Carmen Sandi wins 2025 ECNP Neuropsychopharmacology Award
Carmen Sandi. Credit: EPFL
EPFL neuroscientist Carmen Sandi has received the 2025 ECNP Neuropsychopharmacology Award for her pioneering research on the neurobiology of stress and anxiety. The award recognizes her outstanding contributions to translational neuroscience.
The European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) is Europe's leading independent scientific association for the science and treatment of brain disorders. Its mission is to advance neuroscience research, improve clinical outcomes, and promote brain health.
Each year, the ECNP Neuropsychopharmacology Award honors exceptional achievements in applied and translational neuroscience, alternating between basic science and clinical research. The award includes a prize of €10,000 and an invitation to present a plenary lecture at the annual ECNP Congress.
Professor Carmen Sandi, a leading neuroscientist at EPFL, has been named the recipient of the 2025 ECNP Neuropsychopharmacology Award (preclinical). Sandi is a professor at EPFL’s Brain Mind Institute within the School of Life Sciences, where she directs the Laboratory of Behavioural Genetics, and her research has profoundly advanced our understanding of how stress and anxiety impact brain function and behavior.
Sandi's work combines approaches from pharmacology, neurochemistry, genetics, behavioral economics, and neuroimaging to elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying cognition and emotion. Recent studies from her lab have focused on the mesolimbic system, mitochondrial function in motivation, and the long-term effects of early life adversity on mental health. Her goal is to translate fundamental discoveries into therapeutic strategies for psychiatric disorders linked to stress and social dysfunction.
Sandi will receive the Award at the 38th ECNP Congress in Amsterdam, where she will deliver a plenary lecture.