In recognition of his scientific success, Petr Štěpánek was granted in 2001 the doctor of Science degree which is the highest and most prestigious degree in the Czech Academy of Sciences. In 2002, he received the prize of Czech Learned Society for his contributions in the field of structure and dynamics of macromolecular systems. His current research interests are focused to self-organization phenomena in macromolecular systems, design, and characterization of functional polymeric materials for biomedical applications. His research team performs synthesis and characterization of tailored self-associating polymers for diagnostic and therapeutic applications (including fluorescently and radioactively labeled polymers), biodegradable polymers for drug delivery, block, gradient, and block-gradient copolymers forming complex supramolecular assemblies. Special attention is paid to polymeric systems responsive to external stimuli, in particular to changes in pH, temperature or chemical environment. Petr Štěpánek is a world recognized expert in such advanced experimental techniques used for investigation of polymer systems as scattering of light, X-rays, neutron and synchrotron radiation, and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. Under his supervision, novel experimental approaches were developed such as simultaneous dynamic light and neutron scattering, DLS of block copolymers in electrical field, and ultra-small angle DLS. The scientific results obtained by Petr Štěpánek together with his coworkers were published in many highly cited papers and presented at major international conferences. On behalf of his outstanding contributions to polymer physics and chemistry, Petr Štěpánek and his group received the award of the Czech Academy of Sciences (2016).