Jiří Matějíček holds a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the State University of New York in Stony Brook (1999) and works as a senior scientist at the Institute of Plasma Physics. His focus is on material development and characterization, thermal spray coatings, and materials for fusion. He has authored or co-authored more than 200 publications (H-index=29), participated in more than 30 national and international projects as principal investigator or co-investigator, and has supervised several students at BSc, MS, and PhD levels.