Frank Bradke, awarded with the Remedios Caro Almela Prize for his excellent career in Developmental Neurobiology

24 de julio de 2023

XI EDITION REMEDIOS CARO ALMELA PRIZE

• Professor Bradke’s research uncovered fundamental principles guiding the growth of nerve fibers both during development and regeneration.
• The Remedios Caro Almela Prize recognizes the work of European researchers who have carried out particularly outstanding scientific work in Neurobiology.

The innovative work that the German neurobiologist Frank Bradke has carried out on the definition of the central mechanisms of neuronal polarization, axon growth, and regeneration in the central nervous system, has earned him the XI Remedios Caro Almela Prize for research in Developmental Neurobiology, organized by the Institute for Neurosciences (UMH-CSIC). The jury decided to award the researcher who leads the group 'Axon Growth and Regeneration' at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE).

Frank Bradke (1969, Berlin) studied Biochemistry, Anatomy, and Developmental Biology in Berlin and London, received his PhD in Biology from EMBL Heidelberg, and continued his postdoctoral studies at the University of California, San Francisco, and Stanford University. Currently, in addition to being Senior Research Group Leader at the DZNE, he is a Full Professor at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn (Germany).

The jury noted that Professor Bradke's work is widely recognized for defining a new conceptual framework for axonogenesis during the development of the nervous system. In addition, the researcher was a pioneer in demonstrating that microtubules play instructive roles during axon formation in a decentralized manner relative to the cell body. “The award goes to a scientist of outstanding talent, impeccable track record of fundamental discovery, and a grounded approach to research rooted in modesty, wonder, and inspiration" the jury concluded, highlighting the German's career in the field of Developmental Neurobiology.

His fundamental discoveries in the developing nervous system allowed the investigator to carry out pioneering work in the field of axonal regeneration in pathological states. Bradke has been able to span distant fields of cell biology, developmental neurobiology, and regeneration, and has continued to innovate the field by answering some of the fundamental questions about how neurons polarize, connect, and build circuits in the mammalian nervous system.

The Remedios Caro Almela Prize joins a long list of recognitions. He is an elected member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and the German National Academy of Sciences. In 2016 he received the highest prize for science in Germany, the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz-Prize. In addition, it has the Roger de Spoelberch Prize (2018) and the Carl Zeiss Lecture (2021).

The researcher has expressed that he is very excited to receive this award: “Many of my “scientific heroes” received this prize in the past. And I feel humbled by the jury that selected me to be part of this group. The prize is an outstanding recognition of the research of our lab”, and he adds: “Within the lab, people at all levels ranging from Postdocs, PhD students and technicians contributed with very diverse backgrounds and their individual work and perspective to our joint research effort”.

The jury for the 11th edition of the award was composed by: Silvia Arber, from the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI) and Biozentrum, Basel (Switzerland), who received the award in 2015; Oscar Marin, from King's College London (UK), awarded in 2019; Paola Arlotta, from Harvard University (USA); Richard Morris, from the University of Edinburgh (UK) (RCA Chair since 2013); Ángel Barco, Director of the Institute for Neurosciences UMH-CSIC; and Javier Sáez Valero, Deputy Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation at the UMH.

The objective of the Remedios Caro Almela Prize for Research in Developmental Neurobiology is to recognize the work of European researchers who have carried out particularly outstanding scientific work in this field and who are currently carrying out cutting-edge research in the development of the nervous system. The biennial award is organized by the Institute for Neuroscience UMH-CSIC and the University Miguel Hernandez de Elche in collaboration with the Martinez-Caro family and is endowed with €25,000.

During the award ceremony, which will take place on November 24th, Professor Frank Bradke will give the XI “Caro Almela” conference at the Institute for Neurosciences UMH-CSIC to present his scientific achievements.