Awards
Leibniz Prizes for two Helmholtz researchers
Ana Pombo (left) and Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla (right) receive Germany’s most important funding award in 2025. Picture (from left to right): Pablo Castagnola/Max Delbrück Center; Petra Nehmeyer/Helmholtz Munich
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft today announced the winners of the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize 2025. Among them are biochemist Ana Pombo from Max Delbrück Center and biologist Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla from Helmholtz Munich.
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) recognizes Maria-Elena Torres-Padillas outstanding research in the field of stem cell biology and early development with the Leibniz Prize 2025. The Mexico-born scientist Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla is the Head of the Stem Cell Center (rotating) and the Director of the Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells at Helmholtz Munich, as well as Director of Biomedicine at the Helmholtz Pioneer Campus, and Professor at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.
Ana Pombo from Max Delbrück Center is also being honored with the prize for her groundbreaking work on the influence of environmental factors on diseases such as autism and epilepsy. Ana Pombo was born in Portugal in 1969 and came to the Max Delbrück Center and Humboldt University Berlin as a professor via the Helmholtz Professorship Program in 2013. She is Deputy Director of the MDC-BIMSB and Deputy Program Spokesperson of the Max Delbrück Center.
The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize is the highest scientific award in Germany and is endowed with 2.5 million euros.
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Helmholtz Munich Press Release
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