Friedhelm Hummel awarded Fürst Donnersmarck Prize

The Research Prize for Neurorehabilitation of the Fürst Donnersmarck Foundation, valued at € 30,000, is one of the most prestigious honors in neurorehabilitation, awarded every three years to researchers whose work significantly advances the field. The foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with disabilities by supporting cutting-edge research, innovative therapies, and high-quality care.

The 2024 Prize was presented to EPFL Professor Friedhelm Hummel in Berlin on December 6.

Hummel directs the Hummel Laboratory at EPFL and is a Principal Investigator at the Neuro X Institute. A global leader in neurology and neuroscience, his research focuses on understanding brain plasticity and recovery mechanisms and developing novel treatment startegies for patients with neurological disorders, particularly following stroke. Through an interdisciplinary approach that combines clinical research, neurotechnology, and computational methods, Hummel has reshaped how researchers and clinicians approach rehabilitation science.

Hummel’s research integrates state-of-the-art neuroimaging, non-invasive brain stimulation, and artificial intelligence to develop personalized therapies. These approaches aim to identify individual recovery potential and optimize rehabilitation outcomes. His team explores how neural networks reorganize after injury, offering insights that pave the way for advanced treatments for motor and cognitive impairments. This work is a cornerstone of the Neuro X Institute, which fosters interdisciplinary collaboration to revolutionize brain health and neuroscience through innovative technologies.

The Fürst Donnersmarck Foundation's award recognizes Hummel’s groundbreaking contributions to both foundational neuroscience and practical neurorehabilitation by the development of non-invasive deep brain stimulation techniques and their applications in humans. His research not only deepens the scientific understanding of brain repair mechanisms but also develops novel disruptive treatment startegies towards tangible benefits for patients worldwide, offering hope for more effective and personalized treatment and recovery pathways.

The foundation particularly recognized Hummel’s transformative, first-in-human paper, ‘Noninvasive theta-burst stimulation of the human striatum enhances striatal activity and motor skill learning’ (Nature Neuroscience 2023) (EPFL press release).

Alongside Hummel, Professor Jennifer Randerath of the University of Konstanz also received the Prize for her groundbreaking research in the field of neglect.