2015 Award Winner Dr. Thomas Wollert

Appointment at time of winning the Award: Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried, Germany

Thomas Wollert, born 1979, received the € 20,000 prize for his groundbreaking work in reconstituting complex intracellular membrane events in the test tube using artificial membranes and purified components. His experiments have paved the way for understanding key steps in autophagy, a fundamental process required for the clearance of damaged cell parts in all eukaryotic cells. The Jury: »These discoveries also harbor the potential for refined drug development since malfunction of autophagy is emerging as a critical event in the development of various diseases.«

The official prize ceremony took place at the EMBL Advanced Training Centre in Heidelberg, Germany,  on June 25, 2015. The laudatio honoring Thomas Wollert’s achievements was held by the jury chairman Prof. Reinhard Jahn.