Professor Dr Bettina Rockenbach will be the new President of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina The Senate of the Academy elected the economist today by secret ballot Bettina Rockenbach will enter office on 1 March 2025 as successor to Professor (ETHZ) Dr Gerald Haug The palaeoclimatologist Gerald Haug has led the Academy since 2020 and is leaving after one term in office Bettina Rockenbach will be the XXVIII President of the Leopoldina and the first woman to lead the Academy Bettina Rockenbach is Professor for Experimental and Behavioral Economics at the University of Cologne/Germany and Senior Research Fellow at the Max Plank Institute for Research on Collective Goods in Bonn/Germany The formal transfer of office will take place in Halle (Saale)/Germany on Friday 21 February “Bettina Rockenbach is an excellent representative of her field As a long-standing Vice Rector of Research and Innovation at the University of Cologne and as a Member of the DFG Senate she has gathered a huge amount of experience in scientific management She has excellent contacts in both the German and international scientific community,” said current President of the Leopoldina Professor (ETHZ) Dr Gerald Haug after the election “By nominating Bettina Rockenbach to the Senate for election the Selection Committee has put forward a scientist who is renowned for her holistic thinking and participative leadership style,” he added Bettina Rockenbach said: “I thank the Senate of the Leopoldina for the trust they have shown in me with this choice and I look forward to following in the successful footsteps of my predecessors while also making my own mark as the Academy President I would like to continue on from the excellent work of Gerald Haug and create even more public awareness of the Leopoldina the Leopoldina is one of the first ports of call for policymakers and society when it comes to independent scientific discussion in Germany My aim is for scientific discussions on the challenges facing society and the options for action to increasingly inform the communication process with policymakers and society Given the global nature of the urgent questions of the future it is important to me that cooperation with both national and international partners be strengthened I am looking forward to increasing cooperation with junior scientists during my time in office.” Bettina Rockenbach became a Member of the Leopoldina in the Section Economics and Empirical Social Sciences in 2013 and has been the Deputy Senator of this section since 2019 Her research focuses on the design of mechanisms to promote cooperation in social dilemma situations and on conditions for socially responsible economic action To overcome the pressing conflicts of humanity The divergence of individual and collective interests – the social dilemma – poses an enormous challenge for cooperation Bettina Rockenbach uses methods from game theory and behavioral economics to investigate the prerequisites for successful cooperation In her work she contributes both to basic research and to the application of scientific findings to current problems Bettina Rockenbach and her partly interdisciplinary team have been able to demonstrate the importance and interaction of trust and social sanctions for stable cooperation They have contributed to a better understanding of the market conditions for moral and socially responsible action and have successfully developed and implemented mechanisms for a more sustainable use of natural resources and computer science at the University of Bonn and obtained her Diploma in Mathematics in 1988 In 1993 she received her PhD in Economics for a paper supervised by Professor Dr Reinhard Selten (Nobel Prize Winner in Economic Sciences in 1994 and Member of the Leopoldina) In 1999 she received her habilitation in economics at the University of Bonn From 2000 to 2011 Bettina Rockenbach was Professor of Microeconomics with a focus on industrial economy at the University of Erfurt/Germany In 2011 she was appointed to the University of Cologne where she researches and teaches as Professor of Experimental and Behavioral Economics She has been the Director of the Reinhard Selten Institute at the Universities of Bonn and Cologne since 2018 She has been researching as a Senior Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods in Bonn since 2019 Her scientific work has been acknowledged with awards such as the Hendrik-Casimir-Karl-Ziegler-Award of the North Rhine-Westphalia Academy of Sciences and Arts and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences In addition to her scientific expertise Bettina Rockenbach enters office with comprehensive experience in scientific management due to her involvement in various scientific committees and university management She was Vice Rector of Research and Innovation at the University of Cologne for eight years Bettina Rockenbach was Dean of the Faculty of Economics Law and Social Sciences at the University of Erfurt from 2006 to 2008 and from 2008 to 2011 Vice President for Research and Early Career Researchers From 2014 to 2017 she was a member of the DFG Senate (German Research Foundation) and a member of the ERC Advanced Grant Peer Review Panel (SH1) since 2020 More information about Bettina Rockenbach in her Member Profile on the Leopoldina Website All News Back Member Profile Bettina Rockenbach Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina e – German National Academy of Sciences – Jägerberg 1 | 06108 Halle (Saale) Phone: +49 (0)345 47 239 - 600 | Telefax: +49 (0)345 47 239 - 919 E-Mail: leopoldina@leopoldina.org © 2025 Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina – Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften We use cookies to provide, personalize, and improve our website. These are text files that are stored on your computer via your internet browser. We use these technically necessary cookies to provide the function of the website. Please refer to our data protection statement for more information about the use of cookies and processing of your data Supernova and Mapa Investimentos developing three-building campus in Minas Gerais state A new data center campus is being developed in Leopoldina The campus is being developed by Supernova Participações and Mapa Investimentos which will invest an initial 300 million reals ($49m) into the project told DCD that the park will host up to three data centers from major players in the hyperscale market 30,000 sqm (322,915 sq ft) building is due to start this year and operations to commence in 2026 The other facilities are expected to have similar capacity but the companies are reportedly in discussions to secure an anchor tenant Supernova Participações is a Brazilian venture capital and private equity firm Mapa Investimentos is a real estate development firm focused on industrial developments via build-to-suit or sale-leaseback projects The companies partnered last year to target hyperscale data center development Secretary of State for Economic Development said: “The installation of the Supernova and Mapa park brings more technology to a state that has stood out in investments in the sector with a record budget execution of R$472.2 million this year in innovation.” “Minas Gerais is taking an important step and consolidating itself as a reference in technological innovation and digital infrastructure This project will boost the local economy by generating jobs and will attract companies seeking efficiency and security in data processing,” added João Paulo Braga A version of this story appeared on our Brazilian edition Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia If you had an account with Verso prior to April 2023 you will need to register here to access your account Would you like to switch to our site to see prices and shipping options for your current location The definitive feminist analysis of reproductive and ‘caring’ labor to emerge from Italian feminism of the 1970s Emerging from the great social upheavals that contested the sexual and racial divisions of labor globally in the 1970s Leopoldina Fortunati’s classic work expands and transforms how we analyze the sphere of reproduction redefining the value of the individual’s life and the labor performed in the home.Released here for the first time in its unabridged form with historical notation and contemporary commentary The Arcana of Reproduction is a foundational text and essential contribution to today’s discussions of social reproduction and the history of Italian feminism Fortunati’s work provides some of the earliest theorizations of ‘immaterial,’ ‘affective,’ and ‘caring’ labor and of the role of technology in reproduction articulated decades before their popular reception in English academic literature Reading this work some 50 years after its original publication gives us the tools to analyze the contemporary state of capitalist development and of women’s lives today The text remains prefigurative and essential in our era of digital labor The Arcana of Reproduction is a true tour de force unique both in the world of Marxism and Feminism Whereas Marxist-Feminists have generally only elaborated on the significance of Marx’s work for understanding women’s oppression and exploitation Fortunati ‘sweeps away’ our common sense notions of production and reproduction by testing Marxian categories through their unorthodox application to the realm of reproduction The result is a painstaking analysis that explores these two interlocking spheres as both interdependent and different—radically unsettling our understanding of both A classic of the great “domestic labor debates” of the 1970s and 80s The Arcana of Reproduction remains the most subversive feminist critique of productivist understandings of value This new translation is a must read for all those seeking to understand how capitalism exploits women’s unpaid labor and conceals this form of exploitation by relegating it to the margins of the wage relation By re-centering social reproduction as the key battlefield on which the extraction of surplus-value is contested The Arcana’s arguments remain central to understanding contemporary capitalism and a world of work increasingly characterized by forms of wagelessness that have moved well beyond the sphere of housework alone Fortunati's work is a groundbreaking classic of workerist feminism distilling and elaborating critical concepts from an era of revolutionary feminist thought and politics The work expands and moves beyond traditional Marxist categories offering a bold and innovative analysis of the unpaid labor of the reproductive labor sphere that forms the basis of the capitalist system In providing an analysis of a historical moment she gives today's feminists an indispensable guide to understanding the importance and complexities of struggles over reproduction with insightful supplementary texts by Federici and the author demonstrates the contemporary importance of this classic feminist text The Arcana of Reproduction is a must-read because it is an at once singular and path-breaking contribution to Marxist feminist theorizations of the capitalist production/reproduction system and because of the powerful estrangement—from domestic labor from the institution of the heteropatriarchal family from the gendered ideologies of work—that it continues to provoke Carbon emissions play a key role in global warming caused by human activity To comply with the Paris Agreement on climate change China and Germany are aiming to significantly reduce their carbon emissions the President of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences jointly signed the “Berlin Declaration: On the Path to Carbon Neutrality” at the opening of the Science for Future conference titled “On the Path to Carbon Neutrality” The declaration emphasises the importance of basic research and international cooperation to achieve carbon neutrality and sets out specific measures to reduce CO₂ emissions Both academies advocate developing effective measures to reduce carbon emissions in all relevant sectors They identify pivotal factors such as adequate political and socio-economic framework conditions at the national and global level The Leopoldina and CAS call for strategies including the development of carbon measuring and monitoring techniques To accelerate the decarbonisation of all sectors it is important to promote and further develop technologies for the use of renewable energies and for circular carbon management Such technologies include carbon capture and storage (CCS) The Berlin Declaration also stresses the importance of close ties between basic and applied research the Leopoldina and CAS use the declaration to reaffirm their commitment to close cooperation and the pooling of their expertise in order to build bridges between science and society and to promote young researchers and international scientific partnerships between China and Germany The “Berlin Declaration: On the Path to Carbon Neutrality” was signed by the presidents of both academies, Gerald Haug and Jianguo Hou as part of the opening of the second Science for Future Conference which takes place in Berlin-Adlershof/Germany today and tomorrow Renowned scientists from Germany and China are using the conference to discuss strategies for achieving carbon neutrality such as basic research as a driving force for innovation as well as market conditions and political guiding instruments The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Chinese Academy of Sciences launched the Science for Future initiative in 2018 with the aim of highlighting the importance of basic research to society The “On the Path to Carbon Neutrality” conference is the second conference in this series both academies signed the “Beijing Declaration on Basic Science” The Leopoldina maintains close contact with the Chinese Academy of Sciences The aim of the cooperation is to promote exchange between the two scientific communities for example as part of joint expert symposiums the Leopoldina and its Chinese partners are jointly involved in providing international policy advice for example by developing statements for the G20 summits Joint Declaration „Berlin Declaration: On the Path to Carbon Neutrality“ (2024) German working translation „Auf dem Weg zur Kohlenstoffneutralität“ (2024) Program of the event Beijing Declaration on Basic Science (2019) International Cooperation of the Leopoldina with China a world-leading scholar in the field of infectious disease and epidemiology joins the Global Health section of the Academy and is one of two UK-based members to be elected this term Election to the Academy is considered one of Europe’s highest honours in health sciences Professor Abubakar was chosen based on strict standards of scientific excellence and Leopoldina relies on its members being actively involved in their frontier research Elected scientists have distinguished themselves through outstanding academic achievement Professor Abubakar is a Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at UCL and has been instrumental in the development of health initiatives for tuberculosis (TB) and COVID-19 Prior to his appointment as Dean of UCL Population Health Sciences he was the director of the UCL Institute for Global Health he was announced as UCL’s first Pro-Provost (Health) providing additional senior academic leadership for UCL’s work with its health partners Professor Abubakar was also awarded the 2023 Roux Prize for his dedication to improving health outcomes over the last three decades he has also led the UCL Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and was a senior investigator at the MRC Clinical Trials Unit Professor Abubakar said: “I am delighted and honoured to be elected to the prestigious Leopoldina Academy I look forward to contributing to the Academy’s global health discourse to help achieve more equitable and inclusive health outcomes for all.” Leopoldina has over 1,700 members from almost all branches of science and strives to be a free society of scholars working towards scientific progress in the interest of the common good Around three quarters of its members come from the Academy’s home countries (Germany while one quarter are from other countries around the world and has two major objectives: providing scientific advice to policymakers and the public and representing the German scientific community on committees in which predominantly national academies are active Professor Abubakar will contribute to achieving these goals and be involved in electing new members launching and organising scientific events and participating in working groups for scientific advice on societal questions His election was announced in the latest edition of Leopoldina’s newsletter E: t.cramp@ucl.ac.uk The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina honors Elly Tanaka with the Schleiden Medal for her groundbreaking insights in the field of regenerative biology Elly Tanaka studies the regeneration of complex body structures she has identified the cells and mechanisms that enable these animals to regenerate their limbs and several other organs including the spinal cord and brain.   Key milestones in Tanaka’s research include developing methods to generate transgenic salamanders and identifying the essential molecular mechanisms required for the complete regeneration of axolotl limbs Tanaka’s work is not limited to salamanders Building on her findings about the axolotl Tanaka and her lab investigate why mammals have lost their regenerative abilities over the course of evolution which contribute to scar formation in mammals are instead converted into stem cells in the axolotl after an injury allowing for the axolotl’s limb to regenerate.  Tanaka’s research also builds the foundation for developing new strategies for regenerating or replacing mammalian tissue These insights hold potential for human medicine: Tanaka and her team have succeeded in inducing human embryonic stem cells to form retinal tissue including the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) Tanaka and her team use these cells to search for potential drugs to repair defects in RPE cells which are known to lead to progressive blindness Tanaka and her team investigate the regeneration of the axolotl heart after injury as well as the wiring of new neural circuits.  