The International Birnstiel Award is presented to outstanding scientists in recognition of their doctoral research in the life sciences since 2019. Here, we list all past winners, honorable mentions, and nominating institutions.
Margarete Diaz Cuadros, Harvard Medical School
Supervisor: Olivier Pourquie
Christy Hong, UMCG
Supervisor: Floris Foijer
Ioannis Sarropoulos, Heidelberg University
Supervisor: Henrik Kaessmann
Marta Seczynska, University of Cambridge
Supervisor: Paul Lehner
Michael Skinnider, University of British Columbia
Supervisor: Leonard Foster
Zhexin Wang, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology
Supervisor: Stefan Raunser
You can find the awardee's research abstracts with the official announcement here.
Yinon Bar-On, Weizmann Institute of Science
Research Field: Systems biology
Supervisor: Ron Milo
Barbara Bosch, The Rockefeller University
Research field: Microbiology
Supervisor: Jeremy Rock
Bruno Gegenhuber, Cold Spring Habor Laboratory
Research field: Gene regulation
Supervisor: Jessica Tollkuhn
Adam Jalal, John Innes Centre
Research field: Chromosome segregation
Supervisor: Tung Le
Alessa Ringel, Institute for Medical and Human Genetics, Charite Universitätsmedizin
Research field: 3D genome regulation
Supervisor: Michael Robson
- Babraham Institute, UK
- BIOTEC/Technische Universtät Dresden, DE
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), College de France, FR
- Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute, MX
- Centro de Biologia Molecular Severo Ochoa, ES
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), ES
- Champalimaud Foundation, PT
- Charles University in Prague/Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, USA
- CSIC & CIBERNED, ES
- Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zurich, CH
- European Institute of Oncology, IT
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), International
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, CH
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), DE
- Harvard Medical School, USA
- Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, USA
- Harvard University, USA
- Heidelberg University, DE
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, DE
- Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, USA
- Imagine Institute, USA
- Imperial College, UK
- Institut Curie Research Center, FR
- Institut de Ciencies del Mar, CSIC, ES
- Institute of Computational Biology / Helmholtz Munich, DE
- Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zurich, CH
- Institute of Molecular Biology, DE
- Institute of Pharmacology and Structural Biology-CNRS, FR
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular Joao Lobo Antunes, PT
- IRCC Clinical and Research Institute Humanitas, IT
- John Innes Centre, UK
- Karolinska Institute, SE
- Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, NL
- Leibniz Institute of Virology / University of Siegen, DE
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
- Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, DE
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, DE
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, DE
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, DE
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, DE
- Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, DE
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, UK
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, GR
- Netherlands Cancer Institute, NL
- Semmelweis University, HU
- Spanish National Center for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC), ES
- Technical University of Munich, DE
- Tel Aviv University, IL
- The Francis Crick Institute, UK
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, AU
- The Lundquist Institute, US
- The Rockefeller University, US
- Trinity College Dublin, IE
- UCL Cancer Institute, UK
- Universidad Autonoma de Madrid Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, ES
- Universidad del Pais Vasco – Euskal Herriko Univertsitatea, ES
- Université libre de Bruxelles, BE
- Universite Liege, BE
- University College London, UK
- University Medical Center Groningen, NL
- University of Bonn, DE
- University of Bremen, DE
- University of British Columbia, CA
- University of Cádiz, ES
- University of Cambridge, UK
- University of Cyprus, CY
- University of Dundee, UK
- University of Edinburgh, UK
- University of Exeter, UK
- University of Geneva, CH
- University of Lausanne, CH
- University of Nottingham, UK
- University of Oxford, UK
- University of Würzburg, DE
- University of Zurich, CH
- Utrecht University, NL
- Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB)/Ghent University, BE
- Weizmann Institute of Science, IL
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK
Sanne Boersma, Hubrecht Institute
Supervisor: Marvin Tanenbaum
Fanny Matheis, The Rockefeller University
Supervisor: Daniel Mucida
Adi Millman, Weizmann Institute of Science
Supervisor: Rotem Sorek
Sanne van Neerven, Amsterdam University Medical Centers and Oncode Institute
Supervisor: Louis Vermeulen
Kristina Stapornwongkul, University College London and The Francis Crick Institute
Supervisor: Jean-Paul Vincent
Gregor Weiss, ETH Zurich
Supervisor: Martin Pilhofer
You can find the awardees' research abstracts with the official announcement here.
Stefan Bauernfried, LMU Munich
Research field: Immunology
Supervisor: Veit Hornung
Jacob Bobonis, Heidelberg University/EMBL
Research field: Molecular Microbiology
Supervisor: Athanasios Typas
Philip Ruis, The Francis Crick Institute
Research field: Genome Stability
Supervisor: Simon Boulton
Simone Webb, Newcastle University
Research field: Haematopoiesis in Data
Supervisor: Muzlifah Haniffa
Jingjing Zhang, University of Gothenburg
Research field: Mammalian Meiosis
Supervisor: Hiroki Shibuya
- Aarhus University, DK
- Academic Medical Center - University of Amsterdam, NL
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, DE
- Biological Research Centre, HU
- CABD (Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo) , ES
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, FR
- Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg, DE
- Champalimaud Foundation, PT
- CIRB, FR
- CNRS, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, FR
- CNRS-AMU, IBDM, FR
- Center for Genomic Regultion (CRG), ES
- Delft University of Technology, NL
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH
- EMBL, (INTERNATIONAL)
- ETH Zurich, CH
- European Institute of Oncology (IEO), European School of Molecular Medicine (SEMM), IT
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI), CH
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), DE
- Ghent University, BE
- Gifu University, JP
- Georg-August-University Göttingen, DE
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem, IL
- Heidelberg University, DE
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, DE
- Hubrecht Institute, NL
- Humanitas Research Hospital, IT
- IGBMC - Université de Strasbourg, FR
- Imperial College London, UK
- INSERM-Université de Paris, FR
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, ES
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, HU
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, PT
- IRB Barcelona, ES
- John Innes Centre, UK
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, US
- Karolinska Institutet, SE
- KU Leuven, BE
- Lausanne University Hospital, CH
- LMU Munich, DE
- Max-Delbrück Center (MDC), DE
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, DE
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, DE
- Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, DE
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, DE
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, DE
- Medical College of Wisconsin, US
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, UK
- Netherlands Cancer Institute, NL
- Newcastle University, UK
- Sorbonne Université, FR
- Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), ES
- Tampere University, FI
- Tel Aviv University, IL
- The Francis Crick Institute, UK
- The Rockefeller University, US
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, UK
- University College London (UCL), UK
- Université Côte d'Azur, FR
- Université libre de Bruxelles, BE
- University Medical Center Groningen, NL
- University of Bath, UK
- University of Bonn, DE
- University of Cambridge, Department of Genetics, UK
- University of Cambridge, Institute for Medical Research/UK Dementia Institute, UK
- University of Cambridge, The Gurdon Institute, UK
- University of Edinburgh, UK
- University of Exeter, UK
- University of Geneva, CH
- University of Gothenburg, SE
- University of Lausanne, CH
- University of Oxford, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, UK
- University of Oxford, Clarendon Laboratory, Dept Physics, UK
- University of Oxford, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, UK
- University of Oxford, Medical Sciences Graduate School, UK
- University of Oxford, Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, UK
- University of Oxford, EPSRC & MRC Systems Approaches to Biomedical Science, UK
- University of Rochester, US
- University of Tübingen, DE
- University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, IT
- Universität Ulm, DE
- UT Southwestern Medical Center, US
- Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), BE
- WEHI, The University of Melbourne, AU
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Dept. of Biomolecular Sciences, IL
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Dept. Molecular Neuroscience, IL
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Feinberg Graduate School, IL
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Immunology, IL
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Biological Regulation, IL
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Molecular Cell Biology, IL
- Yale University, US
- Zhejiang University, CN
Patrick Chitwood, MRC LMB
Research field: protein biogenesis
Supervisor: Ramanujan Hegde
Eliran Kadosh, Hebrew University
Research field: mut-p53 & gut homeostasis
Supervisor: Yinon Ben-Neriah
Fangyu Liu, The Rockefeller University
Research field: membrane biology
Supervisor: Jue Chen
Anna-Katharina Pfitzner, University of Geneva
Research field: ESCRT-III biology
Supervisor: Aurélien Roux
Christopher Reinkemeier, EMBL
Research field: synthetic biology
Supervisor: Edward Lemke
Vayu Maini Rekdal, Harvard University
Research field: biochemistry
Supervisor: Emily Balskus
You can find the press release with the award announcement here.
