Jan Wolter is the authorized representative of the Executive Committee of the German Society for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (DGKL). Under his leadership, the specialist society has undergone a strategic and communicative realignment since 2024, which has attracted nationwide media attention. As part of the NACHGEFRAGT series, Wolter spoke about the MedLabAwards, which will be presented on the eve of the upcoming DKLM 2025 in Leipzig.

MedLabPortal: Mr. Wolter, the DGKL MedLabAwards will be presented for the first time in Leipzig on October 22. What is behind this?

Wolter: On this evening, the Gábor Szász and Ivar Trautschold Young Talent Awards will recognize outstanding work in clinical chemistry and pathobiochemistry. The Digital Laboratory Award honors digital innovations in laboratory medicine. Incidentally, our specialist society has also done justice to the importance of this topic by establishing a new section entitled “Digital Competence and AI”. Our congress will also open with the MedLabAwards.

MedLabPortal: DKLM participants have been familiar with the individual prizes for years. Why rename the event?

Wolter: Laboratory medicine not only plays a crucial role in modern medical care, it is also extremely versatile and highly innovative – unfortunately, very few people are aware of this. By bundling our awards together on one evening and giving this event a name, we want to get this message out there more strongly – and the industry can also celebrate itself here for once.

MedLabPortal: Compared to other awards, the prize money is not small, but it’s not six figures either. Why should you apply for individual prizes?

Wolter: Pretty much everyone who is anyone in laboratory medicine will be at the MedLabAwards that evening. We will also communicate widely about the event and the award winners. So it’s not primarily about the prize money, but about making your research and yourself better known. This is of course particularly interesting for young researchers, but also for professors who have been conducting research for decades.

MedLabPortal: So you are specifically targeting young researchers and at the same time established figures in the research landscape with the awards?

Wolter: Exactly. Anyone at the start of their career has the opportunity to get a career boost here. With the Ivar Trautschold Young Talent Award, we also have a targeted competition for young talent. But even those who have been in the business for some time are given the chance to make their scientific achievements better known.

MedLabPortal: What are the chances that MedLabAward winners will one day receive the Nobel Prize?

Wolter: They are indeed quite good, we have already had eight award winners who were subsequently honored in Stockholm. However, it is not known to what extent our award was a decisive factor (Wolter laughs).

MedLabPortal: Mr. Wolter, thank you very much for your time.

The questions were asked by MedLabPortal editor Vlad Georgescu

The final application deadline for the MedLabAwards 2025 is June 25, 2025.

Please send applications to preise@dgkl.de

Read also:

“The voice of laboratory medicine must be a scientific society” – MedLabPortal

Position paper: DGKL presents national strategic plan for laboratory medicine – MedLabPortal

Editorial office: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

Gender note. The personal designations used in this text always refer equally to female, male and diverse persons. Double/triple references and gendered designations are avoided for the sake of better readability ected.