Conference Chairman

Viktor Kanický

Prof. Viktor Kanicky was born in Brno, Czech Republic (in former Czechoslovakia). He studied chemistry at Masaryk University (MU) in Brno and obtained his master diploma in 1977. In 1978 he defended under superivision of Professor Lumír Sommer his rigorosum thesis (rerum naturalium doctor) in analytical chemistry, which was focused on spectrophotometric study of complex forming equilibria of uranyl with triphenylmethane dyes and quaternary ammonium ions. From 1978 to 1991 Viktor Kanicky was employed in Geolgical Survey in Brno where he was involved, together with Dr. Jiří Toman, in development and analysis of geological materials using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) with one of first three ICP instruments in Czechoslovakia (1978). In 1991 he defended his dissertation (candidatus scientiarum, equiv. to Ph.D.) on ICP-OES of rare earth elements in geological materials. He then left position of the head of spectral laboratory in Geological Survey and became assistent professor at the Faculty of Education, Masaryk University, where he taught analytical and physical chemistry. In 1993 he obtained from EU support for postdoc project (PECO programme) and spent several months under supervision of Dr. Jean-Michel Mermet at Laboratoire des Sciences Analytiques, Université Claude Bernard, Lyon, France, starting his research in the field of laser ablation ICP-OES. In 1994 he entered Faculty of Science, Masaryk Unversity, where he taught as assistant professor at the Department of Analytical Chemistry and in 1996 habilitated in the field of analytical chemistry (associate professor). Since 1993 he collaborated with Dr. Mermet for two decades. In 1997 Laboratory of Plasma Sources for Chemical Analysis (LPCA) was founded at the Faculty of Science, MU, by Professor Vítězslav Otruba based on support received from Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic. Viktor Kanicky started his research on LA-ICP-OES with own instrumentation. Experiments were focused on study of laser ablation of powdered materials, alloys, geological and environmental materials. In 2001 he defended doctoral dissertation in analytical chemistry at University of Pardubice, obtained degree doctor of sciences (DrSc.) and in 2003 he was appointed full professor of analytical chemistry. Laboratory was supported since 2001 to 2004 by research plan of Ministry of Education and was renamed to Laboratory of Atomic Spectrochemistry (LAS). Viktor Kanicky became a head of LAS in 2004. Between 2005 and 2007 he was head of the Department of Analytical Chemistry; until unification of four departments to Department of Chemistry. He is deputy director of the Department of Chemistry, MU, since 2007. In 2005 LAS became a part of research plan INCHEMBIOL (prof. Ivan Holoubek) supported by Ministry of Education. This made it possible to purchase ICP-QMS instruments and new laser ablation devices and to start development of laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) facility by Dr. Karel Novotný. The LAS is now partly supported by European project Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC) which made it possible to extend laboratory equipment ICP-(SF)MS, laser. Research is focused on elemental mapping of biominerals (uroliths, otoliths, skeletal remains) and soft tissues and LA-ICP-MS analysis of geological, paleontological and archaeological materials.

                Viktor Kanicky published more than 100 scientific papers in the field of ICP spectrometry and laser ablation (about 800 citations, h-index 18), supervises master study and doctoral study theses. He was elected Chair of Ionannes Marcus Marci Spectroscopic Society in 2005 and 2010. He was appointed vice dean for organisational affaires of the Faculty of Science, MU (2000-2002) and since he 2010 holds the position of vice-dean for science, research, international relations and doctoral study. He is a member of Czech Comission for UNESCO.