“Claudia Eckert and Detlev Riesner have made outstanding contributions to the fields of cybersecurity, which is critical for the protection of digital infrastructure, and biophysics, a key driver of health research worldwide. On behalf of all colleagues, I congratulate both on this well-deserved recognition,” said Belén Garijo, CEO of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, and Chair the Executive Board, at the award ceremony in Frankfurt. “Likewise, the research of Judith Feucht and Angela Schoellig in the fields of ‘Life Sciences’ and ‘Digital Technologies & Robotics’ is ground-breaking – and underscores the importance of stimulating the work of promising young scientists early in their careers. With the Curious Mind Researcher Award, we will hopefully accelerate their path towards making an impact in their areas and in the society.”

Computer scientist Claudia Eckert is a professor of IT security at the Technical University of Munich. She is also Head of the Munich-based Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security (AISEC). Eckert is one of the leading thinkers in the field of cybersecurity in Germany. She works for various companies and is a consultant for the responsible German federal ministries as well as the industry association Bitkom. Eckert is part of the scientific advisory board of the German Cyber Security Council and received the Bavarian Order of Merit in 2021.

Detlev Riesner is professor emeritus of biophysics at the University of Düsseldorf and co-founder of the German biotech company Qiagen. His research focused on the smallest of pathogens: prions and viroids. He continues to serve as a consultant for the German Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovations.

Thursday evening, the scientists were honored in Frankfurt in front of numerous participants from the fields of business, politics and science. With the “Hall of Fame der deutschen Forschung”, manager magazin has, since 2009, been acknowledging exceptional personalities from the fields of science and research who have made an outstanding contribution to the development of research in Germany, making the German economy more future-proof. Among the 27 members nominated thus far are Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard, winner of the 1995 Nobel Prize in Medicine, Harald zur Hausen, winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Medicine, Stefan Hell, winner of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Gerhard Ertl, 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Karlheinz Brandenburg, developer of the mp3 data compression method, and Ludwig Pohl, former researcher of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, in the field of liquid crystals.

Two young scientists receive Curious Mind Researcher Awards

The Curious Mind Researcher Award, first presented in 2018, recognizes the work of young scientists who are conducting research in Germany. The award honors curious minds up to the age of 40, whose work is characterized by originality and excellence and whose innovative strengths are already providing impetus for the further development and future viability of Germany as a business location.

Judith Feucht (38) studied human medicine at the University of Tübingen and completed her state examination in medicine and doctorate in pediatrics. She conducted research at the Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, United States, for several years and has been a junior research group leader of a collaborative research center at the Tübingen University Hospital since 2020. Feucht and her team are researching novel cell therapies to combat cancer. These therapies are currently being tested to treat various leukemias and will soon be used to treat solid tumors and a common form of liver cirrhosis.

Angela Schoellig (39) studied technical cybernetics in Stuttgart and mechanical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She completed her doctorate at the ETH Zurich and held a professorship at the Institute for Aerospace Studies and the Institute for Artificial Intelligence at the University of Toronto. Since summer 2022, she has held the Alexander von Humboldt Professorship for Safety, Performance and Reliability of Learning Systems at the Technical University of Munich. Angela Schoellig develops self-learning robots, autonomous aircraft (drones) and automobiles. She thus collaborates with relevant companies in the respective industry.