The German Society for Immunology (DGfI), in cooperation with the Novartis Foundation for Therapeutic Research, has awarded the Novartis Prize 2025 to Professor Kaan Boztug and Professor Evelyn Ullrich. The prize, which is endowed with 10,000 euros, honors work that combines basic immunological research with clinical applications. The award ceremony took place on August 18, 2025 at the International Congress of Immunology in Vienna.

Kaan Boztug, an expert in congenital immunodeficiencies and the molecular basis of bone marrow failure syndromes, has made a significant contribution to deciphering more than 20 previously unknown diseases. His research focuses on immune regulation processes, autoimmunity and childhood cancer risks. By linking clinical and research, he succeeded in introducing new therapeutic approaches such as eculizumab, abatacept, Tavalisse and metformin for specific immunodeficiencies. Boztug is Director of the Clinic for Pediatric Immunology and Rheumatology at the University Hospital Bonn, Professor at the Medical University of Vienna and heads projects at the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation and at St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research.

Evelyn Ullrich, a specialist in cell and gene therapy, has made significant progress in the development of CAR-NK cell therapies, especially for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. Her work includes innovative techniques such as non-viral modification of NK cells and CRISPR/Cas9 editing. She is also researching the regulation of immune cells in autoimmune and hematological diseases in order to improve immunotherapies. Ullrich is Professor of Cellular Immunology at Goethe University Frankfurt and currently a visiting professor at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

The Novartis Prize, which has been awarded every two years since 2021, promotes the translation of immunological findings into medical practice. The DGfI, founded in 1967, supports research into the immune system and the promotion of young scientists with over 2,400 members.

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

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