Data Privacy Statement Imprint Contact Deutsch   

Post-doctoral Awards

In cooperation with the German Societies for Hygiene and Microbiology, Immunology and Virology, the Robert Koch Foundation annually awards three prizes for outstanding post-doctoral work to the next generation of scientists in these areas. The awards are endowed with 5,000 euros.

...
Moritz Gaidt
(Bonn)
...
Anna Both
(Hamburg)
...
Paul Wratil
(Berlin)

Postdoctoral Award in Virology 2021

Megan L. Stanifer, Heidelberg, receives the Postdoctoral Award in Virology 2021 in recognition of her work on the regulation of immune homeostasis at mucosal surfaces. She works in the laboratory of Dr. Steeve Boulant at University Heidelberg. She was awarded the prize for her investigations into the interaction of intestinal epithelial cells with bacteria of the micro‐ flora, as well as bacteria and viruses that are pathogens. She was able to show how intestinal cells specifically only recognise viruses and bacteria that have overcome the mucosa and have penetrated into the interior of the body, and how the intestinal cells are thus able to differentiate harmless microflora from pathogens. The mother of two children is a good role model for the fact that it is possible to combine a successful academic career with a family life.

Postdoctoral Award for Immunology 2021

Kilian Schober, Erlangen, receives the Postdoctoral Award for Immunology 2021 in recognition of his work in the field of translational T cell research. He studied medicine in Würzburg and did his doctorate on the role of autophagy in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus. From 2014 to 2021, he worked at the Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene at the Technical University of Munich. He is being awarded for his work on the development of T lymphocytes in an immune reaction against cytomegaloviruses, and the establishment of a method to transfer particularly effective antigen receptors to other T lymphocytes. This could be used to produce cells for immunotherapy. Since 2021, Kilian Schober has headed a research group at the Institute of Clinical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg.

Postdoctoral Award for Hygiene and Microbiology 2021

Katharina Anna Christina Schaufler, Kiel, receives the Postdoctoral Award for Hygiene and Microbiology 2021. Katharina Schaufler received her PhD from Freie Universität Berlin in 2016, then worked at Harvard Medical School until 2018. Since 2019 she has been working at the Institute of Pharmacy at the University of Greifswald, since 2020 as head of an independent junior research group and since May 2021 she is at CAU Kiel. Katharina Schaufler is awarded for her work on elucidating the mechanisms and spread of antibiotic resistance, in particular multidrug‐resistant (MDR) Gram‐negative and ‐positive bacteria from the families Enterobacteriaceae and Enterococcaceae. Her work provides the basis for identifying particularly dangerous developments, but also opens up new therapeutic possibilities by addressing the resistance mechanisms. Beyond her scientific work, Katharina Anna Christina Schaufler impresses with her dedication, curiosity and creativity with which she takes up innovations.

Postdoctoral Award for Immunology 2020

The Post-doctoral Award for Immunology went to Prof. Dr. Petra Bacher, Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology & Institute of Immunology der Christian-Albrechts-University zu Kiel, in recognition of her work of regulating human immunanswers.

Postdoctoral Award for Virology 2020

Prof. Dr. Stephanie Pfaender, Abteilung f. Molekulare u. Medizinische Virologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, received the Postdoctoral Award for Virology in recognition of her work on biology of corona viruses.

Postdoctoral Award for Microbiology 2020

Dr. med. Michael Sigal, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, received the Post-doctoral Award for Microbiology for his work on understanding of gastrointestinal infections.

Postdoctoral Award for Virology 2019

Dr. Henning Grüll, Institute of Virology, Cologne University Hospital, received the Postdoctoral Award for Virology in recognition of his work on HIV infection.

Postdoctoral Award for Microbiology 2019

Dr. Anna Müller, Institute for Pharmaceutical Microbiology, University of Bonn, received the Post-doctoral Award for Microbiology for her work on anti-infective research.

Postdoctoral Award for Immunology 2019

The Post-doctoral Award for Immunology went to Dr. Daniel Utzschneider, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Australia, in recognition of his work on T cell immunology.

Postdoctoral Award for Virology 2018

This year’s winner of the Postdoctoral Award for Virology is Dr. Maximilian Münchhoff from the Max von Pettenkofer-Institute of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich.

Postdoctoral Award for Immunology 2018

This year’s award for immunology was jointly shared by Dr. Christian Mayer, Rockefeller University New York, for his research in the field of adaptive immunity and Dr. Christian Schwartz, Trinity College Dublin, for his research on the immune system against helminths.

Postdoctoral Award for Immunology 2018

This year’s award for immunology was jointly shared by Dr. Christian Mayer, Rockefeller University New York, for his research in the field of adaptive immunity and Dr. Christian Schwartz, Trinity College Dublin, for his research on the immune system against helminths.

Postdoctoral Award for Microbiology 2018

Dr. Lisa Beate Maier, European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, received the postdoctoral award for microbiology for her work on the role of the microbiota in bacterial intestinal infections.

Postdoctoral Award for Immunology 2017

This year’s winner of the Postdoctoral Award for Immunology is Dr. Ahmed Hegazy from the Charité Berlin.

Postdoctoral Award for Virology 2017

This year, the Postdoctoral Award for Virology goes to Frau Dr. Gisa Gerold, Institute für Experimental Virology, Hanover.

Postdoctoral Award for Microbiology 2017

This year, the Robert Koch Postdoctoral Award for Microbiology goes to Dr. Médéric Diard from ETH Zürich.

Postdoctoral Award for Virology 2016

This year, the Postdoctoral Award for Virology goes to Dr. Jens Bosse from the Heinrich Pette Institute in Hamburg.

