Volker Haucke receives 2025 Leibniz Prize from the DFG

Professor Volker Haucke, Director of the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) in Berlin and Professor of Molecular Pharmacology at the Freie Universität Berlin, is one of the ten laureates of the 2025 Leibniz Prize awarded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). This award, one of the most significant honors in German science, recognizes Haucke’s contributions to understanding lipid signaling and synaptic signal transmission in the nervous system. As announced by the DFG today in Bonn, Haucke was selected by the dedicated selection committee from 142 nominations. Each award, worth €2.5 million, will be presented to the winners on March 19, 2025, in Berlin. These funds are intended to support their ongoing research projects.

The 2025 Leibniz Prize acknowledges Volker Haucke’s scientific achievements and facilitates the continuation of his research, which promises new insights into fundamental biological processes and potential therapeutic applications.

Research Focus: Endocytosis and Synaptic Signal Transmission

Volker Haucke’s scientific work centers on the molecular processes that enable the functioning of nerve cells. His primary focus is on endocytosis—a cellular mechanism where membrane regions are selectively invaginated to absorb substances from the surroundings. This process plays a pivotal role in synaptic signal transmission, helping to regulate cell membrane composition and prevent neuronal degeneration.

Haucke has made significant discoveries about the interplay between neuronal protein complexes, lipid signals, and cellular degradation mechanisms. His findings have contributed to the development of inhibitors targeting key enzymes in lipid metabolism, which hold promise for new therapeutic applications, including in cancer research.

Scientific Career and Recognitions

Volker Haucke studied biochemistry at the Freie Universität Berlin and completed his doctorate at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel. Following a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University, USA, he led a junior research group at the University of Göttingen before returning to the Freie Universität Berlin as a professor of biochemistry. Since 2012, he has served as Director of the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie in Berlin.

Throughout his career, Haucke has received numerous awards and grants, including an ERC Advanced Grant and the 2020 Feldberg Prize. He is a member of esteemed scientific organizations such as the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the Academia Europaea, and the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).