Elly Tanaka studied biochemistry at the University of California in San Francisco After a research stay at the Ludwig Cancer Research Institute in London she moved to the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden she has held a professorship for animal models of regeneration at the Technical University of Dresden she also served as director of the Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD) she worked as a senior scientist at the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology in Vienna Tanaka has been the Scientific Director at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) in Vienna Elly Tanaka was admitted to Leopoldina in the Genetics/Molecular Biology and Cell Biology Section.  The Schleiden Medal is named after Academy member Matthias Jacob Schleiden (1804–1881) The botanist was a co-founder of cell theory the medal has been awarded by Leopoldina for outstanding discoveries in the field of cell biology The award will be presented to Elly Tanaka as part of the Leopoldina Symposium of Class II – Life Sciences on Wednesday The Leopoldina originated in 1652 as a classical scholarly society and now has 1,700 members from almost all branches of science the Leopoldina was appointed as the German National Academy of Sciences and was invested with two major objectives: representing the German scientific community internationally and providing policymakers and the public with science-based advice.  +43-1-790 44 office(at)imba.oeaw.ac.at       Facebook       Youtube       Twitter       LinkedIn       INTRANET       Webmail Image: Publication “Navigating the Energy Transition in Korea and Germany” (2025) South Korea and Germany aim to transition to a climate neutral energy system both countries must tackle scientific and technological challenges At a joint symposium of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST) and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina experts discussed key topics relating to the energy transition published today and titled “Navigating the Energy Transition in Korea and Germany” examines scientific and technological challenges in the areas of solar technologies and includes recommendations for the energy transition in South Korea and Germany The joint paper from KAST and Leopoldina details the research and development challenges linked to the energy transition while solar technologies have the lowest energy production costs current solar cells are approaching their efficiency limit more funding for innovations leading to the next generation of photovoltaic technology Hydrogen technologies are a major source of hope in sectors that are hard to electrify green hydrogen production as well as for hydrogen transport are needed the paper addresses issues such as the major increase in demand for raw materials for battery production seasonal variations in renewable energy supply and the associated question of storage facilities The paper recommends improving both battery recycling and further developing the seasonal storage of renewable energy The paper also recommends using AI to manage the discrepancy between the need for and availability of renewable energies The energy market should also be run in a more flexible way in order to react to fluctuations in supply and demand the paper concludes that fusion energy and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) could play a role in long-term energy supply such as high research and investment costs the paper advocates a long-term funding model for research and development an intensification of scientific exchange – particularly among young researchers – and the development of targeted training programmes to support skilled workers in the energy sector Specific cooperation opportunities and priorities for bilateral research projects are also identified Back Joint Paper „Navigating the Energy Transition in Korea and Germany“ (2025) Press Release (11. March 2025) Partnership between KAST and Leopoldina Joint Symposium "Perspectives on Energy Transition" Topic in Focus: Energy Transition Since programs such as ChatGPT and Dall-E have become available to the general public there has been intense discussion about the risks and opportunities of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and videos these AI applications can greatly benefit people’s everyday lives but can also be misused to create deep fakes or propaganda all forms of generative AI reflect the data used to train them and thus the objectives underpinning their development Both aspects elude control by institutions and norms There are now some strategies to counteract the lack of transparency and objectivity (bias) of generative AI published today in English by the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina warn against placing too much faith in these strategies In “Generative AI – Beyond Euphoria and Simple Solutions” they take a realistic look at the possibilities and challenges regarding the development and application of generative AI The authors of the discussion paper argue for a nuanced view of technologies and tools that make generative AI more transparent and aim to discover and minimise distortions They discuss dealing with bias as an example: Without an active attempt to counteract it AI systems reflect the respective societal and cultural relations of their database and the values and inequalities contained therein deciding whether and how to actively counteract this bias in the programming is no trivial matter It requires technological and mathematical as well as political and ethical expertise and should not be the sole responsibility of developers Strategies used to date to counteract the lack of transparency of generative AI also offer only a rather superficial solution Users are often unable to understand how generative AI works The still-new research field known as explainable AI develops procedures that aim to make AI-generated suggestions and decisions comprehensible retrospectively the authors point out that the resulting explanations are also not reliable It is even possible to deliberately manipulate explainable AI systems The authors thus stress that generative AI should be used and developed with the utmost caution in cases where transparency is essential (for example in legal contexts) They also elucidate the various possibilities for deception with respect to generative AI for example when users are unaware that they are communicating with AI or when they do not know what AI is or is not capable of Users often attribute human capabilities such as consciousness and comprehension to AI and videos can now be generated creates new dimensions for possible misuse for example when generative AI is used for propaganda or criminal purposes The discussion paper also addresses the issue of data protection The success of generative AI is based partly on gathering and analysing users’ personal data to date there is no convincing approach to ensure that users have the final say when it comes to the sharing and use of their data Publications in the series “Leopoldina Discussion” are contributions by the authors named The Academy’s discussion papers offer scientists the opportunity to present thought-provoking ideas and to encourage and guide discussions flexibly and outside of formal working group processes computer scientist and Professor of the Theory of Machine Learning at the University of Tübingen/Germany The three researchers are members of the Leopoldina Focus Group “Digitalisation” Alle Nachrichten Zurück discussion paper „Generative AI – Beyond Euphoria and Simple Solutions“ Focus Group “Digitalisation” The Joint Committee on the Handling of Security-Relevant Research (GA) of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the German Research Foundation (DFG) advises the German science community in questions regarding dual use products or technologies that could also be used for harmful purposes In the committee’s 2024 progress report “Scientific Freedom and Security Interests in Times of Geopolitical Polarisation” they describe a change within the scientific system due to increased national security interests the committee will pay additional attention to this field of tension The focus of the report is on the changes taking place within the scientific system due to increased national security interests the science community is on the one hand increasingly expected to conduct research in line with national security interests this entails the risk of science becoming subordinate to political aims and of international scientific cooperation being constrained With its mandate extension and a strategic new set of members the Joint Committee is addressing the developments regarding the topic of the risks surrounding international research cooperation The report presents several examples of security-relevant fields of research: The Joint Committee rates research as “concerning” if abuse can directly follow from it and if potential damage is substantial The report also includes the results of surveys conducted by the Joint Committee regarding the previous work of the Committees for Ethics in Security-Relevant Research (KEFs) a total of 124 cases of security-relevant work were reported to and then discussed by the KEFs between 2016 and 2023 Only nine cases received wholly negative votes The surveys among the KEFs revealed that security-relevant work of concern continues to be a rare exception in academic research partially overlapping security-relevant issues The report also provides information about the GA’s participation in events relating to responsible handling of security-relevant research the conference “Raising Awareness and Building Competencies for Ethics of Security-Relevant Research (Dual Use) in Teaching – Theories Good Practices” which took place in June 2023 the report also makes mention of future tasks and objectives of the work by the GA and the KEFs the implementation of the GA’s recommendations for the implementation of security-relevant ethical considerations in research and teachings should be further pursued an advisory committee of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the DFG was established in 2015 and continuously observes the development of security-relevant research and the associated risks The committee also identifies areas requiring action and advises the boards of the Leopoldina and the DFG in this matter the GA supports the establishment and the work of KEFs and has become the national point of contact for questions regarding personal responsibility in the handling of this topic Press Release (26. March 2025) Report More on the Joint Committee on the Handling of Security-Relevant Research Website of the Joint Committee on the Handling of Security-Relevant Research This time in the newsletter: Economist Bettina Rockenbach has been the XXVIII President of the Leopoldina since March 1 she talks about the goals of her term in office the first person to establish a brain organoid explains why these structures cannot think the Leopoldina is preparing a ceremonial event to mark the 60th anniversary of German-Israeli diplomatic relations Newsletter (English) Newsletter (German) The Leopoldina lecture in Halle (Saale) on Wednesday 27 November 2024 is titled “The ‘Integration window’: How the first months after arrival impact the long-term integration of refugees” Professor of Public Policy at the ETH Zurich/Switzerland The social scientist studies the effects of migration policy and develops new tools for integration Dominik Hangartner is giving the public lecture as part of the annual symposium of Class IV – Humanities In 2015–16 and again in 2022 they surveyed the attitude of people in 15 countries to refugees Dominik Hangartner: The main finding is that there is a surprisingly large degree of solidarity with people who have fled war or persecution We expected to encounter a certain amount of fatigue in 2022 but there is little empirical evidence of this the many refugees arriving from Ukraine did not have an effect on the attitude towards other groups of refugees This shows the value of large-scale empirical surveys: in the media the loudest voices often get the most attention refugees and migration seem to be topics that trigger particularly strong emotions My assumption is that these topics stir the entire spectrum of human emotions ranging from profound empathy to the fear of what it might mean for oneself This tension between empathy and fear is ideally suited to exploitation in the political sphere What can science and academia do to ensure the discussion is more fact-based than emotional I see my task as an academic to use suitable tools to develop specific solutions to specific problems Our studies show that there is an “integration window”: supporting measures and investments that begin soon after arrival have a disproportionately positive influence on a self-determined and successful life in the long term By clearly communicating our research results we hope that people’s opinions will be more fact-based this is also where the invaluable role of institutions like Leopoldina comes in On the issue of specific solutions: based on existing data you have developed an algorithm for the geographical distribution of refugees when deciding where to distribute refugees insufficient attention has been paid as to where they have the best chance of finding work Our simulation calculations show that if distribution is based on factors focused on optimising the labour market then the chances of finding work increase by 40 percent We are now able to put this theory to the test in a field experiment with the responsible government ministries in Switzerland and the Netherlands Factors such as protecting the core family or medical issues are also given consideration in the distribution model the algorithm merely makes a suggestion: the civil servant in charge of the case makes the final decision where it is common for citizens to vote directly on naturalisation applications in referendums You pointed out that under such a system more applications are rejected than when an elected committee makes the decision I am a major proponent of direct democracy it does of course have its limitations when administrative decisions rather than factual issues are at stake The following example offers a clear illustration: when a municipal council rejects an application for naturalisation in contrast to citizens participating in a referendum This leads to fewer unjustified rejections Back More on the evening lecture by Dominik Hangartner (German only) More on the symposium of class IV on the topic of migration (German only) Member profile Dominik Hangartner At a ceremony in Halle (Saale)/Germany to mark the transfer of office economist Bettina Rockenbach assumed the office of President of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina today is stepping down after five years in office the Federal Minister of Education and Research as well as Food and Agriculture Cem Özdemir commended Gerald Haug’s services during challenging times the State Secretary of the Ministry of Science Climate Protection and the Environment of Saxony Anhalt “The Leopoldina is an academy that has dedicated itself to the transfer of scientific knowledge especially by means of advising politics and society,” said Professor (ETHZ) Dr Gerald Haug in his farewell speech swift advice is continually assessed in regard to its efficacy and efficiency so I am excited to see how it will develop Maintaining a balance between the independence of the Leopoldina and the desire for political efficacy will remain a great challenge We can only provide our science-based advice responsibly if we demonstrate our independence with confidence.” In her speech on assuming office Professor Dr Bettina Rockenbach said: “I owe great thanks to my predecessor Gerald Haug He has made the Leopoldina even more visible as an advisor of politics and society I will resolutely continue the future-oriented transformation to providing anticipative science-based advice to society and politics Science is essential for the early identification of looming crises and enables the improvement of crisis defence and prevention options I will continue to reinforce this focus of our advisory work based on the interdisciplinary scientific endeavours of our members.” Federal Research Minister Cem Özdemir emphasised: “The independence of science is a very precious asset It is a fundamental pillar of a liberal value system and a driving force for progress I am therefore deeply concerned about the current developments in the United States.” The Minister underlined the importance of the Leopoldina and thanked Professor Haug for his commitment “In its role as the German National Academy of Sciences the Leopoldina contributes to a scientifically enlightened society and the responsible application of scientific insights Over the past years Professor Haug has been a pioneering influence on the Academy and steered it successfully through difficult times with his outstanding commitment I am very certain that the Academy will continue to be a prominent voice of science with its new President I wish her all the best and extraordinary success.” Bettina Rockenbach became a Member of the Leopoldina in the Section Economics and Empirical Social Sciences in 2013 and has been the Deputy Senator of this section since 2019 she has been the Professor of Experimental and Behavioral Economics at the University of Cologne/Germany and Director of the Reinhard Selten Institute at the Universities of Bonn and Cologne since 2018 In order to overcome the pressing conflicts of humanity Bettina Rockenbach uses methods from game theory and behavioural economics to investigate the prerequisites for successful cooperation Law and Social Sciences at the University of Erfurt/Germany from 2006 to 2008 Gerald Haug led the Leopoldina through a challenging time He entered office in 2020 at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and established new processes of science-based advice in order to provide fast and quality responses to the huge demand for reliable information at short-notice The significance of this accelerated transfer of scientific insights into wider society was demonstrated once again in 2022 as Russia invaded Ukraine in breach of international law and the Leopoldina made a prompt statement on securing German energy supply Haug was one of the leading voices for the international support of the Ukrainian scientific community and introduced the Leopoldina Fellowship for young Ukrainian scientists Hamas’ attack on Israel worsened the geopolitical situation further Haug reinforced the Leopoldina’s traditional connection to the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and criticised every form of anti-Semitism beyond and within the scientific community Despite the heightened focus on topical issues the Leopoldina created public awareness around topics such as the transformation of the energy supply and global health during Haug’s time in office He continuously