Prof. Dr. med. Dr. sc. Hanuš Papoušek (9.9.1922* – 5.5.2000†) Pediatrician Doctor of Sciences, Dep. of Pediatrics, Charles University, Prague Prof. of Developmental Psychobiology, LMU München Biography Curriculum Vitae Scientific Awards Laudatio from Prof. Dr. med. Detlev Ploog Short Profile Hanuš Papoušek earned his medical degree at Purkinje (formerly Masaryk) University in Brno, Czechoslovakia, in 1949. After his postdoctoral training in pediatrics, he led a research lying-in unit for interdisciplinary research on behavioral development and immunological resistance in infants at the Research Institute for Mother and Child Care in Prague in 1953–1970. In 1969, he received the Doctor of Sciences Degree at Charles University in Prague for his research on early learning abilities in human infants. Temporarily, Hanuš Papoušek worked in the United States as Visiting Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Denver (1965–66), as Visiting Professor of Developmental Psychobiology at Harvard University in Boston (1968), and as Harvard Honorary Research Associate at the Center for Cognitive Studies, Department of Psychology and Social Relations, and at the Medical Center of Children's Hospital (1970–72). From 1972 to 1988, Hanuš Papoušek continued his research activities at the Max-Planck Institute for Research in Psychiatry in Munich, Germany, as Head of the Developmental Psychobiology Unit, and as Professor of Developmental Psychobiology at the Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich. For a year, in 1985–86, he acted as Visiting Senior Scientist in the Laboratory of Comparative Ethology of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in Bethesda, MD. From 1988 to 1993, he had an appointment as Guest Professor of Developmental Psychology at the Free University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. During the same period, he cooperated as Consulting Professor of Developmental Psychobiology with the Research and Intervention Unit for Early Development and Parenting, Institute for Social Pediatrics, University of Munich. In 1998, he was nominated as a foreign Visiting Professor of Charles University, Prague and Pilsen, CFR. Hanuš Papoušek's research has focused on early development of learning and cognitive abilities, early social and communicative development, early musical abilities and play, and on intuitive forms of parental support to these abilities. The following foundations have supported Papoušek's research among others: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation), Stifterverband für die deutsche Wissenschaft (Foundation Fund for German Science), Volkswagenstiftung (Volkswagen Foundation), and Alexander-von-Humboldt Foundation. He was Honorary Member of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music. His scientific awards include Prochaska's Prize for his monograph on infant learning, Heinrich-Hoffmann's Medal for contributions to child psychiatry, the Arnold-Lucius-Gesell Prize for providing a scientific basis for early preventative intervention and developmental rehabilitation, the Society for Research in Child Development Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Child Development, and the ICIS Posthumous Contribution Award 2018. For the period 2000–2002, he was elected for President of the International Society for Infancy Studies ICIS. Hanuš Papoušek died on May 5, 2000.

back to top