Science Café: The Wonders of Life

Why do only 30% of human embryos develop to term?

What influences our ability to have children? Or

What are the pivotal principles driving the process of the creation of a new life?

The Czech embryologist Zuzana Holubcová discusses the fascinating processes occurring inside the human egg cell before and during fertilization, where human life begins. During her postdoctoral research in Cambridge, Dr. Holubcová studied causes of female infertility and described errors originating in the process by which the egg prepares for fertilization. She was the first scientist in the world to film the intracellular processes taking place inside the human egg during its maturation. This pioneering research brought her attention worldwide, including that of the British Queen.

Zuzana Holubcová graduated in 2006 from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Brno and she gained her Ph.D. at the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University in Brno in 2010. She conducted postdoctoral research in the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge where she observed the process of human egg cell division. Since 2015 she has been working at the Department of Histology and Embryology at the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University in Brno. Her research interests cover multiple aspects of human reproduction, specifically focusing on human egg biology. She has contributed to a better understanding of the causes of female infertility. The results of her unique research were published by the prestigious scientific journals Science and Nature Cell Biology. She gained a Neuron Impulse grant in 2016 and the L´Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award in 2017.


Unreserved seating.
The cost of a ticket includes a glass of wine or beer.

Part of the Science Café series

Science Café is a new series of popular science presentations and talks by the best Czech scientists of today presented by the Czech Centre London. Inspired by the phenomenon of Cafe Scientifique which was first established in the UK in 1998 and spread across the world as a place where anyone could come to discuss the latest ideas in science and technology over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, Science Café is an informal forum for the discussion of current work and interesting scientific issues.

Come and mingle with people with different interests while enjoying a glass of wine or beer. An informal presentation from the speaker introducing the topic will be followed by a discussion where everyone will have an opportunity to ask questions.