Andrea Ablasser awarded Liliane Bettencourt Prize for Life Sciences
Andrea Ablasser at the award ceremony © Thomas Campion (Bettencourt Schueller Foundation)
EPFL Professor Andrea Ablasser has been honored for her groundbreaking research on the innate immune system, receiving one of Europe’s most prestigious life sciences awards.
The Liliane Bettencourt Prize for Life Sciences, awarded by the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation, recognizes exceptional researchers under the age of 45 for their outstanding contributions to science. Established in 1997, the prize alternates between France-based researchers and those in other European countries. The 2024 award, presented by Foundation President Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, General Director Olivier Brault, and Scientific Advisory Board Chairman Hugues de Thé, includes a personal reward of €100,000.
Andrea Ablasser, a professor at EPFL’s School of Life Sciences (Global Health Institute), has been awarded the 2024 Liliane Bettencourt Prize for Life Sciences for her pioneering research into how the innate immune system detects and responds to DNA from pathogens.
Professor Ablasser's research has been instrumental in uncovering how the innate immune system detects and responds to DNA from pathogens. Recently, her studies have shown how the cGAS-STING pathway is involved in chronic inflammation and neurodegeneration associated with aging, providing insights that could lead to novel strategies for combating these conditions.
Ablasser’s work has opened new avenues for the development of therapies aimed at modulating the immune response, offering potential treatments for a variety of diseases. Her contributions to the scientific community extend beyond her research, as she actively participates in fostering scientific dialogue and collaboration.
In addition to the Liliane Bettencourt Prize, Professor Ablasser has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize, the Cloëtta Prize, and the NOMIS Award in 2024, the Paul Martini Prize in 2023, the EMBO Gold Medal in 2021, the William B. Coley Award in 2020, and the National Latsis Prize in 2018. In 2014, she was awarded the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Early Career Award for characterizing cGAMP in detail and showing that its production and structure differ chemically from those of other dinucleotides.
Official announcement from the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation.