Congratulations to Robinson Fellow, Professor Gabriele Kaminski Schierle who has been awarded the 2025 BBS Sosei Heptares Prize for Biophysics, recognising research that has advanced understanding of how neurodegenerative diseases develop.

The prize is awarded by the British Biophysical Society (BBS) to researchers in the UK and Ireland who have made a substantial contribution to the field. She will receive the award and give an invited presentation at the BBS biennial meeting in Glasgow next year.

Professor Kaminski Schierle’s work focuses on the molecules and mechanisms that cause brain cells to die in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington's diseases, as well as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

Her Molecular Neuroscience research group, based in the department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (CEB), has pioneered the use of techniques such as high-resolution imaging and machine learning to study directly in living cells what causes proteins to fold into shapes which cause them to become toxic to the brain and cause diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Professor Kaminski Schierle said: “I’m truly honoured to receive this recognition on behalf of my group and am grateful to have been suggested for this prize by my nominators. It has been a privilege and fun to work over so many years with such a talented and enthusiastic group of people.”

Head of department, Professor Clemens Kaminski, said: “This recognition is thoroughly deserved. Gabi’s research is bringing new understanding to debilitating neurodegenerative conditions, offering hope to millions.

“Her curiosity, coupled with persistence and quality, have enabled significant progress and the whole department are delighted to see her work acknowledged in this way.”

Chair of the British Biophysical Society, Professor Lorna Dougan, wrote in her notification email: “We were highly impressed with the excellence of your research which has transformed our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases.”