About the Prize
The International Prize for Translational Neuroscience of the Gertrud Reemtsma Foundation is one of the most prominent international prizes for translational neuroscience. The prize is endowed with 60,000 Euro.
It recognizes outstanding biomedical scientists and clinicians who have made outstanding original contributions to translational neuroscience with the goal of contributing through fundamental research to increased understanding of neurobiology and neurological disease.
Nominees should be individuals whose »seminal discoveries and major scientific contributions constitute an original and significant achievement in translational neuroscience«. The prize does not recognize a lifetime of work and is usually shared by two scientists who made outstanding discoveries in either basic or clinical neuroscience.
It includes the development of novel therapies for neurological diseases. Up to now, more than 60 awards, previously called »Klaus Joachim Zülch-Preis«, have been bestowed on laureates from 12 countries.
In 2019, historical research on behalf of the German Society of Neurology (DGN), which was supported by the Gertrud Reemtsma Foundation, has revealed that Prof. Zülch was an active supporter of the National Socialist ideology. Only now, thirty years after Klaus-Joachim Zülch’s death, historians have access to additional records and files.
The historical studies unveiled not only his activities during the Nazi regime but also before the National Socialist takeover in 1933. A detailed report in German language by a medical historian, Prof. Axel Karenberg (University Cologne) has now been published (Martin, M., Fangerau, H. & Karenberg, A. Die zwei Lebensläufe des Klaus Joachim Zülch (1910–1988). Nervenarzt 91, 61–70 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00115-019-00819-6).
Despite Prof. Zülch’s indisputable scientific achievements and vision, the members of the Board of the Gertrud Reemtsma Foundation decided – after detailed discussion and careful consideration of the new findings from a moral and ethical point of view - to discontinue bestowing a Prize in his name and to rename the award »International Prize for Translational Neuroscience of the Gertrud Reemtsma Foundation«.
Nominations for the prize shall only be submitted by invited nominators, research organizations, universities as well as university hospitals; self nominations for the award are excluded.
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