International Birnstiel Award 2025: Six Outstanding Doctoral Researchers Honoured
The International Birnstiel Award for Doctoral Studies in Molecular Life Sciences has announced its 2025 laureates, recognizing six exceptional young scientists whose research spans immunity, protein evolution, cancer biology, structural biology, and brain aging.
This year’s awardees are:
- Marleen Bérouti (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München)
- Vojislav Gligorovski (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)
- Jimmy Ly (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Sarah Moser (Netherlands Cancer Institute)
- Shirsha Saha (Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur)
- Eric Sun (Stanford University)
From 87 nominations worldwide, the committee selected these six researchers for their originality, scientific excellence, and impact. Each laureate will receive a certificate, a trophy, and €2,000 at the award ceremony on 5 November 2025 in Vienna.
A Milestone for Indian Science
Among the winners, Shirsha Saha marks a historic first: she is the first student based in India to win the Birnstiel Award for work entirely carried out in the country. Shirsha completed her Ph.D. at IIT Kanpur in the lab of Prof. Arun Kumar Shukla. Her work focused on the molecular mechanisms of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) — one of the largest families of drug targets.
Her research provides deep insights into biased signalling and receptor-transducer interactions, advancing fundamental knowledge that could guide the development of next-generation therapeutics. For her achievements, she was also awarded the prestigious Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship during her doctoral studies.
About the Award
Founded in 2019, the International Birnstiel Award is jointly presented by the Max Birnstiel Foundation and the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), honouring the legacy of molecular biologist Max Birnstiel, the IMP’s founding director. Now in its seventh year, the award has become one of the most competitive global distinctions for doctoral researchers in the molecular life sciences.
As the selection committee noted, the growing number of nominations from Asia reflects the increasing global scope and recognition of the award. The 2025 laureates exemplify this diversity, pushing the frontiers of biomedical research across continents.
“This is not just a recognition of individual talent,” one committee member remarked, “but a celebration of the next generation of scientists shaping the future of molecular life sciences.”
🔗 Read more: IMP – Birnstiel Award 2025 Announcement
Explore more
🎤 Career – Real career stories and job profiles of life science professionals. Discover current opportunities for students and researchers.
💼 Jobs – The latest job openings and internship alerts across academia and industry.
📢 Advertise with BioPatrika – Reach the Right Audience, Fast!
🛠️ Services – Regulatory support, patent filing assistance, and career consulting services.
