Professor Sara Wickström, Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) at the Leibniz Institute on Aging – Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI), will be awarded with the 2026 Körber Prize for European Science.
The Leibniz Institute on Aging – Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI) warmly congratulates Professor Sara Wickström on being awarded the Körber European Science Prize 2026. Endowed with €1 million, the prize is among Europe's most prestigious scientific awards, recognizing outstanding research achievements with exceptional potential to shape the future.
Professor Wickström, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine in Münster and Research Director at the University of Helsinki, is being honored for her groundbreaking work in mechanobiology. With her research, she has demonstrated how cells respond to mechanical forces such as pressure or stretching and transmit these signals through the cell to the nucleus. There, these signals influence gene activity and regulate fundamental processes such as tissue development, regeneration, and wound healing. This work provides a crucial foundation for understanding age-related diseases and developing innovative therapies.
As chair of the Scientific Advisory Board, Professor Wickström supports the FLI’s scientific development with her international expertise and commitment. The whole institute welcomes this special honor and extends its warmest congratulations to her on this great achievement.
