Chica and Heinz Schaller Foundation

The Chica and Heinz Schaller Foundation is dedicated to furthering the careers of talented scientists working in biomedicine at Heidelberg University and in related research institutions in the vicinity. Emphasis is placed on supporting junior scientists at key career stages and in promoting women in science.

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Welcome

The Foundation promotes scientists working on aspects of neurobiology and infectious disorders. Its flagship programme is the Schaller Research Groups multi-year programme, which helps to build the careers of young researchers.

News

Award Ceremonies, Press Releases & More

Dr. Jirka Peschek Receives the 2025 Chica and Heinz Schaller Foundation Research Award

The Chica and Heinz Schaller Foundation is delighted to announce that Dr. Jirka Peschek has been awarded the 2025 Chica and Heinz Schaller Research Award.
Award ceremony and prize lecture are scheduled to take place on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, 5.30 PM in the Lecture Hall of the  Marsilius Kolleg.

Find out more about Dr. Jirka Peschek here:

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The Chica and Heinz Schaller Foundation is pleased to announce Dr. Stefanie Bader as new Schaller Research Group Leader in Infectious Diseases

Her research group focuses on understanding the mechanisms of long-term viral sequelae. Her new group combine preclinical models, mechanistic virology, multi-omics profiling, and RNA-based technologies to identify the host pathways that sustain long-term inflammation after infection. Their goal is to develop mechanistic-based therapies for long COVID and related post-infectious disorders.

Find out more about Dr. Stefanie Bader here:

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Celebrating Excellence –

Prof. Carmen Sandi Honoured with the 2026 Chica and Heinz Schaller Award in Translational Neuroscience

The award recognises Prof. Sandi’s groundbreaking achievements in translational science. She will receive the award and deliver the Award Lecture at FENS Forum 2026 in Barcelona.

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Chica und Heinz Schaller Award Ceremony 2024

New CHS Short-Term Fellowship for Dr. Venera Weinhardt

Mandy Jeske has been awarded the 2024 Chica and Heinz Schaller Research Award

Prof. Maria Pennuto and Prof. Sergiu Pasca win the Chica and Heinz Schaller Foundation Award in Translational Neuroscience

The Chica and Heinz Schaller Memorial Conference

Latest Publications

Related to our fundings

Aksan B, Kenkel A-K, Yan J, Sánchez Romero J, Missirlis D, Mauceri D (2024)

VEGFD signaling balances stability and activity-dependent structural plasticity of dendrites. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 81(1):354. doi.org/10.1007/s00018-024-05357-2.

Hoa Ho K, Trapp M, Guida C, Ivanova EL, De Jaime-Soguero A, Jabali A, Thomas C, Salasova A, Bernatík O, Salio C, Horschitz S, Hasselblatt M, Sassoe-Pognetto M, Čajánek L, Ishikawa H, Schroten H, Schwerk C, Acebrón SP, Angel P, Koch P, Patrizi A (2024)

Activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling is critical for the tumorigenesis of choroid plexus. Neuro Oncol. Doi: 10.1093/neuonc/noae176m the first European Choroid plexus Scientific Forum (ECSF). Fluids and Barriers of the CNS 21(1):43.

Marcó de la Cruz B, Campos J, Molinaro A, Xie X, Jin G, Wei Z, Acuna C and Sterky FH (2024)

Liprin-α proteins are master regulators of human presynapse assembly. Nature Neuroscience. Doi: 10.1038/s41593-024-01592-9

Huppertz MC, Wilhelm J, Grenier V, Schneider MW, Falt T, Porzberg N, Hausmann D, Hoffmann DC, Hai L, Tarnawski M, Pino G, Slanchev K, Kolb I, Acuna C, Fenk LM, Baier H, Hiblot J and Johnsson K (2024)

Recording physiological history of cells with chemical labeling. Science 383:890-897. doi: 10.1126/science.adg0812m the first European Choroid plexus Scientific Forum (ECSF). Fluids and Barriers of the CNS 21(1):43.

Pellegrini L, Silva-Vargas V, Patrizi A (2024)

Breakthroughs in choroid plexus and CSF biology from the first European Choroid plexus Scientific Forum (ECSF). Fluids and Barriers of the CNS 21(1):43.

Chi H, Qu B, Prawira A, Richardt T, Maurer L, Hu J, Fu RM, Lempp FA, Zhang Z, Grimm D, Wu X, Urban S, Dao Thi VL (2024)

An hepatitis B and D virus infection model using human pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes. EMBO reports ;25(10):4311-4336-4336.