Postdoctoral Award for Immunology 2016

This year’s winner of the Postdoctoral Award for Immunology is Dr. Andreas Schlitzer from the University of Bonn.

Postdoctoral Award for Microbiology 2016

his year, the Robert Koch Postdoctoral Award for Microbiology goes to Dr. Alexander Westermann from Julius Maximilian University in Würzburg.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists 2015

This year, the Postdoctoral Award for Virology goes to Dr. Meike Dittmann from the Rockefeller University in New York City. Ms Dittmann has focussed on the question of the extent to which certain host factors can be used in order to prevent viral infections from spreading.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists 2015

Dr. Nishith Gupta is this year’s recipient of the Postdoctoral Award for Microbiology. During his academic career, Mr Gupta has studied eukaryotes which are of importance to medicine, the Toxoplasma gondii and Eimeria falciformis parasites.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists 2015

Dr. Christoph Klose, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, received the immunology award for his research into the biology of Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILCs).

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists 2014

Dr. rer. nat. Tim Lämmermann, Bethesda, USA, received the immunology award for his research into the analysis of the migration of immune cells.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists 2014

Dr. Benedikt B. Kaufer, Berlin, received the Microbiology Award in recognition of his studies on the analysis of virus-associated tumors.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists 2014

The post-doctoral award for virology went to Dr. Kai Papenfort, Princeton, USA, for his research on the role of regulatory RNA molecules in pathogens.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists 2013

The post-doctoral award for virology went to Dr. rer. nat. Hanna-Mari Baldauf from Frankfurt/Main for her investigation into the interaction between HI-viruses and defense cells.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists 2013 for immunology

Dr. rer. nat. Stefanie Eyerich from Munich received the Immunology Award for her research into the regulation of epithelial T-cell immune response.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists for microbiology 2013

Dr. Luisa Fernanda Jimenez-Soto from Munich received the Microbiology Award in recognition of her research into the structure and function of the cag-type IV secretion system of Helicobacter pylori.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists for virology 2012

The Postdoctoral Award for Virology went to Dr. rer. nat. Christine Goffinet, Ulm, for her research into the biology of the HI virus.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists for microbiology 2012

Dr. rer. nat. Sandra Schwarz, Seattle, USA, received the Award for Microbiology in recognition of her work on bacterial protein secretion.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists for immunology 2012

Dr. med. Christina Zielinski, Berlin, was presented with the Award for Immunology for her research into the regulation of immune responses.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists for Immunology 2011

Dr. rer. nat. Cécilia Chassin, Hanover was awarded the immunology prize for her studies on the analysis of the congenital immune system.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists for virology 2011

The Postdoctoral Prize for virology was awarded to Dr. med. Lars Dölken, Munich, for his work on viral persistence in host cells.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists for microbiology 2011

Dr. rer. nat. Cynthia Sharma, Würzburg, was awarded the prize for microbiology in recognition of her work on the regulation of gene expression in pathogens.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists for virology 2010

Dr. biol. hum. Michael Schindler, Hamburg, received the postdoctoral award for his work on evolution and the function of lentiviruses.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists for microbiology 2010

Dr. rer. nat. Tanja Schneider, Bonn, was presented with the award for microbiology in recognition of her studies characterising new antimicrobial substances.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists for immunology 2010

Dr. rer. nat. Koji Tokoyoda, Berlin and Chiba, Japan, won the award for immunology for his work on the formation and development of the immunological memory.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists for virology 2009

This year’s post-doctorate prize for virology went to Dr. Michaela Gack of Coburg, Germany, for her work on the interaction of viral gene products with the immune system.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists for immunology 2009

Dr. Olaf Groß of Lausanne, Switzerland, was awarded the prize for immunology for his work on immune response activation by pathogenic fungi.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists for microbiology 2009

Dr. Bärbel Stecher of Zurich, Switzerland, received the prize for microbiology for her analysis of bacterial intestinal pathogens.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists for virology 2008

The post-doctorate prize in virology was awarded to Dr. Bärbel Kaufmann, West-Lafayette, USA, for her work on the structural biology of parvoviruses and flaviviruses.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists for microbiology 2008

Dr. Christoph Schoen, Würzburg, Germany, received the prize in microbiology for his work on the genetics of the bacterial pathogen Neisseria meningitis.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists for immunology 2008

Professor Astrid M. Westendorf, Essen, Germany, was awarded the prize in immunology for her work on pathogen-specific tolerance and immunity of the intestinal mucosa.

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists in virology 2007

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists for mikrobiology 2007

Post-doctoral prizes for young scientists for immunology 2007



More Laureates

2006   Jost Enninga (Frankreich), Jan Münch (Ulm), Ulrich Johannes Salzer (Freiburg)
2005   Volkhard Kempf (Tübingen), Anne Krug (München), Thomas Pietschmann (Heidelberg)
2004   Max Löhning (Schweiz), Christian Drosten (Hamburg), Mathias Hornef (Freiburg)
2003  Carsten Watzl (Heidelberg), Steffen Backert (Magdeburg), Wolfram Brune (Würzburg)
2002   Dirk Hans Busch (München), Christof Robert Hauck (Tübingen), Stefan Pöhlmann (Ulm)
2001   Ludger Klein (USA), Elke Mühlberger (Marburg), Gudula Schmidt (Freiburg)
2000   Steffen Stenger (Erlangen-Nürnberg), Henri-Jacques Delecluse (UK), Christof Dehio (Schweiz)
1999   Hans-Willi Mittrücker (Berlin), Matthias Dobbelstein (Marburg), Wolf-Dietrich Hardt (München)
1998   Harald Kropshofer (Heidelberg), Friedemann Weber (Freiburg), Sven Hammerschmidt (Braunschweig)