Alzheimer’s researchers win world’s top brain research prize

Two Fellows of the Royal Society are amongst the four neuroscientists awarded this year’s Brain Prize, the world’s most valuable prize for brain research.

In an announcement today by the Lundbeck Foundation in Denmark, the 2018 Brain Prize is awarded to John Hardy FRS (London), Michel Goedert FRS (Cambridge), Bart De Strooper (London and Leuven), and Christian Haass (Munich) for their groundbreaking research on the genetic and molecular basis of Alzheimer’s disease. 

The prize is worth one million Euros and recognises one or more international scientists who have distinguished themselves by an outstanding contribution to neuroscience. 

Venki Ramakrishnan, President of the Royal Society said:

“We congratulate these four scientists for their pioneering breakthroughs in understanding what goes wrong in the brains of people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

“The number of people living with Alzheimer’s in Europe is 10 million and growing. Neurodegenerative diseases of the ageing brain cause a great deal of suffering for patients and their families and are a huge challenge for society. The research that led to this prize will be a crucial step in providing cures for this scourge.”