Due to the high number of outstanding nominations, many strong candidates could not be acknowledged with an award. The selection committee highlighted an additional six scientists as “honourable mentions” that deserve special recognition:
Ellinor Alseth, University of Exeter
Research field: Microbiology
Supervisor: Edze Westra
Joep Beumer, Hubrecht Institute
Research field: Differentiating organoids
Supervisor: Hans Clevers
Yael Korem Kohanim, the Weizmann Institute of Science - Molecular Cell Biology
Research field: Computational biology
Supervisor: Uri Alon
Oriol Pich, IRB Barcelona
Research field: Cancer Genomics
Supervisor: Nuria Lopes-Bigas
Raviv Pryluk, the Weizmann Institute of Science - Neurobiology
Research field: Systems Neuroscience
Supervisor: Rony Paz
Joanna Wandzik, European Molecular Biology Laboratory - Grenoble
Research field: Viral transcription
Supervisor: Stephen Cusack
- Aarhus University, Department of Biomedicine, DK
- Aarhus University, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, DK
- AMOLF, Living Matter Department, NL
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, NL
- CBI, CNRS Unit 5088, University of Toulouse, FR
- Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), ES
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, ES
- Charitè University Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, DE
- CIML (Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy), FR
- CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), FR
- Complutense University, ES
- CSIC Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, ES
- ENS de Lyon, FR
- EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), CH
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EBI Hinxton, UK
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Grenoble, FR
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, DE
- Florida International University, US
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI), CH
- Georgetown University, US
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), DE
- Goethe University Frankfurt, DE
- Hannover Medical School, IMTTS, DE
- Harvard University, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, US
- Hebrew University, Environmental Sciences, IL
- Hebrew University, Hebrew U-Hadassah Medical School, IL
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, DE
- Hubrecht Institute, NL
- HZI - Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, DE
- IFOM, FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, IT
- Imperial College, UK
- Institut Curie, FR
- Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), FR
- Institut Pasteur, FR
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, CZ
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, CH
- Institute of Molecular Genetics L. L. Cavalli-Sforza, IT
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, PT
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, PT
- IRB Barcelona, ES
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, US
- Johns Hopkins University, Department of Biology, US
- Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, DE
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, SE
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, SE
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, UK
- King's College London, UK
- KU Leuven, BE
- Lausanne University Hospital, CH
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), DE
- Liege University, GIGA Institute, BE
- Ludwig-Maximilans-Universität München (LMU), DE
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), US
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, DE
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, DE
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, DE
- Max Planck Institute for Immunobiology and Epigenetics, DE
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, DE
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, DE
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, DE
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, DE
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, UK
- National Cardiovascular Research Center, ES
- New York University, US
- Princeton University, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, US
- Princeton University, Department of Molecular Biology, US
- Radboud University Medical Center, NL
- Radboud University, Donders Centre for Neuroscience, NL
- Ruder Boskovic Institute, HR
- Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, UK
- Stockholm University, SE
- Technische Universität Dresden, DE
- Technische Universität München, Animal Physiology and Immunology, DE
- Technische Universität München, Department of Chemistry, DE
- Tel Aviv University, Faculty of Medicine, IL
- The Francis Crick Institute, UK
- The Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, UK
- The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Department of Biological Chemistry, IL
- The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Life Science Institute, IL
- The Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), NL
- The Rockefeller University, US
- University of Lausanne, CH
- Ulm University Medical Center, DE
- Ulm University, Institute of Biophysics, DE
- Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), CH
- University Hospital Würzburg, DE
- University of Antwerp, BE
- University of Bonn, DE
- University of Cambridge, Department of Biochemistry, UK
- University of Chicago, US
- University of Copenhagen, DK
- University of Edinburgh, UK
- University of Exeter, UK
- University of Geneva, CH
- University of Göttingen, DE
- University of Helsinki, Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE), FI
- University of Helsinki, Faculty of Medicine, FI
- University of Helsinki, Research Programs Unit, FI
- University of Leeds, Astbury Centre, UK
- University of Leeds, School of Biology, UK
- University of Leeds, School of Molecular & Cell Biology, UK
- University of Leeds, School of Physics and Astronomy, UK
- University of Oulu, FI
- University of Oxford, Department of Biochemistry, UK
- University of Oxford, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, UK
- University of Porto, PT
- University of Seville, ES
- University of Sheffield, UK
- University of St Andrews, UK
- University of Trieste, IT
- University of Zurich, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, CH
- University of Zurich, Neuroscience Center Zurich, CH
- University Pompeu Fabra, IT
- VIB-KU Leuven, BE
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI), AU
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Immunology, IL
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, IL
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Neurobiology, IL
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, IL
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Structural Biology, IL
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Molecular Genetics, IL
- Wellcome - MRC Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK
Emily Bayer, Columbia University
Research field: Sex-specific neuronal dimorphism.
