Online psychotherapist wins top Swiss science awards
Thomas Berger has been involved in two major European research projects and has received several awards. He is this year's laureate of the Marcel Benoist Foundation.
Daniel Rihs/13 Photo
The 2021 top science prizes are going to a psychologist for his contribution to Internet-based therapy and to a cancer researcher for his discoveries about tumor cells.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/urs
Español
es
Galardonan a investigadores de la Universidad de Berna y de la EPFZ
Psychologist Thomas Berger of the University of Bern will receive this year’s Marcel BenoistExternal link Swiss Science Prize, also considered the Swiss equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
Berger is being recognized for developing and producing digital therapeutic tools (via apps and websites) to prevent and treat mental disorders, including depression and anxiety, as well as sleep disorders and psychological distress after illnesses and separations.
“As a leading international expert in the area of psychotherapy research, he has explored and empirically confirmed the effectiveness of online treatment methods compared to purely conventional forms of psychotherapy,” the Marcel Benoist Foundation said on Monday.
Nicola Aceto
The LatsisExternal link prize for young researchers under the age of 40 was awarded to cancer researcher Nicola Aceto from the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich.
The Italian associate professor at the ETH Zurich made his discoveries researching circulating tumour cells (CTCs). He observed that CTCs tend to form metastases and are prevalent in prostate and breast cancer.
“He deduced the spread of cancer in the body can be reduced if it is possible to break down CTC clusters with drugs,” the Latsis Foundation said.
The awards, worth CHF250,000 ($272,000) and CHF100,000 respectively will be handed over to the laureates at a joint ceremony in the Swiss capital, Bern, in November.
The Marcel Benoist prize has been awarded annually since 1920, while the Latsis prize was launched in 1983. The nomination and selection process is handled by the Swiss National Science Foundation.
Popular Stories
More
Multinational companies
Azeri fossil-fuel cash cow brings controversy to Switzerland
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Top Swiss science prizes awarded to biologist and mathematician
This content was published on
The prizes go to a biologist working on cell proteins and a mathematician who solved a centuries-old problem about the optimal arrangement of spheres.
This content was published on
Materials theory specialist Nicola Spaldin has been awarded this year’s Marcel Benoist prize for her groundbreaking research on multiferroics.
This content was published on
Lars-Erik Cederman has won this year’s Benoist prize for his work showing how fairly distributed power and resources help reduce ethnic conflicts.
Climate researcher awarded top Swiss science prize
This content was published on
Stocker, a professor at the University of Bern, began his research into climatology in the late 1980s. His teams have drilled ice in Greenland and Antarctica to determine to determine greenhouse gas concentrations dating back 800,000 years. Using theoretical modelling techniques, he discovered that there is a close connection between changes in ocean currents and…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.