worked at the global level to create more visibility for climate research and its insights The Leopoldina successfully continued this international cooperation by providing policy advice at the G7 and G20 summits and was the leading institution of the Science7 process in 2022 Haug was committed – including as spokesperson of The Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany 2023 – to the defence of scientific freedom not only from its political opponents but also from its bureaucratic constraints Press release (21. February 2025) This time in the newsletter: In an interview Leopoldina members Herta Flor and Johannes Buchmann discuss the Leopoldina's statement on promoting self-regulation skills in children and adolescents Also included is an article on the second Greve Prize awarded by the Leopoldina and a preview of the Christmas lecture by Leopoldina member and 2022 Nobel laureate in Medicine Newsletter (English) Newsletter (German) The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) jointly launched the “Science for Future” initiative in 2018 to emphasize the importance of basic research for society require strategies that go beyond national borders and call for global solutions Basic research the key for for innovative solutions The Leopoldina works together with the world's major science academies the Leopoldina is launching the “Science for Future” conference series in 2018 to address current and future challenges and to promote standards and approaches in science The two academies are organizing high-level and international conferences in Germany and China to explain innovations in basic research and their significance for an evidence-based dialogue in society Part of the series is a platform for young scientists intended to strengthen the network of future leaders in science and to introduce them to responsible collaboration at an early stage took place in Beijing/China in September 2019 The Beijing Declaration "Face the Future - explore the unkown" was published in this context It emphasises the role of basic research as the basis for innovation and the importance of international scientific cooperation entitled “On the Path to Carbon Neutrality” Conference “All Starts with Basic Research”, Beijing (2019) Conference “On the Path to Carbon Neutrality”, Berlin (2024) Press Release „Alles beginnt mit Grundlagenforschung: Leopoldina startet gemeinsame Konferenzreihe mit der Chinesischen Akademie der Wissenschaften“ (9 September 2019, German only) Website Chinese Academy of Sciences More about the Cooperation Dealing with metastases is one of the major challenges of cancer therapy More than 90 percent of deaths caused by cancer are linked to metastases Understanding the conditions that cause cancer metastases and how these move through the body is key to developing new approaches to cancer treatment as cancer is also subject to the laws of physics In honour of their groundbreaking insights into the movement of tumour cells and the biophysicists Professor Dr Jochen Guck and Professor Dr Josef Käs are receiving the 2024 Greve Prize from the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina is donated by the Helmut and Hannelore Greve Foundation for Science “Studying the behaviour of tumour cells from the perspective of physics and linking it to direct insights gained from medical institutions has the potential to develop completely new means of treating cancer.” The potential for cancer treatment is already apparent with respect to breast cancer Whether the cancer has metastasised or not is key in determining the success of therapies it has not been possible to accurately predict when a tumour forms metastases working together with Professor Dr Axel Niendorf (Hamburg/Germany) are significantly better at indicating a tumour’s potential to metastasise They have done so using biophysical concepts the central idea of which – that metastasising cancer cells must be softer – Jochen Guck played an important role in developing In order to release themselves from the original tumour and move through the human body allowing the cancer cell aggregate to become fluid In the study carried out by Käs and Aktas together with Axel Niendorf the scientists identified the histological characteristics of the cancer cells that become fluid: they were longer and had deformed cell nuclei allowing them to “squeeze” through neighbouring tissue Their study of more than 1,000 breast cancer patients offers a strong indication that these deformed cell and nuclei forms can be used as a reliable marker for a cancer’s aggressiveness and to predict a tumour’s potential to metastasise This could permit breast cancer treatments to be more individually tailored to patients Guck developed a high-throughput method to measure the deformability of cells (real-time deformability cytometry This method is particularly suited to finding substances that can change cancer cell mechanics to prevent metastases physician Professor Dr Bahriye Aktas (photo: Stefan Straube | UKL) biophysicists Professor Dr Jochen Guck (photo: private) biophysicists Professor Dr Josef Käs (photo: Swen Reichhold | University of Leipzig) Bahriye Aktas (born in 1975) is Professor of Gynaecology at the University of Leipzig and Director of the Department of Gynaecology at the Leipzig Medical Center Aktas studied medicine at the Justus Liebig University Gießen/Germany She completed her medical training as a gynaecologist and obstetrician at the University Hospital Essen/Germany and was appointed Associate Professor in 2017 That year she switched to the University of Leipzig her focus is on minimally invasive and robot-assisted surgery which is used for gentler and precise operations with improved chances of healing and she also has a particular interest in surgery for cancer treatment She and her predecessor have helped to globally establish new operation methods that take into account how a tumour spreads Jochen Guck (born in 1973) studied physics in Würzburg/Germany and obtained his doctorate at the University of Texas in Austin/USA under Josef Käs They jointly developed tools to investigate cell mechanics (optical cell stretcher) Following research stays at the University of Leipzig and the University of Cambridge/UK in 2012 Guck was awarded the Alexander von Humboldt Professorship of Cellular Machines at the Biotechnology Centre of the Technical University of Dresden/Germany and was Senior Director there Since 2018 he has been Director at the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Light and Professor of Biological Optomechanics at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg He has developed further photonic and biophysical instruments including real-time deformability cytometry These form the basis for many partnerships with medical institutions in Erlangen and at the new Max Planck Centre for Physics and Medicine (MPZPM) Josef Käs (born in 1961) is Head of the Soft Matter Physics Division at the University of Leipzig’s Peter Debye Institute for Soft Matter Physics He studied physics at Columbia University in New York/USA and at the Technical University of Munich/Germany After holding a professorship at the University of Texas in Austin One of his key research areas concerns the physical properties of cancer cells He discovered how cancer cells can vary their degree of solidity and fluidity and thus achieved a paradigmatic shift in the understanding of tumour mechanics The German National Academy of Science Leopoldina’s Greve Prize is awarded to scientists or research teams that work at German universities The prize is awarded every two years and honours outstanding research achievements in the natural sciences/medicine and engineering sciences the topic is the foundations of new cancer therapies The President of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg invites participants and guests to attend the event at the Hamburg City Hall Link zur Bildergalerie der Preisverleihung 2024 Greve Prize YouTube channel of the Leopoldina (livestream on 6 December) has been awarded the 2025 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize by the German Research Foundation (DFG) This is in recognition of his creative approach to research at the interface between logic By applying a ground-breaking theory he has been able to show how rational beliefs and their dependence on new data can be justified Hannes Leitgeb is a Professor of Logic and the Philosophy of Language at the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich/Germany and Head of the Munich Centre of Mathematical Philosophy (MCMP) He has been a member of the Leopoldina since 2016 Member Profile Hannes Leitgeb News of the DFG (in German) All Members in Focus the Leopoldina published ten Ad-hoc-statements and other publications on the coronavirus pandemic economic and health and education policy aspects of the pandemic more than 90 scientists from the relevant disciplines were involved in the publications On this page you will find all Ad-hoc-statements and other publications in chronological order Grafik zum Download (PDF, CC BY-ND-NC 4.0) The 10th Ad-hoc-statement on the Coronavirus pandemic (currently only available in German) may be downloaded here The 9th Ad-hoc-statement on the Coronavirus pandemic may be downloaded here The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about new medium- and long-term challenges in Germany that will need to be addressed by economic and social policy It has also exposed existing problems where action is needed now more than ever In the statement “Economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic – Analysis and possible courses of action” the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina analyses the current economic and social policy situation in Germany and suggests what measures could be taken to meet the challenges posed by the structural change facing the country The scientists recommend courses of action in four areas: structural change and prerequisites for sustainable economic growth; inequality and distribution; capacity of government organisations at national and international level; and sustainability of public finances but also those that pre-date the COVID-19 pandemic and have been exacerbated by it Based on an analysis of the situation as it stands the statement points out possible courses of action for policy-makers in four areas Despite precise empirical data currently not being available in all the areas to support the development of economic policy options it is possible to work out potential for improvement in government action today It is also possible to devise steps to support an economic recovery process in line with environmental and social sustainability considerations the pandemic may generate opportunities for the modernisation of public administrations,” says Prof speaker of the working group and Vice President of the Leopoldina The first aspect of economic policy addressed in the statement are ways to overcome the medium- and long-term impact of the pandemic on the economy This can be achieved through framework conditions and targeted measures to expedite economic structural change and strengthen the economy’s future growth potential “Digitalisation and expedited structural change should be viewed as essential factors in improving productivity levels throughout the economy rather than as some kind of threat to be feared,” explains Prof President of RWI ‒ Leibniz Institute for Economic Research (Essen/Germany) The second aspect addressed by the working group are measures to counteract the complex medium- and long-term consequences of the pandemic on wealth distribution and the persistence of social inequality These proposals relate to education and professional development the promotion of gender equality and the structure of the social welfare system lost learning due to the pandemic threatens to have a long-term impact The working group therefore proposes that in the event of future school closures mandatory online lessons should be provided every day and additional support given to children and adolescents from socially disadvantaged backgrounds The third chapter of the statement is dedicated to potential for improvement in connection with government capacity The working group suggests setting up an independent non-political committee once the worst of the crisis has passed This committee would be charged with identifying the causes of possible shortcomings in government response to the crisis – at all federal levels all the way through to international level – and putting forward reform recommendations it would examine to what extent faster data acquisition particularly the modernisation of public health services and mandatory learning assessments in the education sector would result in better crisis outcomes the working group proposes a fourth aspect of economic policy to be addressed after the pandemic – namely how to guarantee and strengthen the sustainability of public finances at national and European level so that in the event of another major crisis the necessary support can again be provided to avoid the worst effects The working group recommends considering reforms to national and European debt regulations and public investment activity these economic policy decisions should be subject to strict monitoring and critical evaluation Suitable measures must also be introduced to ensure local authorities are in a position to take action The detailed third ad-hoc-statement “Economic Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic – Analysis and Possible Courses of Action” may be downloaded here The COVID-19 pandemic has had a wide range of consequences for children and adolescents when it comes to education physical activity and psychological wellbeing Many of them will be able to overcome these consequences others will continue to feel the effects of the deficits in the medium and probably long term the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina has published the ad hoc statement “Children and adolescents in the COVID-19 pandemic: Psychosocial and educational challenges and opportunities” and recommends the development and expansion of support and educational structures These should address current inequalities in education and development in a sustainable manner thus going beyond the mitigation of disadvantages caused by the pandemic to improve the situation with reference to the pre-pandemic status quo Inequalities and developmental risks existed before the pandemic most specifically in the fields of education socioemotional development and physical activity Mental disorders were the leading cause of disease burden among children and adolescents The ad hoc statement outlines results from studies which also take into consideration the situation prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and consequently shed light on the burdens that have occurred as a result The fluid situation only permits current scientific knowledge to provide a snapshot of the effects for children and adolescents and short observation periods further limit the validity the findings indicate where the need for short experts recommend that educational institutions be kept open and in-person teaching is enabled with appropriate protective measures in place (such as mask-wearing as this has proven to be the most effective form of learning for virtually all preschool-age and school-age children “Due to the rapidly-spreading Delta variant it is absolutely essential that protective measures are upheld and the guidelines concerning social distancing mask-wearing and ventilation continue to be adhered to and that regular testing in schools is carried out Medical masks should be worn in indoor environments at all times where it is not possible to maintain the necessary distance,” states Prof President of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina digital infrastructure of the education sector should be accelerated and consolidated In the context of support and educational opportunities the statement recommends the provision of long-term language support to help children learn the German language by using standardised early language assessment methods and by expanding the role of integrated language learning support in childcare settings Primary school timetables should be adjusted so that priority is placed on helping pupils to make up for lost ground in the core subjects of German and maths and provide additional support for lower-performing pupils at both primary and secondary level additional information regarding support measures should be provided To improve on the previous promotion of health and motor development experts recommend the development of an infrastructure which encourages physical activity among children and adolescents ideally including daily exercise in preschools and schools and comprehensive programmes to promote a healthy lifestyle in regard to nutrition Awareness of psychological problems in children and adolescents should be raised among educational staff in preschools and teaching staff in schools by providing training and expanding existing school social work infrastructure evidence-based measures in child and youth welfare services as well as in evidence-based treatments for mental disorders among children and adolescents should be expanded further Experts also recommend that therapy waiting times are reduced The detailed ad-hoc-statement “Children and adolescents in the COVID-19 pandemic: Psychosocial and educational challenges and opportunities” may be downloaded here The current situation is highly precarious and threatens to deteriorate further which was introduced at the start of November Several hundred people are dying every day are already at the limit of their capacities and the public health departments are overburdened the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina recommends a two-step approach in its ad hoc statement “Coronavirus pandemic: Use the end of year holidays to impose a strict lockdown” The circumstances – holiday break for educational institutions and reduced operations for many businesses and public authorities – offer the opportunity to make significant progress in containing the pandemic Ireland) during the pandemic shows that swiftly implemented strict measures over a short period of time are a great help in reducing infection numbers The experts point out that stricter measures also make sense from an economic perspective a stricter lockdown will lead to reduced value creation it will also shorten the time until new infections have reached a sufficiently low level as to enable the relaxation of restrictions Contacts in both the professional and private