IMPRESSIONS OF THE JUNG NIGHT 2024
Stimulating discussions, moving tributes, stirring acceptance speeches and much applause for the laureates: the atmosphere at this year’s award ceremony hosted by the Jung Foundation for Science and Research was lively and reverential. On the evening of May 2, 2024, in the company of the invited Jung family, the foundation presented this year’s awards for medical achievements at a ceremonial dinner held at the Anglo-German Club on the banks of Hamburg’s Outer Alster Lake. For the first time ever, two young researchers were the delighted to be awarded with the Jung Career Advancement Award: cardiologist Dr Christine Maria Poch and neurologist Dr Maximilian U. Friedrich both received €210,000 in prize money, which they can use as they see fit to continue their respective research projects. The Jung Foundation also presented the Jung Gold Medal for Medicine to Prof. Rudolf Zechner.
With the following videos, we want to grant you a little insight into this year's laureates. We thank all participants for this wonderful evening!
You can watch a presentation on the research results of this year's award winners here on our symposium page.
JUNG CAREER ADVANCEMENT AWARD: DR MAXIMIAN U. FRIEDRICH
Dr med. Maximilian U. Friedrich
We were very happy to present one of this year's Jung Career Advancement Awards to Dr Maximilian U. Friedrich. With his project ‘Brain in Balance: Translational Neuroanatomy and Connectome-Based Network Analysis of the Vestibular System’, the young neurologist is aiming to provide a better understanding of the brain networks of the vestibular system. With this, he wants to create a basis for the development of innovative therapeutic approaches for neurological diseases such as stroke, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. Congratulations to your award!
Laudatory Speech
Member of the Scientific Advisory board and Board of Trustees Professor Dr Blanche Schwappach-Pignataro held the laudatory speech for Dr Maximilian U. Friedrich. She presented the laureate with his certificate and emphasised the importance of his research. The laureate gave a brief insight into his project the following morning at the Jung Symposium ‘Excellence in Human Medicine 2024’. The prize comes with 210,000 euros, which Dr Friedrich can use freely to pursue his approach further.
JUNG CAREER ADVANCEMENT AWARD: DR CHRISTINE MARIA POCH
Dr. med. Christine Maria Poch
We were very pleased to present Dr Christine Maria Poch with the second Jung Career Advancement Award 2024. As part of her research project ‘Research into Cardiac Regeneration through Human Ventricular Progenitor Cells’, the young cardiologist simulates heart diseases in an innovative three-dimensional model with the help of 3D printing technology. Thus she is creating not only valuable platforms for researching cardiovascular diseases, but also the basis for new forms of therapy. We warmly congratulate her on the award.
Laudatory Speech
For the laudatory speech for Dr Christine Maria Poch, Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board, Prof. Dr Thomas Boehm, entered the stage. He presented Dr Christine Maria Poch with the certificate for the Jung Career Advancement Award for her exciting approach and congratulated her on receiving 210,000 euros, which she can freely use to continue this work. The following day at the Jung Symposium ‘Excellence in Human Medicine 2024’, the laureate showed what this approach looks like and what results she has already achieved.
JUNG GOLD MEDAL FOR MEDICINCE: PROFESSOR RUDOLF ZECHNER
Professor Dr phil. Rudolf Zechner
In addition to the two Jung Career Advancement Awards, the Jung Foundation also awarded the Jung Gold Medal for Medicine 2024. We presented it to Professor Rudolf Zechner. He is receiving the award for his life’s work in the field of medical research, which has made a significant contribution to the study of lipid metabolism. Over the course of this work, he has not only fundamentally changed biochemistry and physiology textbooks, but also demonstrated promising strategies for treating metabolic disorders. In particular, his discovery and exploration of the adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) enzyme and its essential co-activator CGI-58 provided insight into the development and possible treatment of long-standing lipid storage diseases. Warm congratulations on this achievement!
Laudatory Speech
In his laudatory speech for Professor Dr Rudolf Zechner, Scientific Advisory board member Professor Dr Jens Brüning found personal words. He also works in metabolic research and emphasised the importance of Professor Zechner's research before presenting the laureate with the gold medal. Professor Zechner gave a brief insight into his research the following day at the Jung Symposium ‘Excellence in Human Medicine 2024’. The prize is accompanied by a scholarship of 30,000 euros, which Professor Zechner can award to a young researcher of his choice.