27 May 2024 – Karel Říha, Senior Group Leader at the Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC) at Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia, believes it is a great time to begin a research career, although he sees the core skills required as having evolved in recent years. “It’s an extremely exciting time to do something creative,” he says. “I would say look into big data. The ability to handle and interpret big data is becoming one of the essential tools for biologists. The next steps in biology are to be able to synthesize all the knowledge, and our brains simply don’t have a capacity anymore.” He adds that modelling and artificial intelligence will play a very important role in future life science careers and thus encourages young researchers to look beyond their immediate horizons.
“I would advise you should try to, first, get a good environment – the good labs – to get your education, don’t be afraid to go abroad and expose yourself to new environments, new ideas,” Říha says. “Don’t be shy to approach people with ideas.”
Říha acknowledges his election as an EMBO Member in 2020 was a significant step in his career. “Honestly, I was really, really honoured,” he says. “You feel satisfied that you’re getting recognition. And you get connected in different ways – more senior ways. So, I’m a member and you start interacting with these people on a different level.” In his homeland, Říha believes the life sciences are making tremendous progress, especially as many researchers have studied or worked abroad and are now returning. “They bring great projects, great money. Of course, the question is whether the next ten years are going to be like that or not? In general, I think the trend is good,” he says.
