001 he was appointed professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the Charles University. He gives regular lectures at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of Charles University. He has supervised 10 master and 7 PhD theses. During the years 1993-1996 he was a member of the Academy Council of AS CR and from 1996 to 2004 he was Director of the Astronomical Institute of ASCR. Since 2004 he has been Head of the Department of Galaxies and Planetary Systems.

His main research interest is astronomy and astrophysics, the evolution of galaxies and the star formation. He is an internationally recognised authority regarding the structure of the interstellar matter, expanding shells and supershells and conditions when the star formation is triggered. His research is concentrated on the kinematics of stars, the dynamics of galaxies and the physics of the interstellar matter. During the last decade his research has been focused especially on the evolution of galaxies as affected by the tidal interaction and the influence of the intergalactic medium on the structure of the interstellar matter. He is the author or co-author of more than 150 original scientific papers published in international journals. His scientific papers have been cited more than 500 times.

His study visits include the European Southern Observatory, the Max-Planck-Institute for Astrophysics in Garching (Germany), the Sterrewacht in Leiden(The Netherlands), Cardiff University (Great Britain), and a number of other astronomical institutions abroad. He is a member of the European Astronomical Society; from 1991 to 1996 he served as its secretary, since 2008 he has been its vice-president. He is a member of the International Astronomical Union and Chairman of the National Committee for Astronomy. He has organised several international scientific conferences and chaired the organisational committee of the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union, which was held in 2006 in Prague.