Martin-Alex Nalepa: A childhood dream realized

A future profession is sometimes determined by sheer coincidence. Martin-Alex Nalepa, a nanomaterials chemist, knew from an early age that he wanted to be a scientist, but his interest in a specific field was sparked by a TV show. Watching “Hyde Park Civilization,” where the host Daniel Stach interviewed the physical chemist Radek Zbořil about nanotechnology, inspired the then high school student. He later connected with scientists from what is now CATRIN and continued to collaborate with them throughout his university studies. Today, he is living his dream of being a scientist.

“When I heard Professor Zbořil talk on TV about nanotechnology and the research in Olomouc, I was instantly captivated. His enthusiasm made it clear to me that this field had a promising future. If I had chosen to watch a different programme that night, my path might have taken a different direction,” smiles Martin, a recent graduate from UP’s Master’s programme in Nanomaterials Chemistry. When applying to university, Martin focused solely on nanomaterials chemistry, inspired by his involvement in the SOČ (Středoškolská odborná činnost), which introduced him to the RCPTM, now part of CATRIN.

At the beginning of his bachelor’s studies, Martin asked for a chance to be involved in research at RCPTM, and he got it. During his master’s studies, he joined Michal Otyepka’s ERC PoC project, which aims to develop a process for producing graphene ink for printing electrodes. These electrodes can be used to design affordable, sensitive and selective biosensors. The initial groundbreaking results were recently published in Biosensors and Bioelectronics, with Martin listed as the first author of the article! He plans to pursue this area as part of his doctoral studies, aligning perfectly with his goal to participate in research that reaches people and makes a difference to their lives.