HBP Scientific Director Prof. Katrin Amunts has received the Hector Science Award 2021. The prestigious prize of 150,000 Euro honours professors from German universities and research institutions for outstanding research achievements, dedication to the education and support of young scientists and contributions to advancing their disciplines and institutions. The award was presented during a virtual award ceremony on 28 January.

Prof. Katrin Amunts © Mareen Fischinger

"It is very important for scientists to get recognition for their work, and the Hector Science Award means a lot to me," says Amunts. "The prize helps to make our research more visible and move ahead with renewed energy."

Amunts and her team have mapped the human brain at an unprecedented scale and redefined the traditional neuroanatomy maps of Brodmann and others. She has pioneered interdisciplinary research at the interface of neuroscience and high-performance computing. With her digital brain atlas, she has provided a powerful tool that drives advances in neuroscience, medicine and technology. 

Amunts is a full professor and director of the C. and O. Vogt Institute of Brain Research, Heinrich-Heine University Duesseldorf, and director of the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1) at Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ). Since 2016, she is the Scientific Research Director of the European flagship Human Brain Project (HBP). 

The Hector Science Award has been conferred annually by the Hector Foundation II since 2009. The award is accompanied by a membership of the Hector Fellow Academy, a forum for networking, interdisciplinary exchange and mutual inspiration of the 26 awardees (Hector Fellows). In addition, the Hector Foundation II funds a PhD position under the supervision of the awardee. A festive award ceremony is planned for May 2022 in Heidelberg. 

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