Tereza Jeřábková comes to the Faculty of Science with extensive international experience. She worked as an astronomer at the European Southern Observatory (ESO), the world’s leading astronomical facility with telescopes in Chile, and before that as a researcher in the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Research Fellowship Programme. She also worked with the Gran Telescopio Canarias, the largest optical telescope in Europe, on the Spanish island of La Palma, after earning her PhD from the University of Bonn.
Journey to the stars
She now studies stellar populations, but her path to a scientific career in astronomy was not a straightforward one. “I was quite a hyperactive child and during primary school I was much more interested in sports than in learning. It wasn’t until later that I became fascinated with maths and physics,” she says, smiling as she recalls her childhood.
At Charles University, where she studied at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, she had the opportunity, thanks to Czech astronomer Petr Kabáth, to go on a student internship to Chile with its cutting-edge ESO observatories. On the plain of Paranal, she experienced her first night under the brightest Milky Way, with huge telescopes glowing in the dark and the knowledge that new discoveries were just around the corner. “It was a powerful experience and it was decisive for my scientific career, which has been directed towards astronomy ever since.”
She studies stellar populations at a variety of scales, from star clusters in our own galaxy, the Milky Way, to entire galaxies in the distant universe. She seeks to link the physical processes of star formation and evolution to the broader context of the galaxies in which the stars are born. Her research combines data from state-of-the-art space- and ground-based telescopes with advanced physics models and simulations to provide a deeper understanding of how stellar populations evolve not only over time but, more importantly, in different environments.
Modern astronomy is based on data analysis and physics models. “Most of our work takes place on computers, where we analyse data from telescopes and create models that help us understand the formation and evolution of stellar populations,” explains Jeřábková. “For example, data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission revolutionised our understanding of the structure of the Milky Way. By combining different methods and approaches, I try to get a better understanding of how stars formed in the past and how their properties change depending on the physical conditions.”
A fundamental question of Jeřábková’s research is whether stars form in the same way in our Milky Way and in the most distant galaxies where the physical conditions are different.
Back to the Czech Republic
“I believe that science is most successful when it brings together different perspectives and experiences. Diversity is the key to scientific progress.”
“For a long time, I didn’t consider returning to the Czech Republic because there weren’t many attractive options here and I saw how difficult it was for my colleagues who had returned. The Czech astronomical community is quite closed and it is often difficult for researchers to come back from abroad,” explains Jeřábková. She was originally attracted to opportunities abroad by the diversity of education, experience and gender balance. “I believe that science is most successful when it brings together different perspectives and experiences. Diversity is the key to scientific progress.”
It was the opportunity offered by Masaryk University that convinced her. “I heard about the MASH grant from Norbert Werner and saw it as a unique opportunity. This grant is unparalleled in the Czech Republic: it is flexible, allows you to build your own team and it is specifically designed to bring successful scientists back to the country. In just a few years, it has contributed significantly to the growth of the Department of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics at Masaryk University.”
The MASH grant is comparable to prestigious European grants and offers exceptional opportunities for scientific development. “I am honoured to have received it and I am excited to be back. I hope that I will be able to contribute to greater diversity in Czech astronomy. The Brno region has great potential for collaboration, and I am actively seeking opportunities to connect with the growing astronomy department in Brno. At the same time, I see interesting opportunities for cooperation with Austria, especially with the University of Vienna and ISTA, the Institute of Science and Technology,” she adds.
Science and art
Tereza Jeřábková likes to spend her free time outdoors and enjoys hiking with her dog, which she brought with her from Spain. In addition to research, she is also involved in popularising science in collaboration with her brother, who is a theatre actor and musician. Together, they are looking for ways to combine science and the arts because, as she says, the two fields have a lot in common, whether it is career uncertainty, funding, or the fact that success often depends on how the work is perceived by the community.
“We want to bring science closer to people who have never been interested in it or even hated it at school,” she explains. “Science is not just about material inventions, it is also about spreading knowledge, curiosity and emotions – just like art. It builds community, encourages questions and inspires exploration of the world around us.” One of the siblings’ joint projects combined astronomy with music: during Jeřábková’s time on the Canary Islands, they held small musical events where they explained astronomical concepts through song lyrics. “Now that I’m back in the Czech Republic, I hope we can bring some of our projects, whether it’s music or a podcast, to life and share them with others,” says Jeřábková.