Winners Brain Award 2024 announced

On Friday December 13, the annual Brain Award ceremony took place. This year, two PhD students from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience were honored in the categories of ‘Scientific Excellence’ and ‘Collaborative Excellence .’

Brain Award for Scientific Excellence

PhD student Doris Dijksterhuis receives the Brain Award for Scientific Excellence for her paper ‘Pronouns reactivate conceptual representations in human hippocampal neurons’ published in Science.

This study represents a highly innovative and significant contribution to the field of cognitive neuroscience of language, merging a state-of-the-art neuroscientific technique with a fundamental question in language research. The paper takes a crucial step forward in understanding the role of hippocampal neurons in attributing meaning and semantic representation to words, depending on context.

The jury praised the work as both impressive and groundbreaking, recognizing its potential to reshape our understanding of how the brain processes language. This exceptional research undoubtedly deserves the highest recognition for its pioneering impact on the field.

Click here for the press release of the paper

Brain Award for Collaborative Excellence

The Brain Award for Collaborative excellence is awarded to PhD student Koen Seignette for his paper “Experience shapes chandelier cell function and structure in the visual cortex” published in Elife.

The study on Chandelier cells was recognized for its innovative approach and significant contribution to neuroscience. The jury commended the research for its impressive combination of techniques, ranging from molecular biology and artificial intelligence to anatomy, behavior, and in vivo recordings. This broad application of methods, made possible through strong collaboration between expert research groups, was crucial for understanding the role of Chandelier cells in visual processing and behavior.

The findings offer new insights into inhibitory circuits and neural plasticity, highlighting the influence of Chandelier cells in the visual cortex, particularly their influence beyond visual input. The jury emphasized that the study’s success was driven by the collaboration, as the diverse methods provided a comprehensive understanding of how these cells function in both visual processing and behavior.

Click here for the press release of the paper

Brain award

Since 2015, the institute has annually awarded the Brain Awards. This prize is for PhD candidates or postdocs who excel in their research. The awards were established to spotlight our researchers as an appreciation for their hard work and exceptional dedication. Prizes can be won in three categories: ‘collaborative excellence’, ‘scientific excellence’ and ‘methodological excellence’. All winners receive a statue and a cash prize.