The 2026 Hella Bühler Prize has been awarded

Dr Angelika Feldmann was awarded the Hella Bühler Prize, worth €100,000, for her outstanding research in the field of gene regulation. The prize was presented by Rector of Heidelberg University, Prof. Dr Frauke Melchior, at a ceremony held on 7 May 2026. The award, presented by Heidelberg University, is aimed at young researchers who have already attracted attention for their outstanding scientific achievements in cancer research. The prize money is intended to support them in continuing and further developing their promising research work. 

Before the actual award ceremony, the focus was on the research findings of the last two award winners. Dr Dr Varun Venkataramani and Laura Rueda Gensini, speaking on behalf of Dr Moritz Mall, provided an insight into the progress and development of their respective research projects since receiving the award. Following this, Prof. Dr Dominik Niopek made it clear in his laudatory speech that this year’s award winner exemplifies just how indispensable basic research is, which is why she is so committed to it. Only once molecular mechanisms are understood can we begin to consider how to actively intervene in the processes responsible for the development of cancer. 

Dr Angelika Feldmann conducts research at the DKFZ and, together with her team and in collaboration with Prof. Niopek’s research group at the Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology at Heidelberg University, investigates the molecular processes that ensure cells read the right genes at the right time during development. The focus is on distant regulatory elements, known as enhancers, and their physical interaction with gene promoters. Dysregulation in this process can lead to developmental disorders or cancer. This is precisely where Dr Feldmann’s research comes in. 

The Hella Bühler Prize is named after the dentist Dr Hella Bühler, who bequeathed her estate to the University on the condition that the proceeds be used to fund a prize for cancer research. Since 2004, the research prize named after her has supported early-career researchers at Heidelberg University and its partner institutions, and is one of the most highly endowed awards in the field of cancer research in Germany.