Dr. Ivana Šestáková received an award for her lifetime contribution to the development of electroanalytical chemistry
On 10 February 2026, the company Metrohm Česká republika awarded Dr. Ivana Šestáková the prize for her lifetime contribution to the development of electroanalytical chemistry. This distinction recognizes not only her outstanding scientific achievements but also her long-term dedication to a field she has significantly shaped.
Dr. Šestáková graduated from Charles University in Prague in 1964 and continued with postgraduate studies at the J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, under the supervision of Prof. Petr Zuman in the laboratory. In 1968-69, she worked as a Postdoctoral Research Assistant on the topic of carbonium ions with Prof. P.H. Plesh, at the University of Keele, Great Britain.
In the period 1974-89, she was a Research Scientist in Department of Physical Chemistry, Research Institute for Feed Supplements and Veterinary Drugs, Jílové near Prague, and since 1989 has been at J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (Dept of Electrochemistry, Dept of Biophysical Chemistry, Electrochemistry at the Nanoscale).
Dr. Sestakova specialized in voltammetric methods for the determination and speciation of hazardous metals and selected xenobiotics and their metabolites (growth promoters, pesticides) in biological materials. She participated in several research projects devoted to biologically important compounds as metallothioneins and phytochelatins, and to the transport of metal ions across biological membranes and bioaccumulation of heavy metals. Dr. Sestakova is the author of about 100 original papers, H-index = 21, with about 1300 citations.
Her career has inspired several generations of scientists. We thank her for her exceptional contribution to electroanalytical chemistry and wish her many more rewarding moments connected with science.
