Körber Prize for fascinating insights into cells
Sara Wickström discovered that cells in the human body respond to pressure by activating or deactivating genes. These findings could help in fighting cancer.
Hamburg/Münster/Helsinki (dpa) – The medical scientist Sara Wickström, who conducts research in Münster and Helsinki, received the 2026 Körber European Science Prize for her discoveries concerning some fascinating cellular reactions. The Körber Foundation reported in Hamburg that the 50-year-old had found out that cells respond to mechanical pressure and stretching by activating or deactivating certain genes. The research prize is endowed with one million euros.
Sara Wickström is regarded one of the pioneers in nuclear mechanobiology, a field that explores the impact that physical forces have on cells. In the long term, her research can contribute to the development of new forms of treatment for cancer, organ scarring and other often age-related illnesses.
Sara Wickström is the Managing Director of the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine in Münster and Research Director of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Helsinki.
The Körber Prize was first awarded in 1985. It is presented to researchers that have gained valuable insights in the life sciences and physical sciences. This year the award is to be presented in Hamburg on 18 September. Eight previous prize winners went on to win a Nobel Prize.
