YCN Representative - Czech Republic

Petra Špringer Šimonová

YCN representative for Czech Republic

Postdoctoral Researcher and Humboldt Fellow - University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Czechia and University of Bayreuth, Germany

simonovap@email.cz 

Petra Špringer Šimonová is a Postdoctoral Researcher and Humboldt Fellow at the University of Bayreuth, Germany. She earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry and Technology of Materials at UCT Prague in 2025 and spent part of her doctoral studies at École des Mines de Saint-Étienne, France, through the Barrande Fellowship Programme.

Her research investigates the relationships between microstructure, composition, and the resulting properties of ceramic materials. During her Ph.D., she focused on oxide and silicate ceramics and is now transitioning to ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), aiming to advance the understanding of how microstructural design influences the properties of these complex composite materials.

Alongside her research, Petra is actively involved in academic governance and community building. She served as Vice-Chair of the Academic Senate at UCT Prague, organizes a Ph.D. seminar and supports Ph.D. students through student-led initiatives. She is a board member of the Czech Ceramic Society and represents Czechia in the PCSA within the ACerS, contributing to the ceramics community both nationally and internationally.

Her work has been recognized with several awards, including the Graduate Excellence Award in Materials Science and the Czech Ceramic Society Award for Young Scientists, and she was selected to attend the Nobel Laureate Meeting in Lindau. She has also received travel grants from JECS Trust, which allowed her to present her research, connect with ceramic researchers worldwide, and engage with the Young Ceramics Network (YCN). She is grateful for the opportunity to become a YCN representative and contribute to fostering and growing this community of young scientists. 

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