Young talents honored: Prizes for medicine and science in Saarbrücken!

Young talents honored: Prizes for medicine and science in Saarbrücken!

The eighth award ceremony took place on April 3, 2025 in the auditorium of Saarland University Hans and Ruth Giessen Foundation instead of. The Rotary Club of St. Ingbert, to which the foundation belongs, honored outstanding young scientists in the fields of medicine and natural sciences at this festive ceremony. This year Dr. Victoria Wagner and Dr. Carsten Seyfert honored for her significant contributions.

Dr. Viktoria Wagner, born in Homburg in 1995, researches microRNAs and age-related diseases at Stanford University, while Dr. Carsten Seyfert, born in 1994 in Neunkirchen, received his doctorate from the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland and specialized in infection biology. The award ceremony was moderated by Thomas Braml and took place in a festive atmosphere, accompanied by musical performances by the young pianist Paul Gurti and the bassoonist Felipe Santana de Souza.

Promotion and networking

The Hans and Ruth Giessen Foundation's central concern is to network its award winners with institutions and companies. This strengthens interdisciplinary collaboration and promotes the exchange of ideas and innovative approaches. Since its founding, the foundation has invested a total of 410,000 euros in supporting 22 talents, and this year funding prizes worth a total of 50,000 euros were awarded to the two winners.

The prize is not only an award, but also an aid to the researchers' further scientific and business management training. Dr. With his research on darobactins, Seyfert was able to make promising progress in the fight against multi-resistant germs. The funding award supports him, among other things, in participating in international conferences.

The role of the board of trustees

The foundation's board of trustees, consisting of well-known personalities such as Prof. Thomas Duis, former rector of the Saar University of Music, and Prof. Dr. Volker Linneweber, President of Saarland University a. D., ensures the high quality of the award. The event's guiding principle, “Challenging and promoting talent,” reflects the commitment to supporting young scientists.

The event ended with a vin d’honneur, which offered the award winners and guests the opportunity to exchange ideas and make new contacts. Those interested could apply to take part in the event by email anmelde@hr-giessen-stiftung.de or register by phone at 0 68 94 9 66 00 77. Due to limited space, early registration is advisable.

The Hans and Ruth Giessen Foundation not only supports individual talents, but also promotes the idea of ​​interdisciplinary collaboration in science. Such initiatives are of great importance in meeting the challenges in medicine and natural sciences.