FAKULTNI NEMOCNICE MOTOL A HOMOLKA

Their core work

University Hospital Motol is one of the Czech Republic's largest teaching hospitals, located in Prague. In H2020, it contributed clinical expertise to multi-centre trials and research networks focused on rare and severe conditions — specifically paediatric liver tumours, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and spinal cord injury rehabilitation. Their role is that of a clinical site providing patient access, medical expertise, and trial execution within large European research consortia.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

All three projects began in 2016, so there is no meaningful chronological evolution to track within H2020. The hospital entered the programme with a clear clinical focus on rare and severe diseases affecting both children and adults. Without projects in later H2020 calls, it is impossible to determine whether their EU research interests have shifted since.

Their NISCI project (ending 2023) suggests growing interest in neural repair and rehabilitation, which could signal future involvement in neuroscience or regenerative medicine consortia.

How they like to work

Motol participates exclusively as a partner — never as coordinator — which is typical for large clinical sites that contribute patient cohorts and medical expertise to externally-led consortia. With 49 unique partners across 18 countries from just 3 projects, they operate within very large, pan-European networks. This makes them an accessible and experienced consortium partner comfortable working in complex multi-site research structures.

Despite only three projects, Motol has collaborated with 49 distinct partners across 18 countries, reflecting the large consortium sizes typical of rare disease research networks. Their reach spans broadly across Europe with no narrow geographic clustering.

What sets them apart

Motol is one of the Czech Republic's premier university hospitals with dedicated paediatric and adult clinical departments, giving it access to patient populations that are critical for rare disease trials. For consortium builders, it offers a reliable Central European clinical site with experience in multi-centre trial execution. Its combination of paediatric oncology, neuromuscular disease, and spinal cord injury expertise is uncommon for a single institution.

Highlights from their portfolio

• NISCI
  Tested an innovative Nogo-A antibody approach to promote neural plasticity and regeneration after spinal cord injury — a high-impact translational topic bridging neuroscience and rehabilitation.
• VISION DMD
  Phase 2 clinical trial for Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment (VBP15), representing the hospital's largest single EC contribution at EUR 168,625.
• ChiLTERN
  Built a pan-European research network for children's liver tumours — a very rare paediatric cancer requiring multi-country collaboration to assemble sufficient patient numbers.