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

The Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) and the Chica and Heinz Schaller Foundation are delighted to announce that nominations are open for the 2026 edition of The Chica and Heinz Schaller Foundation Award in Translational Neuroscience.

This award recognises significant achievements by an individual in translational science, and in particular those where fundamental and conceptual understanding of the nervous system have been brought to support clinically relevant progress. Alternatively, scientists that have made sustained and significant steps in the translation of neuroscience into other scientific areas and domains and vice versa may likewise be recognised. The prize is international but we especially encourage candidates of European origin or who are working in Europe.

This is a personal prize of EUR 50,000 and the winner is required to give a lecture at the FENS Forum 2026.

The call for nominations is now open and will close on 5 June 2025. All of the details and the nomination form can be found here:

https://www.fens.org/careers/awards/awards-directory/award/the-chica-and-heinz-schaller-foundation-award-in-translational-neuroscience

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.