The Otto Hahn Medal - an incentive for young scientists

Every year since 1978, the Max Planck Society has awarded the Otto Hahn Medal to young researchers for outstanding scientific achievements, mostly in connection with their doctorate.The Medal is endowed with 7,500 euros of prize money. The aim of the award is to motivate particularly talented individuals to pursue a university or research career.

Congratulations to the 2026 award winners!

Biological-Medicine Section

1. Dr. Kristin Böhlig, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden
2. Dr. Verena Julia Cmentowski, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund
3. Dr. Leonard Ivo Ernst, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg
4. Dr. Matilde Florean, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena
5. Dr. Alison Charlotte Kickuth, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden
6. Dr. Tanvi Sandeep Kulkarni, Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg
7. Dr. María del Carmen Romero Mulero, Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg
8. Dr. Alexander Helmut Rotsch, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen
9. Dr. Lion Carsten Schulz, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen
10. Dr. Wenhao Xu, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg

Chemistry-Physics-Technology Section

1. Dr. Karim Almahayni, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen
2. Dr. Maximilian Dax, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Tübingen
3. Dr. Maximilian Häberle, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg
4. Dr. Amelie Marie Heinzerling, Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, Garching
5. Dr. Toghrul Karimov, Max Planck Institute for Software Systems - Saarbrücken
6. Dr. Jonathan Morgner, Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, Heidelberg
7. Dr. Ellen Harumi Rumley, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems - Stuttgart
8. Dr. Oskar Sachnik, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz
9. Dr. Simon Philipp Spies, Max Planck Institute for Software Systems - Saarbrücken
10. Dr. Giulio Zucal, Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, Leipzig

Human Sciences Section

1. Dr. Giulia Beatrice, Bibliotheca Hertziana - Max Planck Institute for Art History, Rome
2. Dr. Rhianna Charlotte Drummond-Clarke, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig
3. Dr. Meike Dorothee Hettwer, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig
4. Dr. Leonardo Nicola Martin Iasi, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig
5. Dr. Faris Elias Nasrallah, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Halle (Saale)
6. Dr. Sebastian Riedmiller, Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Economics, Bonn
7. Dr. Joëlle Anna Maria Schroën, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig
8. Dr. Henrik-Alexander Schubert, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock
9. Dr. Li Tang, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena
10. Dr. Alexander Hermann Wentker, Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law, Heidelberg