spheres would have to be reduced to the absolute minimum as early as 14 December 2020 Home office would have to be the general rule wherever possible Pupils should not be required to attend school in person from 14 December until the start of the Christmas break Group activities in sports and culture would have to be suspended digital services should replace face-to-face contact From 24 December 2020 until 10 January 2021 at the earliest public life throughout Germany should be restricted as much as possible a stricter lockdown should be put in place in addition to the measures proposed from 14 December all shops other than those providing essential services should be closed and the Christmas break for educational institutions extended The scientists also make recommendations for behavior during the holidays in this statement travel for tourism purposes should be prohibited throughout this period Gatherings should only take place among a very small clearly defined and unchanging circle of family members or friends When teaching resumes in schools after the end of year holidays all pupils throughout Germany should be required to wear a mask covering mouth and nose in class national regulations for remote learning from secondary level upwards should also be developed and implemented which would take effect above a certain incidence rate A lasting political consensus is also needed on a clear and nationally standardized system of rules that applies once a certain number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants is exceeded A standardized and comprehensible approach will provide transparency to citizens and businesses and enable them to plan accordingly The detailed ad-hoc-statement “Coronavirus pandemic: Use the end of year holidays to impose a strict lockdown” may be downloaded here the number of new infections with the coronavirus has been on the rise again in Germany Because of falling temperatures and group activities being relocated indoors the pandemic's development is at risk of becoming difficult to control again In its ad-hoc-statement “Coronavirus pandemic: Establishing effective rules for autumn and winter” the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina points out that to counter this threat in time and maintain public life in the coming months The Leopoldina appeals to all responsible parties at the federal and state levels to quickly agree on national and standardized rules for preventive measures and to ensure that these measures are implemented and complied with more consistently than has been the case to date The researchers indicate that the increase in SARS-CoV-2 infections in other European countries such as France or in Israel is more evident than in Germany Even optimistic predictions suggest that a vaccine against the coronavirus will not be available in sufficient quantities before spring 2021 the efficacy of drug therapies has also been limited it will be increasingly challenging to distinguish diseases with similar symptoms from COVID-19 to keep the number of infections at a low level in the coming months the Leopoldina recommends in its sixth ad-hoc statement on the coronavirus pandemic: Consistent compliance with protective measures: The researchers emphasize that well-known protective measures (physical distance wearing of a mask) and regular air exchange in enclosed spaces remain the most important and effective means of keeping the pandemic under control Concerning a possible deterioration of the situation in autumn and winter uniform rules and escalation levels for protective measures should be defined nationally and take effect in line with regional infection rates These would need to be regularly reassessed and adjusted as required reduced quarantine and isolation periods: To control the infection rate targeted testing according to the respective risk of infection and the availability of test procedures independent of laboratories to differentiate more quickly between a SARS-CoV-2 infection and symptom-related diseases such as influenza To reduce the negative impact on individuals the isolation period following the onset of symptoms could be reduced to around one week in case of a positive test result Laboratory tests can be used to estimate the current infectiousness the quarantine period for persons who have been exposed to a high risk of infection (Category I contacts following contact with a person proven to be infected or a stay in a high-risk area) could Facilitating responsible behavior: Over the coming months the pandemic's successful containment will depend on whether the well-known protective measures can be implemented even more consistently than before citizens need access to barrier-free knowledge tailored to specific target groups Equally important and motivating is transparent communication of the basis Alleviating social and psychological effects: The statement indicates that mental stress has increased during the pandemic with potentially long-term consequences for the health of many people support structures are more important than ever particularly a significantly increased selection of psychotherapeutic and psychiatric treatment and counseling services for prevention and therapy the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina publishes the sixth ad-hoc-statement on the coronavirus pandemic in Germany It is based on the state of research of the participating scientific disciplines Making decisions is the task of democratically legitimized politics and responsible institutions The first five published ad-hoc statements focused on health policy and economic measures in dealing with the pandemic.  The detailed sixth ad-hoc-statement “Coronavirus pandemic: Establishing effective rules for autumn and winter” may be downloaded here The coronavirus pandemic and all measures taken to curb the spreading of the infection have led to a situation where many childcare facilities and schools were temporarily unable to fulfill their educational mandate Others were only able to comply with this mandate to a very limited extent The ad-hoc-statement “The Coronavirus Pandemic: Towards a Crisis-Resistant Education System” is a translation of the original statement published in German that was addressed to the responsible stakeholders in the national education system education providers as well as day-care centers and schools A reliable technological and organizational infrastructure which could compensate for a complete shutdown of educational institutions their families and educational professionals are therefore particularly affected by the current crisis In the ad-hoc statement “The Coronavirus Pandemic: Towards a Crisis-Resistant Education System” the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina indicates suitable measures outlining how the existing education system can become more resilient and react more flexibly under crisis conditions the primary goal is to facilitate continuous attendance at educational institutions as long as there is neither a vaccine nor a widely available therapy the risk of infection in educational institutions must be minimized Depending on the local infection situation partial closures are to be expected in the coming months the experts also recommend investments in a sustainable digital system of remote learning as a complementary measure to classroom teaching and medicine specify measures in seven fields of action: The authors of the statement point out that additional resources are needed to implement the recommended measures The extensive efforts to cope with the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic have so far included comparatively modest investments in education and the future opportunities of the young generation the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina publishes the fifth ad-hoc statement on the coronavirus pandemic in Germany Making decisions in the field of education whilst taking into account the perspectives of the stakeholders is the task of democratically legitimized politics and the responsible institutions The detailed fifth ad-hoc statement “The Coronavirus Pandemic: Towards a Crisis-Resistant Education System” may be downloaded here The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina has issued a fourth ad-hoc-statement on the coronavirus pandemic It is dedicated to the topic: "Medical Care and Patient-Oriented Research in an Adaptive Healthcare System" The paper focuses on short- and medium-term aspects of medical and care services under the conditions of a sustained pandemic and identifies long-term measures that lead to a more resilient and adaptive healthcare system The authors recommend a needs-based system focusing on patient well-being and quality assurance rather than a primarily profit-oriented approach It should appreciate all employees and integrate innovations as well as digital solutions The aim is an adaptive healthcare system where the public health service and the ambulatory and stationary sectors work together well and research results are promptly integrated into clinical practice the coronavirus pandemic has posed extraordinary challenges to the German healthcare system the confrontation with a new viral disease has shown the great importance of a publicly funded healthcare system and of an interconnected and research-based healthcare Due to precautionary measures against infection with the largely unknown SARS-CoV-2 virus as well as the rearrangement of the system to be able to handle a potentially large number of severely ill COVID-19 patients ambulatory and stationary care for patients with other illnesses has Even important preventive measures and research activities had to be interrupted diagnostic and therapeutic measures for all patients need to be resumed promptly and The authors consider the following short- and medium-term framework conditions necessary to ensure healthcare for all patients in times of an ongoing pandemic threat: It is the responsibility of the state to ensure healthcare in times of crisis and a quality-assured and science-based medical treatment for the population The working group of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina recommends taking the following general aspects into account for the long-term development of the healthcare system: the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina publishes the fourth ad-hoc-statement on the coronavirus pandemic in Germany The first three statements focused on acute healthcare policy measures in dealing with the pandemic and economic measures that may contribute to a gradual return to societal normality The detailed fourth ad-hoc-statement “Coronavirus Pandemic: Medical Care and Patient-Oriented Research in an Adaptive Healthcare System” may be downloaded here The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina has published a third ad-hoc-statement on the COVID-19 pandemic The paper entitled “Coronavirus Pandemic – Sustainable Ways to Overcome the Crisis” deals with the psychological and economic aspects of the pandemic and describes strategies that may contribute to a gradual return to normality The authors of the statement emphasise that and political problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic curbing its spread must be given the highest priority Although the pandemic will continue to define economic and societal life for months to come criteria and policies have to be developed that go beyond the acute limitation of fundamental rights such as the freedom of movement to ensure a gradual return to normality such a gradual relaxation of regulations requires consistently low infection rates to prevent the healthcare system from being overloaded increasing identification of infected persons and disciplined compliance with protective measures (hygiene The paper addresses questions of data- and model-based decision support and perspectives concerning the evaluation of legal rights It also proposes recommendations for buffering psychological and social impacts measures for the economic and financial sector The statement identifies the following principles as a general framework: the protection of every individual human being and the facilitation of a dignified life as well as the gradual restoration of the citizens' social The concepts of sustainability and resilience should guide all measures The third statement supplements the two previous ad-hoc-statements on health policy issues in dealing with the pandemic issued on April 3 and March 21 the current focus on caring for COVID-19 patients must not lead to a shortfall in the care of others Sufficient capacities in intensive care units and stocks of protective equipment should be held in reserve for new outbreaks of the pandemic The healthcare system should be analysed and adjusted accordingly every effort has to be made to expedite the research into effective medications and the development of quickly and widely available vaccines The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina will closely monitor and support this process The detailed third ad-hoc-statement “Coronavirus Pandemic – Sustainable Ways to Overcome the Crisis” may be downloaded here The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina has published a second ad-hoc-statement entitled “Coronavirus Pandemic – Measures Relevant to Health” The paper focuses on measures relevant to health which can contribute to a gradual normalisation of public life Three measures are particularly important: (1) general use of mouth and nose protection (2) short-term use of mobile phone data and (3) increase in testing capacities This statement complements the first ad-hoc-statement “Coronavirus Pandemic in Germany: Challenges and Options for Intervention” of the interdisciplinary working group dated March 21 in which the participating scientists described measures to contain the pandemic and to increase the capacity of the public healthcare system and the public supply of critical goods and services These recommendations remain valid and are herewith supplemented in light of recent developments measures relevant to health are particularly important immediate and long-term social and economic consequences must be taken into account for future decisions The Leopoldina is currently working on further statements with recommendations for a sustainable “restart” of public life and the economy The detailed second ad-hoc-statement “Coronavirus Pandemic – Measures Relevant to Health” may be downloaded here The worldwide spread of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and its associated respiratory disease COVID-19 proceeds at a highly dynamic pace The Leopoldina has published a first ad-hoc-statement on possible health policy options to counter the further spread of the virus The associated working group will support and accompany the readjustment and implementation of any measures with additional publications An additional working group has been established to address the legal social and psychological aspects of the pandemic An interdisciplinary working group of the Leopoldina has been working on medical perspectives of the pandemic The resulting ad-hoc-statement “Coronavirus Pandemic in Germany: Challenges and Options for Intervention” discusses potential health policy options to counter the further spread of coronavirus in Germany Measures taken by the German Federal Government and the German Federal States (Länder) to curb the ongoing coronavirus pandemic are urgently required at present and correspond to the  threat  posed by  the  pandemic.  They  consist  of  three  elements:  (1)  containment  of  the  epidemic (2) protection of vulnerable population groups and (3) capacity increase in the public healthcare system and  in  the  public  supply  of critical  goods  and  services There  is  scientific  evidence for the effectiveness and necessity of selected measures while others are proposed on  the  basis  of  projections  and  political  considerations.  Top  priority  must  be  given  to  the  development of drugs and vaccines From a  scientific  point  of  view,  a  Germany-wide  temporary  shutdown  (of approx 3  weeks)  with  consistent physical distancing seems advisable at this time Necessary and health-preserving activities must remain possible All efforts in the next weeks and months should be directed towards making pharmaceutical interventions and protective measures available for the public and towards assuring testing capacities for cases suspected of infection and for those persons entering the country During the  shutdown  period,  preparations  must  be  made  for  the  controlled  and  selective  restart  of  publicand economic life the working group discussed a stringent nationwide curfew until at least after the Easter holidays the situation would have to be re-evaluated a ban on purchasing food or even a ban on going for walks with the family The goal is to make consistent use of home office A disciplined spatial distance of 2 meters between people is also crucial especially if they do not live in the same household The detailed ad-hoc-statement “Coronavirus Pandemic in Germany: Challenges and Options for Intervention”  may be downloaded here Next News Back 10th Ad-hoc-statement "Coronavirus-Pandemie: Klare und konsequente Maßnahmen - sofort!" (27 November 2021 9th Ad-hoc-statement "Antivirals against SARS-CoV-2: current situation and approaches to improved preparation for future pandemics" (10 November 2021) Statement "Economic Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic – Analysis and Possible Courses of Action" (21 July 2021) 8th Ad-hoc-statement "Children and adolescents in the COVID-19 pandemic: Psychosocial and educational challenges and opportunities" (21 June 2021) 7th Ad-hoc-statement “Coronavirus pandemic: Use the end of year holidays to impose a strict lockdown” (8 December 2020) 6th Ad-hoc-statement “Coronavirus pandemic: Establishing effective rules for autumn and winter” (23 September 2020) 5th Ad-hoc-statement “The Coronavirus Pandemic: Towards a Crisis-Resistant Education System” (5 August 2020) 4th Ad-hoc-statement “Coronavirus Pandemic: Medical Care and Patient-Oriented Research in an Adaptive Healthcare System” (27 May 2020) 3rd Ad-hoc-statement “Coronavirus Pandemic – Sustainable Ways to Overcome the Crisis” (13 April 2020) 2nd Ad-hoc-Statement “Coronavirus Pandemic – Measures Relevant to Health” (3 April 2020) 1st Ad-hoc-Statement “Coronavirus Pandemic in Germany: Challenges and Options for Intervention” (21 March 2020) Position paper “How should access to a COVID-19 vaccine be regulated?” (9 November 2020) G7 statement “The Critical Need for international Cooperation during COVID-19 Pandemic” (2020) Science 20 Statement to G20 Leaders on the COVID-19 Pandemic (2020) Panel “Understanding Long Covid”, 24 January 2023 Panel “Science Communication in Times of COVID-19 under the Spotlight“, 7 October 2021 Panel “The Role of Data in the COVID-19 Pandemic“, 1 July 2021 Panel “COVID-19 and Human Health Behavior: Impacts and Trends“, 8 June 2021 Panel “Challenges in COVID-19 Vaccination“, 3 February 2021 Panel “COVID-19 and Multimorbidity: How to Deal with Multiple Infectious Diseases in Parallel?