2025 Future Insight Prize Awarded to Helmholtz Center’s Magdalena Götz for Breakthroughs in Brain Regeneration

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, today awarded the 2025 Future Insight Prize to Prof. Magdalena Götz, representing the Helmholtz Center Munich. The award – a € 250,000 research grant – recognizes Götz’s pioneering work in the field of regenerative neurobiology, particularly the discovery of how to reprogram glial cells into functional neurons, opening up new therapeutic approaches for brain repair. Götz is Director of the Institute of Stem Cell Research at the Helmholtz Center Munich and Chair of Physiological Genomics at the Biomedical Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany.

“Professor Götz’s work exemplifies the ambition of the Future Insight Prize to accelerate the development of scientific discoveries with tremendous potential to elevate humanity,” said Belén Garijo, Chair of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. “Her groundbreaking research brings the scientific community closer to the dream of regenerating damaged brain tissue and restoring cognitive function in patients suffering from devastating neurological conditions.”

“I am grateful to see the long-standing support to pioneering research of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany,” said Magdalena Götz. “My team’s work began with fundamental questions about brain development, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see it open new paths that could transform the future of regenerative medicine.”

Götz’s research has fundamentally reshaped the understanding of brain development and repair. Her team demonstrated that glial cells, traditionally seen as support cells, can act as neural stem cells and be reprogrammed into neurons. This discovery paves the way for regenerative therapies targeting neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Götz has received numerous accolades, including the Roger de Spoelberch prize, and her research has been published in leading journals. Based on her pioneering developmental discoveries, Götz invented a technique for reprogramming glia into neurons – a novel approach to replacing degenerated neurons.

Since 2018, the Future Insight Prize has honored outstanding scientists whose work has the potential to enable groundbreaking innovations for humanity. The 2026 Future Insight Prize will focus on the visionary goal of a “smart health sensor” – a non-invasive, wearable device capable of continuously monitoring key health indicators and detecting early molecular signs of disease. Members of the global scientific community who wish to suggest outstanding candidates for this 2026 prize can e-mail the jury.