Germany's Highest Science Award for Gut-Brain Axis Research

The German Society for Neurogastroenterology and Motility (DGNM) congratulates Prof. Dr. med. Dr. rer. nat. Kai Markus Schneider on receiving the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize, Germany’s most prestigious award for early-career researchers. Through his research on the gut-brain axis, a central focus in neurogastroenterology, Schneider has made significant advancements, underscoring the importance of this field.

Prof. Schneider was also honored with this year’s Neurogastroenterology Foundation Prize, awarded in Leipzig in October 2024. Recently, he transitioned from RWTH Aachen University to the Technical University of Dresden. His research investigates the interactions between the gut and brain and has demonstrated how psychological stress exacerbates intestinal inflammation. These insights pave the way for new approaches in the treatment of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases and are already seeing practical applications.

"My passion for biomedical research is something I wish to share with students, hoping to inspire them to enter the field of medicine and research with the same enthusiasm," says Prof. Schneider, who has received several accolades, including the “Rising Star Award” from UEG (United European Gastroenterology), a professional organization uniting various European societies in the field of gastroenterology.

This award affirms the significance of neurogastroenterology and honors the pioneering work being done on the gut-brain axis. The DGNM warmly congratulates Prof. Schneider on this remarkable achievement and looks forward to his presentation of these award-winning research findings at the upcoming DGNM annual meeting, taking place in Berlin from February 28 to March 2, 2025.