“, 26 November 2020 Panel “The Hidden Crisis: Mental Health in Times of COVID-19“, 28 September 2020 Panel “Contact Tracing Apps: Promising Tool in the Fight Against COVID-19?“, 15 July 2020 Joint press briefing of the Leopoldina and the Science Media Center on the coronavirus, 13 February 2020 The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina is publishing lists of experts for your enquiries: Lists of Experts Leopoldina President Gerald Haug comments on science barometer Corona Special by Wissenschaft im Dialog Website Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center Website Robert Koch Institute (RKI) Website Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) Can carbon dioxide be used as a future raw material source Leopoldina Member Tobias Erb addressed this question in the public lecture as part of this year’s Life Science Symposium of Class II The Director of the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology (Marburg/Germany) pursues the idea of obtaining carbon directly from CO₂ In the interview he outlines his thoughts on how we should be talking about a defossilisation of economy and society rather than a decarbonisation Last year you were accepted into the Leopoldina. What are you hoping from the membership? Tobias Erb: The task of the Leopoldina is to promote science and give their voice to socially ecologically and economically relevant topics I find it equally important to emphasise the significance of fundamental research for innovation Research must be free and able to be driven by knowledge and curiosity I find many touch points and possibilities to be involved I already worked with the “Life Sciences” working group and I would like to continue being involved there In your research and now in your lecture you focus on carbon dioxide whether its diet or the materials in the surrounding environment The big vision is to directly obtain carbon from CO₂ and not from crude oil in order to thus build up a CO₂-based sustainable economy Synthetic biology can significantly contribute to this Nature can already capture large amounts of CO₂ via photosynthesis It does this however – from a human perspective – very inefficiently and via a complicated product The approach of our working group was to radically rethink this process of CO₂ conversion and design it more efficiently Synthetic biology opens up new possibilities that evolution has not yet attempted An example of this is artificial photosynthesis one of the things you received the Leibniz Prize for at the start of the year To start with there was the fundamental question of whether a primordial process such as photosynthesis can even be reinvented we drafted various theoretical alternatives You could say that we have developed a new operating system for photosynthesis natural cells can even run such new programmes – or whether artificial cells would be better suited People always assume evolution is very creative when in fact it is very limited because in most cases it remains the same as what it had originally invented and only tries to optimise that In synthetic biology it's easier for us: I can completely redesign a process like photosynthesis developing something new which nature did not invent and to then test this in a living organism such as a cell Would you draw ethical lines in synthetic biology Humans have been interfering in nature for thousands of years and have changed it considerably Synthetic biology mainly focuses on the depth and consequences of such interference In such conversations it would be important to me that the opportunities and risks of synthetic biology be worked out and discussed The Leopoldina is an excellent place for this More about the Event (German only) Member Profile Tobias Erb The biologist Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla has been awarded the 2025 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize by the German Research Foundation (DFG) She is researching the underlying mechanisms of cell plasticity Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla has been awarded the prize for her research on the mouse model system which she has used to answer “decisive questions about developmental biology and stem cell regulation“ Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla is a Professor of Stem Cell Biology at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU)/Germany and Director of the Stem Cell Centre of the Helmholtz Centre in Munich/Germany She has been a member of the Leopoldina since 2023 Member Profile Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla The computer scientist Daniel Rückert has been awarded the 2025 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize by the German Research Foundation (DFG) He is conducting research in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning and on their applications in medicine which has led to a significant acceleration of the image acquisition process and also to novel reconstruction methods for CT and MRT image data Rückert has been a member of the Leopoldina since 2023 Member Profile Daniel Rückert natural gas power plants with CO2 capture and potentially nuclear fusion power plants can all be used as low-CO2 baseload power plants – i.e to provide a continuous supply of electricity Will this type of power plant still be necessary in a future energy system dominated by solar and wind energy The Academies’ Project “Energy Systems of the Future” (ESYS) concludes that a secure energy supply is possible without the involvement of baseload power plants if in the future these power plants can be more cost effective than the alternatives Baseload power plants can supply electricity on a continuous basis they have to be in operation almost continuously in order to be profitable Will this type of power plant still be needed in the future energy system to ensure security of supply Experts at “Energy Systems of the Future“ (ESYS) – a joint initiative of acatech Leopoldina and Akademienunion – have looked into this question with the help of simulations And as the Discussion Paper “Nuclear Fission Nuclear Fusion: The Future Role of Baseload Power Plants” shows: baseload power plants are not essential to ensure a secure electricity supply But they may have a role to play in the future if they represent a cost competitive proposition A combination of solar and wind energy installations with storage facilities flexible electricity consumption and residual-load power plants will definitely be required to ensure a climate-friendly and reliable electricity supply in the form of hydrogen-fuelled gas turbine plants – only run when needed Baseload power plants can be integrated into this type of system Their greatest contribution to the system overall would be to supply electrolysers with their surplus electricity and thus to reduce hydrogen imports supply security will still be ensured without baseload power plants The ESYS experts focused on four technologies in their analysis: nuclear power plants combined cycle gas turbine plants for natural gas with subsequent CO2 capture geothermal energy for electricity generation and nuclear fusion power plants Gas-fired power plants are mostly likely to be realised on a large scale in the next 20 years The challenges here are that first the infrastructure for the captured CO2 has to be built a parallel gas and hydrogen infrastructure has to be operated and residual emissions from gas production and the operation of the power plant must be offset Based on how the costs of the various technologies have been shaping up so far the ESYS experts do not expect that baseload power plants would reduce overall energy supply costs ”For baseload power plants to substantially lower costs their own costs would have to fall considerably below the level currently forecast,“ emphasises Karen Pittel Director of the ifo Institute and Deputy Chair of the ESYS Board of Directors our estimations tend towards the risks of cost increases and delays with base-load technologies actually being higher than with further expansion of solar and wind energy.“ Discussion Paper “Nuclear Fission, Natural Gas, Geothermal Energy, Nuclear Fusion: The Future Role of Baseload Power Plants" Working Group "Energy Systems of the Future" ESYS Website There has been a surge of interest in nuclear fusion over the past two years But where is nuclear fusion research really at today While the stability and energy records have been repeatedly broken in experiments the switch-on of the ITER test reactor has been delayed once more the Academies’ Project “Energy Systems of the Future” (ESYS) discusses the technology’s potential and challenges and concludes that nuclear fusion is unlikely to contribute to meeting Germany and Europe’s climate targets by 2045 There are hopes that nuclear fusion research can deliver an additional climate-friendly base load-capable energy source that requires relatively little space opinion among nuclear fusion and energy experts is divided regarding nuclear fusion’s actual potential and how soon it could be realised This prompted the “Energy Systems of the Future” (ESYS) project – a joint initiative of acatech Leopoldina and the Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities – to publish an overview of the topic The ESYS Discussion Paper “Can Nuclear Fusion Contribute to a Net-Zero Energy Supply Challenges and Timeframes” highlights the increase in nuclear fusion research activity in recent years and how this has been reflected in a growing number of companies and startups in this field there is still a long way to go before the first operational power plant is built Although nuclear fusion’s physical principles are largely understood none of the existing fusion concepts has a prototype yet Several practical challenges must be overcome before a power plant can start operating These include increasing the energy output production of the tritium fuel and the development of extremely robust materials and high-power lasers even if fusion can be successfully implemented most experts estimate that it will be about 20 to 25 years before the first fusion power plant is built This will be too late to make a meaningful contribution to meeting Germany and Europe’s 2045 and 2050 climate targets nuclear fusion is no substitute for the expansion of renewable energy Discussion Paper “Can Nuclear Fusion Contribute to a Net-Zero Energy Supply? Opportunities, Challenges and Timeframes” Working Group “Future Energy Systems” Website ESYS Yaghi has been awarded the renowned Balzan Prize for 2024 The International Balzan Prize Foundation honoured the scientist’s research into the development of nanoporous materials which have the potential to tackle critical sustainability and environmental challenges Yaghi is Co-Director at the Bakar Institute of Digital Materials for the Planet as well as Professor of Chemistry at the University of California in Berkeley/USA He has been a Leopoldina Member since 2022 Yaghi is a leading chemistry expert in the field of material sciences He has received the prize for his groundbreaking contributions to the discovery and development of nanoporous framework materials and advancing their applications in carbon capture By developing foundational design principles and innovative synthetic methods Yaghi has created two extensive classes of nanoporous materials: metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs) These materials have the highest surface areas known to date His approach to chemistry has led to an exponential growth in the development of new materials Having studied chemistry at the University at Albany/USA Yaghi completed his doctorate at the University of Illinois-Urbana in Champaign/USA in 1990 This was followed by a two-year postdoctoral phase at Harvard University/USA In 1992 he took up the position of Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Arizona State University in Tempe/USA Yaghi then switched to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor/USA where he was Professor of Chemistry from 1999 to 2006 From 2006 to 2011 he was Professor of Chemistry at the University of California in Los Angeles/USA Since 2012 he has been Professor of Chemistry at the University of California in Berkeley/USA and since 2022 he has also been Co-Director at Berkeley’s Bakar Institute of Digital Materials for the Planet (BIDMaP) Yaghi has already received multiple awards for his research including the Albert Einstein World Award of Science in 2017 and the Gregori Aminoff Prize from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 2019 he has been a highly cited researcher in the field of chemistry since 2014 and currently holds an H-index of 177 Yaghi has been a member of the US National Academy of Sciences and he has been a member of the Leopoldina in the Chemistry Section since 2022 The International Balzan Prize Foundation awards the Balzan Prize annually. It honours particularly innovative research in the humanities and social sciences, art, the natural sciences, mathematics, and medicine. The Balzan Prize is awarded in four categories. This year’s recipients also include the Leopoldina Member Lorraine Daston whose achievements were honoured in the History of Modern and Contemporary Science category The prize is endowed with 750,000 Swiss francs per category Half the prize money is to be invested in research projects which Member Profile Omar M. Yaghi News of the International Balzan Prize Foundation has been awarded the 2025 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz prize by the German Research Foundation (DFG) The Director of the Leibniz Research Institute for Molecular Pharmacology (FMP) in Berlin/Germany and Professor of Molecular Pharmacology at the Free University (FU) of Berlin/Germany is researching the transport pathways into and out of cells With this award the DFG is honouring his research into the interaction between neuronal protein complexes lipid signals and the degradation mechanisms of cell components He has already developed inhibitors for important enzymes of the lipid metabolism which will hopefully result in new drugs for combating cancer Haucke has been a member of Leopoldina since 2017 Member Profile Volker Haucke Emmanuelle Charpentier - they were or are all members of the Leopoldina The German National Academy of Sciences is one of the oldest and most renowned scientific academies in the world Founded as the ‘Academia Naturae Curiosorum’ in Schweinfurt in 1652 the first members of the ‘Academy of Natural Scientists’ were primarily concerned with medical and scientific issues and made a significant contribution to scientific enlightenment the Leopoldina stands for scientific excellence and interdisciplinary exchange Nomination and election as a member is both a recognition of a researcher’s lifetime achievement and a platform for actively shaping the scientific landscape Director of the Department of Medicine II at the University Hospital Würzburg is delighted to have been accepted into the circle of the around 1,600 Academy members from 30 countries ‘I am very pleased about this great acknowledgement of my scientific achievements to date and look forward to being able to actively contribute to the work of this long-established National Academy as a member,’ says the internal medicine and cancer specialist Congratulations come from University President Paul Pauli: ‘This honour is a well-deserved recognition of Hermann Einsele's outstanding contributions and commitment to science and to cancer research in particular His achievements inspire not only colleagues but also the next generation of researchers.’ the Leopoldina elects around 50 new members each year in a multi-stage selection process The members are organised into specialised sections which in turn are grouped into four classes: natural sciences Independent of economic or political interests the researchers work on future societal issues and advise German politicians and international institutions on important matters climate change and technology carry great weight Hermann Einsele had already become a member of the Academia Europaea this European non-governmental academic society contributes to strengthening European and international research through a wide range of activities and promotes the global exchange of knowledge and innovation Hermann Einsele's expertise lies primarily in the field of stem cell transplantation and immunotherapies for haematological cancers Many of the developments in which he was involved have revolutionised the clinical standard in the treatment of blood and bone marrow cancer he was instrumental in the research and clinical development of CAR-T cell therapy an innovative immunotherapy for the treatment of certain types of cancer in particular multiple myeloma and other haematological malignancies the T-cells of patients are genetically modified so that they can target and attack cancer cells Professor Einsele has also been at the forefront of research into allogeneic and autologous stem cell transplantation particularly when it comes to improving transplantation procedures and combating complications such as graft-versus-host disease and severe infections in immunocompromised patients Hermann Einsele studied human medicine at the Universities of Tübingen He became a specialist in internal medicine in 1991 and a specialist in haematology/oncology in 1996 Professor Einsele earned his Habilitation in 1992 at the Department of Haematology Rheumatology and Immunology at the University of Tübingen and was appointed adjunct professor in 1999 He was a visiting professor at the City of Hope Hospital in Duarte (California) and at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle Hermann Einsele was appointed to the Chair of Internal Medicine at the University of Würzburg He has been Director of the Department of Medicine II at the University Hospital Würzburg since December 2004 Hermann Einsele served on the University Board of Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) for six years as Vice-President for Research and Academic Career Development and is an active member of numerous national and international research associations he has been spokesperson for the National Centre for Tumour Diseases NCT WERA Hermann Einsele received the van Bekkum Award the most prestigious annual European award for research in the field of stem cell transplantation he was elected Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Pathology in London he gave the Nobel Lecture Stem Cell Biology/Transplantation he has been a member of the Academy of Sciences and Literature he has regularly been recognised as an ISI Highly Cited Researcher in the category of Clinical Medicine Professor Einsele received the prestigious Erasmus Haematology Award from Erasmus University Rotterdam (Netherlands) for special achievements in the field of cancer immunotherapy and the Bavarian Constitutional Order In order to understand the Earth as one system and find effective solutions for global challenges German Geosciences need to be modernised with Earth System Science as the future operating framework This is the recommendation made by the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina in its Report on Tomorrow’s Science “Earth System Science: Discovery and Solutions in Times of Global Change” published today The report provides an overview of the field of research and proposes steps to be taken to establish the concept Human actions are increasingly jeopardising Earth System stability and in turn the well-being of future generations According to the authors of the Report on Tomorrow’s Science Humankind must act as quickly as possible to develop and implement solutions to mitigate climate change and monitor and assess critical trajectories of Earth System components Member of the Leopoldina and speaker of the Earth System Science working group responsible for the Report on Tomorrow’s Science Earth System Science views the Earth as a dynamic system of interacting physical These processes connect and influence the individual components of the Earth System the biosphere (living organisms) and the geosphere (solid parts of the Earth) The key concept of Earth System Science is to take advantage of technological advances in the natural sciences with a transdisciplinary and digital focus The Report on Tomorrow’s Science suggests designing a national roadmap to build and interconnect Earth observation capacity as a way of identifying and monitoring changes to the Earth System and using them to predict future developments digital infrastructure and capacity for processing large volumes of data (Big Data) will also need to be expanded The authors call for university education to be adapted with Earth System Science as the operating framework with a greater focus on solving future problems in an Earth System context in curricula and the option of studying for a degree in Earth System Science Aspects of Earth System Science should also be incorporated into school curricula In its Report on Tomorrow’s Science format the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina addresses questions surrounding the development of science in the medium and long term which are highly relevant for the relationship between science Report on Tomorrow’s Science „Earth System Science: Discovery, Diagnosis, and Solutions in Times of Global Change (2022) Press Release We use cookies to provide, personalize, and improve our website. These are text files that are stored on your computer via your internet browser. We use these technically necessary cookies to provide the function of the website. Please refer to our data protection statement for more information about the use of cookies and processing of your data. Leopoldina Figueiredo during a performance at a concert in the Instituto Menezes Braganza hall, Panaji, some time in 1967. (File Photo) State cultural award winner and one of India's great sopranos of the 20th century, Leopoldina de Figueiredo passed away in Goa. She was 96. Living a long and illustrious career in music, Leopoldina was known for her exceptional talent from her early childhood, till her retirement in 1990, as an assistant professor at Kala Academy. Music lovers in Goa always remembered her as a legendary singer with a shimmering career in music and singing. In her 20s, Leopoldina was the first girl in Goa to travel to Italy alone in 1959 on a scholarship from Portugal to study at the Conservatory of Santa Cecilia in Rome.  She chose to study ‘bel canto’ (Italian for 'beautiful singing') as her course in music in Rome. In Catania, she sang under the baton of Russian maestro Igor Stravinsky and lived her dream of becoming a soprano singer.  She worked hard at her music but had difficult days after Goa was liberated in 1961 and her scholarship was cancelled by Portugal. Wanting to continue her diploma in music, she did odd jobs such as baby-sitting to fend for herself in the foreign land. Her parents couldn’t support her financially as in those days sending money to a foreign country was not allowed.  Leopoldina joined the philharmonic choir there, earned to pay for her classes. The only Indian among the 33-member ensemble she travelled performing around Europe. The choir sang in Bulgaria and Germany.  In London it sang at the BBC studio and were the first Catholics to sing in Westminster Abbey after four decades. As part of her course, she also gave solo and duet performances in Rome. She accomplished her dream and obtained diploma in ‘bel canto’ in 1964 and managed to return home in May 1965.  After her return she joined the Academia de Musica at Fontainhas in 1966 as assistant professor and continued the same post even after the Academia merged with Kala Academy.  A student at the Presentation Convent, Margao, Leopoldina came from a family that had music in their DNA.  During her training at the Academia de Musica a scholarship programme from Portugal was notified for students who were exceptional in music. Impressed by her singing skills, the then governor of Goa Vassalo e Silva recommended her name for the scholarship. She was selected and could choose to go either to Portugal or Italy. She chose Italy.  Copyrights 2020 Fomento Media, Goa- All rights reserved. Professor Bimberg the Chinese Academy of Sciences founded the "Bimberg Chinese-German Center for Green Photonics," named after you at the Changchun Institute of Optics Fine Mechanics and Physics (CIOMP) What is it that you do there?Please use HAN to get access to this article.Register now for free and continue readingNo payment data *free of charge even after the trial period has expired Das Late-Night-Memo für die Hauptstadt: Exclusive Meldungen + Pressebriefing Jeden Morgen die 100 relevantesten Schlagzeilen aus über 1.000 Quellen Das Executive-Briefing mit dem Wichtigsten aus der Wirtschaft für Führungskräfte aus Politik und Wirtschaft Das Leitmedium für die deutschsprachige China-Berichterstattung Das unabhängige Briefing für Bildungs-Politik Klimapolitik anderer Staaten und der Europäischen Union sowie die ganze Breite der internationalen Klimadebatte Verteidigungspolitik und Beschaffung von Militärtechnologie Für zukunftsfähiges Wirtschaften: Nachhaltigkeitspolitik und Transformationsstrategien Innovationsmanagement und Research Funding deutsche und internationale Afrika-Politik und Investitionschancen Regulierung im Agrar- und Lebensmittelsektor auf nationaler und europäischer Ebene With a focus on the German government and EU Commission global corporations and medium-sized companies EU climate and environmental policy and innovation to trade and finance Information during the global hot season - with in-depth analyses on all aspects of the global transformation Welcome to Table.Media.You will receive an email with a confirmation link.Please click on this link to complete your registration The EU Commission has presented a corresponding regulation that should allow existing funding programs more flexibility Emmanuel Macron has invited international researchers to France A new program aims to enable more researchers to work at French universities EUI President Patrizia Nanz talks about the importance of participatory research and what freedom means in science today Europe.ENBe our guest at Table.Media.Test now for free The decisive information for the decisive people in politics think tanks and society from Germany's No In order to tackle challenges facing society and fact-based political decision-making processes are needed Analysis based on science can provide the basis for better-informed decisions The Leopoldina Forum “Roundtables ‘International Perspectives on Evidence-based Policymaking’ and ‘How to strengthen Evidence-based Policymaking Strategic Positioning within Government’ – Event Documentation” offers an international perspective on such evidence-based policy advice as well as best-practice examples for suitable structures that aid effective cooperation between policymakers and science The paper summarises the findings of two roundtable events that took place as part of the Leopoldina Initiative for Evidence-based Policymaking “Taking into account scientific evidence and the findings of empirical effectiveness analyses can significantly improve policy decisions and outcomes,” says economist and Vice-President of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina Professor Regina T. Riphahn the Initiative for Evidence-based Policymaking examines instruments and the structures of science transfer within the German political administration system and government across all policy fields.” Riphahn coordinates the Initiative together with the economist Professor Dr Monika Schnitzer “The impulse statements from the two roundtable events presented various approaches that help policymakers and administrative organisations take action based on scientific evidence,” says Schnitzer “It was possible to give insight into international best-practice models from Australia titled “International Perspectives on Evidence-based Policymaking” “How to strengthen Evidence-based Policymaking was presented as one of the world’s few countries to appoint a Chief Science Advisor whose role is to provide independent science-based policy advice The UK government has an Evaluation Task Force that accompanies the evaluation of political measures Australia has a central office for Regulatory Impact Analysis which offers advance support regarding the development and implementation of important policy decisions Although individual countries take very different approaches the authors identify common challenges regarding the long-term institutionalisation of evidence-based policymaking resources and capacities are needed to build evidence-based decision-making systems it must be ensured that political decision-makers acknowledge the relevance of science-based research and set verifiable targets for political action The Initiative for Evidence-based Policymaking has spent the last few years working in various ways to strengthen cooperation between science and politics The aim is to overcome institutional barriers and pave the way for more evidence in policy-related decision-making processes the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina documents diverse perspectives on issues that are highly relevant to science and society Leopoldina Forum “Roundtables ‘International Perspectives on Evidence-based Policymaking’ and ‘How to strengthen Evidence-based Policymaking? Strategic Positioning within Government’ – Event Documentation” (2023) Press Release (12 December 2023) The Initiative for Evidence-based Policymaking Member Profile Regina T. Riphahn Member Profile Monika Schnitzer International sources of tension are causing increasing social pressure and exacerbating the crises caused by the pandemic and climate change In order to be prepared for future pandemics ensure sustainable food security for the world’s growing population The science academies of the G7 states published six statements with proposed courses of action regarding pressing global challenges The academies call upon the G7 states to address the topics of agriculture and social inequalities at this year’s G7 summit in Apulia The statements were written under the direction of the Italian Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei with the involvement of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina “International conflicts and war intensify poverty and starvation throughout the world and increase the risk of new pandemics and the irreversible loss of our cultural heritage. In their six statements, the science academies of the G7 states offer strategies for addressing these challenges through basic research, knowledge transfer, and international cooperation,” says Professor (ETHZ) Dr Gerald Haug “Collaboration among nations and between scientific disciplines as well as with local stakeholders are key factors in developing solutions for sustainable agriculture and the loss of biodiversity are putting agriculture under pressure Global food production must be increased without further contributing to climate and environmental change This also requires sustainable nutritional and consumption habits The science academies of the G7 states call for global availability of research and innovation regarding adaptation to the consequences of climate change as well as availability of opportunities for training and continuing education appropriate study programmes should be created and local knowledge should be incorporated into research and innovation The S7 academies propose investments to the G7 states in order to ensure and monitor microbial biodiversity in soil and develop seeds for resilient and drought-adapted crops and make these globally available international agricultural trade should be structured in such a way that sustainably cultivated foods receive preferential treatment Artificial Intelligence The advancements in the development of artificial intelligence offer numerous opportunities for the economy this phenomenon is also associated with risks The science academies of the G7 states propose clear framework conditions for data protection and copyright issues Users of AI systems should be transparently informed about the usage of their data as well as about the functional mechanisms and limits of artificial intelligence The traceability of the data used in AI models is of critical importance Education and public discourse can help societies better understand the chances The S7 academies emphasise the importance of ethical principles in relation to the development and monitoring of AI systems and propose intensive collaboration between the academic disciplines of information technology and social sciences in order to foster transparent experts say the G7 states should provide particular support to the development of AI systems dedicated to serving the public good Cultural Heritage Cultural heritage is the foundation of human identity preserving and comprehending cultural heritage contribute to understanding and meeting both present and future challenges They propose intensifying interdisciplinary collaboration between natural and humanities scientists in order to research cultural heritage while simultaneously incorporating the knowledge of local stakeholders Scientific practice can help societies to accept contradictions and thus protect cultural heritage from ideological misappropriation The statement emphasises the important role of exchange and communication A critical public must be created which has the tools to evaluate its own cultural heritage while also giving equal credence to the cultural heritage of others Museums and schools as well as digital platforms and interactive and multi-media offers should be strengthened in this vein decisive action against the illegal trade of cultural items and against the destruction of cultural sites and objects in the course of armed conflicts The intentional destruction of cultural heritage is a violation of human rights Health The COVID-19 pandemic disclosed weak points in the resilience of healthcare systems as well as of international cooperation the S7 academies propose structures for identifying new potential pathogens New technologies for rapid development of vaccines and medications should be prioritised in research The S7 academies caution against the overuse of antibiotics to avoid antimicrobial resistance The development of new antibiotics should be supported as should the development of alternatives to antibiotic treatment (e.g monoclonal antibodies or treatment based on CRISPR-Cas technology) the concept of health should also be understood more broadly to include factors such as social determinants of health and universal access to healthcare Medical research must more readily include women and children The statement also emphasises the close connection between human health and climate and environmental change Nuclear Arms Control Following a prolonged period of decline in the number of nuclear warheads there is now a risk of this trend being reversed In the context of international tensions and based on a number of scientific publications which have already assessed the consequences of nuclear warfare the scientific academies of the G7 states comment on the grave human and environmental effects of the use of nuclear weapons They emphasise the importance of international agreements committed to reducing and controlling nuclear weapons and in light of the increase in global tensions and wars they call upon the heads of state of the G7 countries to once again reaffirm their commitment against the use of nuclear weapons and to pursue the steps necessary to achieving this goal Social Inequalities Over the past 30 years the global poverty rate has declined sharply the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to an increase in extreme poverty factors including the effects of ill health or malnutrition the science academies of the G7 states propose a change in strategy which better reflects this multi-dimensionality and healthcare) must be created and access to education ensured Particular focus should be placed on women and other marginalised groups This includes combating gender-based violence and fostering participation by discriminated demographics the S7 academies advocate for the support of nations in Sub-Saharan Africa as this region is the most at risk in the world in terms of a variety of risk factors and dimensions of inequality while simultaneously being particularly affected by the consequences of climate change The science academies accompany the annual summits of the G7 states agenda-related issues that require multilateral action The G7 Summit is scheduled for 13 to 15 June 2024 in Italy G7 Statement “Security and safety of agricultural production” (2024) G7 Statement “Artificial Intelligence and Society” (2024) G7 Statement “Science and communication of cultural heritage. Knowledge and public awareness of our collective roots” (2024) G7 Statement “Policy recommendations for health issues” (2024) G7 Statement “Nuclear arms control” (2024) G7 Statement “Social inequalities and poverty. Combatting increased vulnerability” (2024) Press Release (15 April 2024) More about the G7 and G20 Policy Advice were elected to the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina The German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina was founded in 1652 and is the oldest continuously existing academy of natural sciences and medicine who took over the position as IMBA’s scientific director in April 2024 Tanaka focuses on the molecular and cellular basis of limb and nervous system regeneration displays remarkable regenerative capabilities Tanaka seeks to further understand what makes cells able or not able to undergo regeneration She is extending her studies to assess the functionality of regenerated organs especially the nervous system control of the regenerated organ.  