Italian and Swedish researchers win richest Swiss science prize
An immunologist and a vascular biologist were recipients of the prize
Keystone
This content was published on
2 minutes
SDA-ATS/ac
The Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine has been awarded to Antonio Lanzavecchia from the Swiss-Italian University and Christer Betsholtz from the University of Uppsala in Sweden. They will each receive CHF700,000 ($728,221), of which CHF625,000 must be spent on research.
Established in 1986, the prize recognises excellence in European biomedical research. The main fields covered include physiology, biophysics, structural biology, biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, developmental biology and genetics. Only researchers active in the Council of EuropeExternal link member countries are eligible for the prize.
Lanzavecchia, an immunologist and director of the Institute for Biomedicine Research in Bellinzona, won for his contribution to the understanding of the immune response in humans, and for the detection of antibodies that effectively neutralise various infectious agents.
According to the Louis-Jeantet Foundation, he will use the prize money to continue his research on the characterisation of the mechanism for antibody diversification.
The other winner, Betsholtz, is also the director of the Director of the Karolinska Institute’s Integrated Cardio Metabolic Centre in Stockholm, Sweden. He has been recognised for his fundamental discoveries in vascular biology, including the characterisation of specialised cells – pericytes – and their role in vascular development and permeability. Betsholtz will use the prize money to continue the study of blood vessels in the central nervous system and to better understand their role in normal and pathological processes.
The awards ceremony will take place on April 25 in Geneva. Since its inception, the Louis-Jeantet Prize has been awarded to 90 researchers, including 16 from Switzerland. Ten of them were subsequently awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine or Chemistry.
The Louis-Jeantet Foundation, created in 1982, is the legacy of Louis Jeantet, a Geneva-based French businessman who made his fortune in the automotive industry. Its mission is to advance medicine and it annually grants around CHF4.2 million to support biomedical research.
Popular Stories
More
Culture
Documentary portrays Swiss teenagers forced to return to parents’ homeland
Swiss village gets half a million amid rockfall threat as some residents resist evacuation
This content was published on
The Swiss village of Brienz has been granted CHF500,000 due to a rockfall threat. But some residents are questioning the authorities’ evacuation orders.
This content was published on
Starting Wednesday, Swiss researchers will have access to the European Research Council’s Proof of Concept Grants, said the European Commission.
Switzerland fined for denying asylum for gay Iranian
This content was published on
Switzerland violated the prohibition on inhuman treatment by considering that a gay Iranian could be returned to his country.
Gestational diabetes found to increase risk of adult-onset diabetes
This content was published on
A research team from the Lake Geneva region has identified persistent dysfunctions in glucose regulation in women with gestational diabetes. In the long term, this can increase the risk of adult-onset diabetes by up to ten times.
Swiss village must be evacuated by midday on Sunday
This content was published on
The village of Brienz-Brinzauls in eastern Switzerland, which is threatened by a rockfall, must be evacuated by 1pm on Sunday. All residents must leave the village.
This content was published on
A former judge of the Graubünden Administrative Court in eastern Switzerland has been found guilty of rape, sexual harassment and threatening a former trainee.
Costs and care time increase in Swiss retirement and nursing homes
This content was published on
In 2023 the costs of retirement and nursing homes increased by 5% compared to 2022 and those of assistance and care at home by 7%. Together, they amounted to CHF15 billion.
This content was published on
Almost half of the population in Switzerland shows clear to pronounced signs of smartphone addiction, according to a survey.
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
How to solve the crisis of science
This content was published on
A leading public health expert tells swissinfo.ch how modern science can be put back on track for the greater good of society.
This content was published on
Nina Kathe has just started classes at the University of Zurich, but she’s already the author of award-winning research into a global health concern.
This content was published on
When Albert Einstein lived in Zurich, he used to prepare the groundwork for his revolutionary theories while sitting in a café. Many other Nobel Prize winners chose to spend time in the city for work, as an exhibition shows. A past laureate takes a guess at why.
Will exclusive collaborations yield more drug breakthroughs?
This content was published on
Recently FDA-approved, Novartis's pioneering immunotherapy was developed through an agreement with University of Pennsylvania researchers.
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.