Supervisor: Oliver Hobert
Mohamed El-Brolosy, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research
Research field: Genetic compensation through transcriptional regulation.
Supervisor: Didier Stainier
Justin Silpe, Princeton University
Research field: Molecular communication in viruses, bacteria and eukaryotes.
Supervisor: Bonnie Bassler
You can find the press release with the award announcement here.
The selection committee highlighted eight scientists as “honourable mentions” that deserve special acknowledgement:
Victoria Deneke, Duke University, United States;
Joseph Kalappurakkal, National Center for Biological Sciences (NCBS), India;
Gioele La Manno, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden;
Henry Lee-Six, Wellcome Sanger Institute and University of Cambridge, United Kingdom;
Lukas Milles, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU), Germany;
Marcos Francisco Perez, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Spain;
Barbara Szczerba, University of Basel, Switzerland;
Katharina Weinhäupl, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), France.
- Babraham Institute, UK
- Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, HU
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, CH
- Boston Children's Hospital, US
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, UK
- Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), ES
- Centro de Biologia Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), ES
- Columbia University, US
- Duke University Medical Center, US
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), DE
- Erasmus MC, NL
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), DE/Intl.
- Francis Crick Institute, UK
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, US
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI), CH
- Gene Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, DE
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), DE
- Gurdon Institute, UK
- Helmholtz Center Munich and Ludwig-Maximilians University, DE
- Humanitas University, IT
- Imperial College London, UK
- Institut Curie, FR
- Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), FR
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), ES
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes (IMM), PT
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, PT
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, US
- Karolinska Institute, SE
- Lausanne University Hospital, CH
- Laval University, CA
- LBCMCP UMR 5088, FR
- Leuven University (KU Leuven), BE
- Lund University, SE
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, DE
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, DE
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, DE
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, DE
- Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, DE
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, DE
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, DE
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, DE
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, DE
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, UK
- National Center of Biotechnology (CNB, CSIC), ES
- Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), NL
- Newcastle University, UK
- Pompeu Fabra University, ES
- Princeton University, US
- Radboud University Medical Center, Royal Society of Edinburgh, UK
- Research Center of Biotechnology RAS, RU
- Sorbonne University, FR
- Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), ES
- SRM Institute of Science and Technology, IN
- Stockholm University, SE
- Tampere University, FI
- Tata Institute for Fundamental Research, IN
- Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, IL
- Tel Aviv University, IL
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), IT
- The Rockefeller University, US
- TU Delft, NL
- University College London, UK
- University of Antwerp, BE
- University of Basel, CH
- University of Bath, UK
- University of Bern, CH
- University of Bonn, DE
- University of Cambridge, UK
- University of Dundee, UK
- University of Edinburgh, UK
- University of Geneva, CH
- University of Helsinki, FI
- University of Manchester, UK
- University of Manitoba, CA
- University of Massachusetts Medical School, US
- University of Oxford, UK
- University of Sheffield, UK
- University of Utrecht, NL
- University of Washington, US
- University of Western Ontario, CA
- University of Würzburg, DE
- University of Zurich, CH
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, US
- VU University Medical Center, NL
- Wageningen University & Research, NL
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute and University of Melbourne, AU
- Weizmann Institute of Science, IL
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK
- Yale University, US