Tanaka was elected to the section Genetics/Molecular Biology and Cell Biology Tanaka is a full member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and was inducted into the US National Academy of Sciences in 2023 She received the Schrödinger Prize of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the German Ernst Schering Prize the ERC awarded an Advanced Grant to Elly Tanaka for studying the innervation of regenerating limbs.  Jürgen Knoblich senior group leader at IMBA and Director of the Institute of Human Biology in Basel studies the biology of neuronal stem cells Knoblich and his group investigate how stem cells give rise to the complex structure of the brain Knoblich has pioneered the use of brain organoids for studying brain development and disease The groundbreaking brain organoid technology has enabled Knoblich and his group to understand fundamentals of human brain development such as the unique connectivity and size of human brains and to shed light on neurodevelopmental disorders including autism and Parkinson’s disease.   Knoblich has been elected to the section Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine of the Leopoldina Knoblich is a full member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences a member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and a member of the Academia Europaea He has received the Schrödinger Prize of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Wittgenstein Award The Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina has been the German National Academy of Sciences since 2008 It scientifically reviews and addresses key issues of prospective significance to society The Academy operates irrespective of political and economic objectives The Leopoldina unites researchers with outstanding expertise in their respective fields currently counting around 1,600 Academy members from over 30 countries Election to the Academy is carried out in a multi-stage selection process and admission criteria are outstanding scientific achievements.   Postdoctoral Researcher (Jachowicz Lab) Operation Engineer Junior Bilanzbuchhalter:in (m/w/d) Master's Position (Jachowicz Lab) Postdoctoral Position in Tissue Culture Project We are excited to announce the 2025 Microsymposium we will discuss once more the latest advances in the exciting field… is today one of the leading international biomedical research centres worldwide and has established itself as the premier location for life sciences in the Central European Region viennabiocenter.org The science community in Germany continues to be male-dominated – especially in high-level positions at universities and non-university research institutions The exodus of women begins after their doctorate and deprives the scientific system of diversity and creativity The statement “Women in science: Developments and recommendations” released by the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina discloses the reasons behind the persistent underrepresentation of women and presents measures to counteract this issue “Women who want to pursue a career in science are very often structurally and habitually held back”, says historian Ute Frevert member of the Leopoldina and spokesperson of the working group which drafted the statement “In order to encourage talented women to go into science structures and work conditions must be created which are cooperative we need reliable prospects and role models.” The statement analyses the main differences between the scientific careers of men and women: Although now almost as many women earn their doctorates as men women are increasingly underrepresented in the subsequent rungs of the career ladder Significantly fewer women are appointed to high-ranking professorships and their percentage in almost all subjects trails far behind the corresponding numbers of female students and doctoral candidates Just a quarter of all universities and other institutions of higher education are run by women Aside from the North Rhine-Westphalia Academy for Sciences and the Leibniz Association there are no scientific academies of independent research institutions led by a woman   The working group lists several factors hindering gender equality in the sciences These include the dominance of men in institutional decision-making bodies and a frequent implicit prejudice against female scientists as well as a lack of role models and the traditional division of labour in relationships Women continue to perform the most family work in a life phase in which the course is also typically set for a scientific career equality must become an established and prioritised task for organisation heads The working group recommends specific measures such as the introduction of flat hierarchies as well as transparent and equality-orientated salary structures Allocation of institutional funds and individual bonuses should be tied to the condition that gender parity goals are achieved Permanent positions and tenure track models can encourage women to continue their academic career after attaining their doctorate Encouragement can also take the form of personal counselling and mentoring programmes Successfully balancing academic careers and families requires flexible working hours childcare options for children – including at scientific conferences – and support for young families particularly when it comes to the time typically spent abroad during the postdoc phase women’s accomplishments should be made more visible Conferences and the resulting publications with only marginal representation of female scientists should receive neither internal nor external financial support It is also important to document progress and to evaluate developments at regular intervals The statement was developed by the interdisciplinary working group “Gender equality in science” The participating scientists represent liberal arts Statement “Women in science: Developments and recommendations” (2022) Working group “Gender equality in science” Press Release (German only) Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have spurred both enthusiasm about the capabilities of the latest large language models (LLMs) and warnings about their ability to match or even surpass human intelligence But do comparisons to the human brain hold when addressed from the perspective of Neuroscience This high-level symposium co-hosted by Leopoldina and Max Planck Institute for Brain Research will bring together experts from computer science and neuroscience to discuss what has and has not been achieved with latest advances in AI What are and how can we judge the capabilities of artificial systems compared to human intelligence Which aspects of LLMs are similar and which ones are decisively dissimilar from the way the human brain works measure and analyze the representation and capabilities of large language models Have LLMs learned a representation of language that shows similarities to the one generated by our human brains How and in which sense can LLMs inspire advances in brain science what aspects might be missing and could be used to improve current LLMs (and what does “improve” mean the symposium aims at contributing to a scientific basis for the hopes and fears associated with AI that shall or shall not match human intelligence.   Confirmed speakers include Alison Gopnik (Berkeley) Iryna Gurevych (Technical University of Darmstadt) Björn Ommer (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich) Haim Sompolinsky (Hebrew University/Harvard University) and Mariya Toneva (Max Planck Institute for Software Systems) A panel will take place on the evening of May 13 The symposium will be held in English.   The registration for physical participation was closed due to limited capacity The event will be streamed under the section "Live" on the Leopoldina´s YouTube channel No registration is required for the livestream Dr. Charlotte Wiederkehr Department Wissenschaft – Politik – Gesellschaft E-Mail: charlotte.wiederkehr@leopoldina.org Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and internationally renowned for his research on sustainability issues The Virchow Foundation awards the annual prize for outstanding contributions to the solution of global health problems and this year has selected two prize winners the policy and systems researcher Lucy Gilson has also received the prize which is endowed with a total of 500,000 euros Both recipients were honoured for their holistic and systems-based approaches to safeguarding human and planetary health Rockström has been a member of the Leopoldina since 2020 The Virchow Foundation stated that Johan Rockström has received the prize for his holistic and systems-based approach safeguarding human and planetary health Rockström’s pioneering work revolves around the planetary boundaries framework which he and an international team of researchers introduced to the world in 2009 This framework breaks down Earth’s complex and interconnected biophysical system into its elementary systems and processes and defines the boundaries beyond which the risk of irreversible and profound environmental changes increase the Planetary Boundary framework has been discussed critically assessed and enriched by countless contributions from a broad range of scientific disciplines Rockström and other researchers have linked the concept of planetary boundaries to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to outline how these ambitious goals can be achieved In the paper “Safe and just Earth system boundaries” a team of 40 scientists combines planetary boundaries with standards of safety and justice illustrating the close link between the stability of the Earth system and human well-being It is thus necessary to protect the global commons in order to safeguard the well-being of future generations Johan Rockström’s research has an impact on international political discourse and raises awareness of the global dimension of climate change Rockström studied agriculture and philosophy in Uppsala (Sweden) In 1997 he completed his doctorate at Stockholm University’s Department of Systems Ecology After working as a regional consultant and research coordinator at organisations including the Institute for Water Education in Delft (the Netherlands) he became Executive Director at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) in 2004 He also founded the Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) at Stockholm University in 2007 He was Director of the organisation until his appointment as Professor in Water Systems and Global Sustainability at Stockholm University and Professor in Earth System Science at Potsdam University in 2018 Rockström and fellow Leopoldina member Ottmar Edenhofer have led the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) He is also involved in various scientific expert groups including the “Earth Commission” (since 2019) an international team of leading researchers who evaluate and categorise the latest scientific discoveries from around the world in relation to climate change Alongside membership in Leopoldina’s Geosciences Section (since 2020) Rockström is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has received honorary doctorates from the Universities of Gent (Belgium) and Amsterdam (the Netherlands) including the Prince Albert II of Monaco’s Climate Change Award (2020) The Virchow Prize honours the significant contributions of outstanding individuals and organisations at an international level that have made a lasting contribution to global health and are in accord with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and the Agenda 2030 The Virchow Foundation first awarded the prize in 2022 In 2024 the prize is under the High Patronage of the President of the German Bundestag Bärbel Bas The official prize-giving ceremony will take place at the Rotes Rathaus in Berlin on 12 October Member Profile Johann Rockström News of the Virchow Foundation The American neuroscientist Erin Schuman has been honoured with the Körber European Science Prize for her research on the mechanics of neurons which has made her a pioneer in neurobiology this prize is one of the most highly endowed research prizes in the world Erin Schuman is a department director at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt am Main/Germany and has been a Member of the Leopoldina in the Section Biochemistry and Biophysics since 2017 Schuman’s research aims to achieve a better understanding of how the brain and human memory works She concentrates on the neuronal connections in the nervous system A single nerve cell communicates with sensory cells and other nerve cells via up to 200,000 synapses These interactions would not be possible without a number of proteins acting as messengers Erin Schuman was able to show that in nerve cells these proteins are not only produced in the cell body From small protein factories (ribosomes) to the necessary information and building plans (messenger RNAs) all the structures required for producing some 250 million protein molecules every day are distributed throughout the nerve cell Schuman proved there was a particularly high concentration of protein factories near the synapses Her work shows how nerve cells master their logistics tasks when producing up to 2,000 different messengers: via a decentralised system of protein synthesis in proximity to where protein turnover takes place This is the only way nerve cells can fulfil their main task: saving information in the form of memory Schuman’s foundational research could also be used in the medical field as there are increasing signs that “many brain diseases are ultimately diseases of the synapses,” said Schuman in an interview with the Körber Foundation Erin Schuman studied psychology and received her PhD in Neurosciences from Princeton University/USA in 1990 Following postdoctoral training at Stanford University in Stanford/USA she joined the Biology faculty at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena/USA in 1994 and was also appointed as an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Since then she has been a director at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt am Main/Germany and a professor at the Goethe University Frankfurt in Frankfurt am Main/Germany and the Radboud Universteit in Nijmegen/the Netherlands since 2015 and 2021 Erin Schuman is also active in a number of scientific societies and committees including the Scientific Advisory Board of the Biozentrum (BZ) in Basel/Switzerland the Institut Jacques Monod in Paris/France and the NTNU Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience in Trondheim Even before receiving the Körber Prize she had been honoured with various awards for instance the Brain Prize from the Lundbeck Foundation in Copenhagen/Denmark in 2023 and the Louis Jeantet Prize for Medicine in 2020 from the Louis Jeantet Foundation in Geneva/Switzerland Schuman is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences/USA a Foreign Member of the UK’s Royal Society as well as the Academia Europaea and the Leopoldina since 2017 Member Profile Erin Schuman News of the Körber-Stiftung Image: Handover of the S7 statements to the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida © Prime Minister’s Office How can we manage multiple crises such as pandemics which occur at the same time and reinforce each other How can we protect the ocean and its biodiversity and how can science and innovation contribute to improving older people’s health The science academies of the G7 states have published three statements regarding these questions today the academies appeal to the G7 governments to address these issues at this year’s G7 Summit in Hiroshima The statements were prepared under the leadership of the Science Council of Japan with the participation of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina “The governments of the G7 states are meeting this year against a backdrop of multiple crises that are interdependent and need to be tackled together: climate change The preservation of marine biodiversity and an ageing society also require solutions that need to be developed through multilateral cooperation and on the basis of robust research results the G7 science academies – the S7 Academies – are presenting their science-based recommendations in the run up to the summit,” says Gerald Haug the G7 science academies identify three major current challenges: the consequences of anthropogenic (human-made) climate change the socioeconomic impact and health implications of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine These three converging and mutually reinforcing crises highlight the urgent need for action there are currently significant shortfalls in meeting the Paris climate goals: both in terms of the pledges to mitigate climate change and in terms of delivering the necessary reductions in greenhouse gas emissions The statements explain that rapid and decisive action is needed to address multiple crises and to advance the development of more resilient societies Ageing societies The proportion of the world’s population aged 65 or above is expected to increase from 10% to 16% by 2050 Entering this major demographic transition there is a need to achieve a society in which an increasing number of people can enjoy health and independence throughout their lifespans to the fullest extent While it has been well established that maintaining an appropriate environment and social interactions is beneficial in reducing the likelihood of developing age-related diseases our understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms is still insufficient to develop effective and personalized