In her work Elucidating the role of Tau isoform expression in a human iPSC-derived neuronal Tauopathy model, Dannert succeeded for the first time in experimentally replicating the protein deposits typical of many forms of dementia in human nerve cells cultivated in the laboratory – a breakthrough for drug development. This is because while many active substances initially appear promising in animal models, they later fail in clinical trials in humans. The newly developed human cell models could close a crucial gap here.

“For me, this award is a valuable recognition of many years of intensive research together with my colleagues in our laboratory and institute,” says Dannert. “I am particularly pleased that this draws attention to human cell models, which can help us not only in dementia research to better understand disease mechanisms. This award motivates me all the more to continue my work with a view to the social challenges of our time.”

The award-winning research was supervised by Professor Dominik Paquet, whose lab focuses on the development of novel human brain tissue models for dementia research.