As part of our Global Call and search for the Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year 2023, we invited leading actors in science and academia worldwide to nominate the latest breakthroughs and outstanding science projects in 9 different categories, Life Sciences being one of them. Our distinguished jury for Life Sciences, chaired by Maike Sander, selected 10 excellent winners in this category. One of them will be awarded with one of them with the prestigious title Science Breakthrough of the Year, Life Sciences.
MEET OUR LIFE SCIENCES WINNERS
You can discover the 10 winners in Life Sciences 2023 below. To see the winners in each category, click here, to see the finalists in each category, click here.
ADAM COHEN – HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Breaking the Wall to Imaging Bioelectricity
By imaging the electrical activity in rodent and human neurons, as well as other cell types, Adam Cohen has developed tools to convert bioelectricity into light, thus deciphering rules of bioelectrical signaling in health and disease.
CHUAN HE – UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Breaking the Wall of Food Insecurity
Chuan He’s laboratory work on the functional roles of RNA chemical modifications in gene expression regulation aims to build resilient high-yielding crops.
CLAUDIA HÖBARTNER – UNIVERSITY OF WÜRZBURG
Breaking the Wall to the Molecular Evolution of RNA-modifying Ribozymes
Claudia Höbartner discovered the first methyltransferase ribozyme – a catalytically active RNA that site-specifically methylates another RNA and can be repurposed for targeting/labeling any RNA of interest.
FRANK WINKLER – UNIVERSITY OF HEIDELBERG
Breaking the Wall to a New Concept of Cancer Treatment
Frank Winkler discovered that tumor cells of incurable brain tumors interconnect with neuron-like processes to a communicating multicellular network that resists all standard therapies and can repair itself.
JEFFREY KELLY – THE SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Breaking the Wall of Treating Neurodegenerative Diseases
Jeffery Kelly discovered the kinetic stabilizer drug Tafamidis to inhibit transthyretin aggregation; it’s the first regulatory agency-approved drug to slow the progression of amyloid disease.
KAREN CHRISTMAN – THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO
Breaking the Wall to Cost-Effective, Minimally Invasive Regenerative Medicine
Karen Christman developed the first pro-regenerative biomaterial therapy to target the microvasculature of injured or inflamed tissues, reduce vascular permeability and promote cell survival and tissue regeneration.
MARC DEWEY – CHARITÉ – UNIVERSITÄTSMEDIZIN BERLIN
Breaking the Wall to Noninvasive Imaging of Coronary Artery Disease
Mark Dewey made critical refinements to Computed Tomography as a highly accurate noninvasive clinical imaging test for coronary artery disease.
PIETER ROELFSEMA – NETHERLANDS INSTITUTE FOR NEUROSCIENCE
Breaking the Wall to a Visual Brain Prosthesis for Blind Users
Pieter Roelfsema aims to restore vision in blind individuals by the electrical activation of neurons in the visual brain.
ROBERT SEDER & PETER CROMPTON – NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
Breaking the Wall to Malaria Prevention with Monoclonal Antibodies
Peter Crompton and Robert Seder developed monoclonal antibodies as a potential tool to confer high-level protection against malaria in key vulnerable populations.
TOBIAS ERB – MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE FOR TERRESTRIAL MICROBIOLOGY
Breaking the Wall to Photosynthesis 2.0
Tobias Erb uses synthetic biology to develop photosynthesis 2.0 – a human-enabled version of the operating system of the global carbon cycle, providing novel solutions for improved carbon capture in agriculture, biotechnology, and chemistry.
The Global Call 2023 has ended on 15 May 2023, the next Global Call will take place in 2024. You will find all relevant information and updates here and in our newsletter.
Falling Walls seeks internationally recognised, established academics and leaders in the scientific study of life and organisms (e.g. biology, neuroscience, zoology), whose groundbreaking work contributes towards solving the world’s biggest challenges.