The prize from the Scientific Council was awarded to Kateřina Barnová from FEECS

During her doctoral studies, the young scientist was involved in the processing and analysis of biosignals such as ECG and EEG. Most of her research focused on the extraction of non-invasive fetal electrocardiogram. "In this area, I implemented advanced signal processing and machine learning methods to improve the accuracy and reliability of the extraction system. I also worked on the design of a hybrid system that would be able to extract information about the fetal heartbeat and uterine contractions of the woman, which could then be used to automatically classify the health status of the fetus in terms of the presence of hypoxia," explains Kateřina Barnová.

Among the projects, he considers research aimed at developing a home monitor to monitor the ECG signal of the fetus to be essential. It will allow pregnant women to continuously monitor the heart rate of their unborn baby in the home environment. The device can measure the ECG using a monitoring strip and display the results on a mobile app. If the monitoring shows an abnormal heart rate, women can contact their doctor. "This is a completely passive and non-invasive measurement of fetal signals without any transmitted energy. This makes it different from existing over-the-counter products," Barnova recalls.

In the future, she would like to continue her research in fetal ECG and obstetrics and focus more on the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning. She believes technology has great potential in developing advanced systems for the automatic detection of arrhythmias and other fetal pathologies. "I believe that advanced analytical tools can significantly improve the ability to identify risks early that might be missed using traditional diagnostic methods and support physicians' decision-making in assessing fetal health. But I am also open to other interesting projects where I could apply and expand my experience and knowledge in measuring or processing biosignals."

And what advice would she give to budding scientists? "They need to be patient and persistent because the path of a scientist is often full of setbacks, whether it is experiments or rejected papers. Teamwork is also key, as it allows young scientists to learn from more experienced colleagues and thus avoid unnecessary mistakes. Sharing ideas often leads to better results and also broadens horizons, inspiring new approaches and ideas. And it is definitely necessary for scientists to continue to educate themselves and follow current trends, because the scientific world is changing very fast and bringing new discoveries, technologies and approaches," adds Kateřina Barnová.