prevention strategies that more investment is needed to promote aging science or “Geroscience” The ocean and its biodiversity The ocean is a global interconnected body of saltwater and covers approximately 70% of the Earth’s surface The ocean’s biodiversity consists of complex systems including the long-term perspective of evolution is crucial to understanding the effects of human intervention in the marine ecosystem and its biodiversity for example expanding international databases and observation networks as well as training suitable experts The science academies accompany the annual summits of the G7 states they address science-related issues that are relevant to the agenda and require multilateral action The G7 Summit is scheduled for 19 to 21 May 2023 in Hiroshima G7 Statement “Addressing systemic risks in a changing climate: Science and technology in support of cross-sectoral decision-making” (2023) G7 Statement “Delivering better health and well-being of older people through wisdom sharing and innovation” (2023) G7 Statement “Restoration and recovery of the ocean and its biodiversity” (2023) Press Release More about the G7 and G20 Policy Advice Head of International Relations Department the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina addresses the many aspects of the corona pandemic and provides concrete recommendations for action The Academy recommends a shift towards sustainable forms of economy more European and international cooperation and a strengthening of services of general interest and common goods that will make our societies more resilient to future crises Among the authors of the statement are Jürgen Renn Max Planck Institute for the History of Science Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society and Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion supported by Christoph Rosol as coordinator of the Anthropocene Research Group at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science The authors of the study call in particular for a medium and long-term perspective on the social and structural change processes necessitated by the pandemic it must not amount to an unreflected restoration and cementing of an unsustainable status quo," says Jürgen Renn the changes now required must be transformative in nature." This applies in particular to the increased protection of climate and biodiversity but also to social participation and the common good "All this means de facto health protection," said the Max Planck Director In view of the dramatic effects of the corona pandemic, there is a need to better research and communicate the systemic causes and interrelationships of global social, economic and ecological risks and resiliencies across disciplines. In the future, science and research will therefore have to face the challenge of making contributions to solving complex human problems across disciplines. The trauma of an unprecedented disruption of social interaction over generations has yet to be overcome. However, the Corona crisis has already helped to raise the importance of common goods for social life, the preservation of cultural and political achievements and the ecological foundations of life in the 21st century directly into the general awareness once again. It makes clear what radical cuts are necessary to protect health, the environment and society. "However, such lessons are all too quickly forgotten," warn Renn, Schlögl and Rosol: "We know from many other crises that after a phase of acute exacerbation, social oblivion quickly sets in again. Corona should be a beginning to break this mental and political mechanism and to act now with foresight, so that the coming crisis does not become even more severe." The availability of highly effective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 marks a great advancement in combating the COVID-19 pandemic there is still an unmet need for antiviral medication effective and affordable antiviral agents specifically for the treatment of COVID-19 are required broad-spectrum antivirals that are effective against multiple forms of a virus family must be developed in preparation for future pandemics This is the message from the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina in their ad hoc statement "Antivirals against SARS-CoV-2: current situation and approaches to improved preparation for future pandemics" the scientists explain why antiviral agents are needed and what kind of organisational structures this requires also a speaker of the working group and member of the Leopoldina Broad-spectrum antivirals ‒ a class of compounds which are effective against as many different variants of a virus family as possible ‒ are important in this context One approach is to target those viral structures and functions Other approaches include targeting cellular factors such as virus binding sites on human cells as well as agents that stimulate the immune system thereby increasing resilience against a viral infection Better pandemic preparedness requires increasing both fundamental research and translational research activities which support the transition into clinical practice and development of broad-spectrum medication against viruses The working group recommends establishing an organisational structure that allows essential infrastructure networks to form It also suggests cooperation between academic institutions and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies of regulatory authorities and policy makers should form part of such a network to make effective therapies available faster ‒ particularly in emergency situations Academia needs to provide a coordinated research infrastructure to promote translation into clinical practice The working group states that Germany still lacks structures for early-stage pilot and feasibility studies and also for large clinical studies care facilities and university outpatient departments form networks The working group also suggests more effective epidemiological monitoring of circulating virus strains as well as their pandemic potential This could be achieved by providing public healthcare services with better access to sequencing capacity and sequencing databases enabling timely detection of emerging virus variants and monitoring their spread All News Back Press Release Ad hoc statement "Antivirals against SARS-CoV-2: current situation and approaches to improved preparation for future pandemics" (2021) All Publications of the Leopoldina on the Coronavirus Pandemic Topic in Focus: Pandemics research institutions and universities have been severely affected by the illegal Russian war against Ukraine Thousands of scientists have fled the country Many have been mobilised for the war effort Their colleagues are trying to maintain university and research operations under extremely difficult conditions Some universities and non-university research institutes have already been destroyed or severely damaged it is important to continue to support Ukrainian science in solidarity the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina introduces a special fellowship the „Leopoldina Ukraine Distinguished Fellowship“ for scientists from Ukraine who have their careers in science endangered or interrupted by the war to resume or continue their research activities The funding is person-related and designed for outstanding post-doctoral level scientists from Ukraine to work on an independent research project at a university or research institution in Germany for an initial period of one year while maintaining their affiliation at a Ukrainian institution Applications are accepted starting from 20 July 2022 Please see the call for application in the info box the Leopoldina is involved in the “Ukraine Science Research and Innovation Coordinating Group” together with the national academies of Poland the United Kingdom and Denmark as well as the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities ALLEA The group has put up a 10-point plan for supporting and rebuilding Ukrainian science the Leopoldina is co-funding a special programme of the Polish Academy of Sciences together with the United States National Academies of Sciences The programme funds visiting fellowships of researchers from Ukraine at units of the Polish Academy of Sciences this programme is only available in the form of extension of funding for already funded fellowship holders (more than 300 persons) Leopoldina Ukraine Distinguished Fellowship (20 July 2022, PDF) Special Programme Guest Fellowship at Research Units of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Information leaflet (20 July 2022, PDF) Ukraine Science, Research and Innovation Coordinating Group, 10-Point Plan for Science in Ukraine (13 June 2022, PDF) ukr-fellowship@leopoldina.org physicist Gerd Leuchs talks about quantum science and quantum technologies Two international panel discussions are dedicated to the topics of global health and endometriosis Also in the newsletter: Urban Wiesing and Stefan Pfister give an outlook on the international conference "Research with vulnerable people" Newsletter (English) Newsletter (German) donated by the Commerzbank Foundation and valued at 30,000 euros has been awarded to materials scientist and biomedical engineer Prof the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina acknowledges both her research contributions in the bioelectronics field and her work to develop new materials capable of interacting with the skin and the brain The prize will be awarded during the Leopoldina Annual Assembly on Friday Francesca Santoro develops bioelectronic materials and investigates their interaction with living cells she began investigating the electrical activity of heart muscle and nerve cells and researching techniques to manufacture micro- and nanoscale 3D structures during her time at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italy) she went on to develop a material capable of electrically stimulating injured skin cells to improve the healing of damaged tissue The ultra-thin and skin compatible electronic materials have photovoltaic properties and therefore do not require a battery These wound dressings or plasters can remain on the skin for weeks The three-dimensional nanostructure improves the interaction between electrodes and cells allows Santoro’s concept to be applied to nerve cells as well Santoro’s current research is on optimising interfaces between nervous tissue and electronic microchips to ultimately create biohybrid neuronal cells This work has led her to successfully produce a so-called biohybrid synapse capable of releasing the neurotransmitter dopamine – a messenger substance which plays a vital role in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease such biomaterials could be used for a more successful treatment of neurodegenerative disease they could be implanted in damaged nervous tissue Francesca Santoro (born in 1986) studied biomedical engineering at the Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II in Naples she moved to Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen University Germany and the Forschungszentrum Jülich research centre she continued her research work as a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Chemistry at Stanford University Santoro has led her own research groups since 2017 first at the Centre of Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare (CABHC) at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Naples she has been based at both the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at RWTH Aachen and the Institute of Biological Information Processing at Forschungszentrum Jülich She has already been awarded numerous grants and awards for her research She received an ERC Starting Grant from the European Research Council and she was the 2021 awardee of the Falling Walls Science Breakthrough of the Year in Engineering and Technology she was recognised as one of the winners of the annual Innovators Under 35 Europe awards from MIT Technology Review.  The Commerzbank Foundation’s Leopoldina Early Career Award has been presented at the Leopoldina Annual Assembly every two years since 2010 and acknowledges scientists who have achieved outstanding work in the field honoured by the motto of that year’s Annual Assembly Scientific works up to 10 years following a PhD are regarded as Early Career achievements which is donated by the Commerzbank Foundation the event is dedicated to the topic of “Global Health: From Health Services to Climate Change and to Social Justice”.  Leopoldina Early Career Award Press Release Website Commerzbank-Stiftung the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina analyses the current economic and social policy situation in Germany and suggests what meausres could be taken to meet the challenges posed by the structural change facing the country The second aspect addressed by the working group are measures to counteract the complex medium- and long-term consequences of the pandemic on wealth distribution and the persistence of social inequality The third chapter of the statement is dedicated to potential for improvement in connection with government capacity Statement "Economic Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic – Analysis and Possible Courses of Action" (2021) Experts for the Statement "Economic Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic – Analysis and Possible Courses of Action" (in German) Press Release All Publications on the Coronavirus-Pandemic the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically disrupted daily life severely stressed health systems across the globe and exposed stark inequalities in managing global health crises It has revealed significant shortcomings in disease surveillance and data sharing and highlighted the urgent need to strengthen global health research The strategy of intensive containment of the COVID-19 pandemic often came at the expense of managing other infectious diseases leading to uneven and nationally focused solutions This event is part of the Leopoldina International Virtual Panel Series which the Leopoldina initiated in July 2020 as a virtual format for global scientific exchange. Leopoldina’s International Relations Department organises this series in cooperation with its global partners It offers a virtual room for the global scientific community to convene and for the interested public to join the dialogue with scientists Video (YouTube) Dr. Thomas Plötze International Relations Department E-Mail: thomas.ploetze@leopoldina.org Advances in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Endometriosis Understanding Long Covid Science Communication in Times of COVID-19 The Role of Data in the COVID-19 Pandemic COVID-19 and Human Health Behavior Challenges in COVID-19 Vaccination COVID-19 and Multimorbidity Mental Health in Times of COVID-19 Contact Tracing Apps The coronavirus pandemic presents a very dynamic development affecting all levels of society The objective is to counter the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the resulting respiratory disease COVID-19 in Germany in the best possible way It is important to consider that the knowledge base for any political action is constantly changing Scientists currently estimate that approximately 60-70% of the population may become infected with the virus It is not possible to predict the exact time frame in which this will likely happen It is important to delay the spread as long as possible to avoid overloading the health care system and to ensure that seriously ill people receive adequate care This time may also be used to gain further knowledge about the course of the disease and to prepare more effectively for dealing with the pandemic Next News Ad hoc Statement „Coronavirus-Pandemie in Deutschland: Herausforderungen und Interventionsmöglichkeiten“(only German) FAQ (Deutsch) FAQ (English) Joint Press Briefing of Leopoldina and Science Media Center on the coronavirus, 13 February 2020 (German) The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina has elected Joseph Heitman Duke Professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology (MGM) as one of its members The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina comprises 1,600 Academy members from over 30 countries all researchers with outstanding expertise in their respective fields Heitman has a long-standing interest in fungal genetics He studies model and pathogenic fungi to address unsolved problems in biology and medicine His pioneering research with the model budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae led to the discovery of FKBP12 and TOR as the targets of rapamycin a drug now widely utilized in organ transplantation cancer chemotherapy, and interventional cardiology Heitman also studies the pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus which led to the discovery of a previously unknown form of sexual reproduction known as unisexual reproduction and origins and evolution of sexual reproduction.  Contact Us  Give The physician and immunologist Professor Dr Tasuku Honjo a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine who conducts research at Kyoto University (Japan) will receive the prize jointly with James P Allison from the MD Anderson Cancer Centre (USA) The two scientists are being honoured for their work on an immunotherapy against cancer congratulated Tasuku Honjo on this prestigious award: “With this Nobel Prize important insights into the fundamental understanding of the immune system are being recognized These findings have the potential to contribute to improving cancer treatment We are all the more delighted that an active Leopoldina member is being recognized for his pioneering research with this year's Nobel Prize.” Tasuku Honjo (born 1942) attended Kyoto University (Japan) to study medicine where he received his doctorate and habilitated in 1975 he was professor of genetics at Osaka University (Japan) He has been a professor at Kyoto University since 1984 initially at the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and since 2005 at the Department of Immunology and Genomic Medicine Tasuku Honjo has been honoured with numerous awards for his research He received the Robert Koch Prize in 2012 and the Kyoto Prize in 2016 Honjo joined the Leopoldina in 2003 and is a member of the microbiology and immunology section The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is currently endowed with a total of nine million Swedish kronor (equivalent to around 870,000 euros) All Nobel Prizes are traditionally bestowed on the laureates on 10 December the anniversary of founder Alfred Nobel’s death Next News Member Profile Tasuku Honjo Nobelprize.org