Christian Doeller receives Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize 2026

Christian Doeller, Director of the Psychology Department at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig and Vice President of the Max Planck Society, is the new recipient of Germany's most prestigious research award. He was one of ten scientists selected from 144 nominations by the relevant DFG committee on 11 December 2025. The winners each receive prize money of 2.5 million euros. They can use these funds for their research work for up to seven years as they see fit and without bureaucratic red tape. The Leibniz Prizes will be awarded at a ceremony in Berlin on 18 March 2026.
 

From the DFG's short profile of the awardees:

Christian Doeller is receiving the Leibniz Prize for his work in the field of cognitive neuroscience and psychology, which has provided valuable insights into the structure of human thought. As one of the upfront memory researchers, his work has led to pioneering breakthroughs in the study of neural spatial cognition, i.e. the ability of humans to orient themselves, perceive a space and act within it. Doeller showed that spatial connections can also be recoded into abstract categories, thus forming the neural basis of logical thinking, reasoning and decision-making.

Among other things, Doeller developed imaging analysis methods that enabled him to discover signals in the human brain corresponding to grid cells – cells that had previously been found in rats and provide the animals with a coordinate system that allows them to determine their own position. Doeller's findings also help to understand how and why diseases of the human brain lead to certain cognitive impairments.

More information on the research: https://www.cbs.mpg.de/departments/psychology