The Brain Prize 2025 Awarded to SfN Member Michelle Monje and Frank Winkler

The Brain Prize 2025 Awarded to SfN Member Michelle Monje and Frank Winkler

Michelle Monje, professor of pediatric neuro-oncology at Stanford University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, and Frank Winkler, professor of neuro-oncology at Heidelberg University, were awarded the Brain Prize 2025 for pioneering the field of cancer neuroscience. Monje has been a member of SfN for 14 years.

Monje and Winkler have discovered extensive interactions between glioma cells and neurons and have characterized their molecular and cellular basis. These networks exhibit hallmarks of functional neural circuits such as synapses, electrical and chemical communication and coordinated activity. These mechanisms allow glioma cells to hijack activity in the brain to drive tumor growth, spread and treatment resistance. Strategies to modulate these interactions offer novel approaches for potential new glioma therapies. Together, Monje and Winkler have pioneered a paradigm shift incorporating neuroscience into cancer research, forming what is now called ‘cancer neuroscience.’ Both are practicing neurooncologists and exemplary clinician-scientists who have actively moved their mechanistic work into clinical trials.

The Brain Prize recognizes highly original and influential advances in any area of brain research, from basic neuroscience to applied clinical research. The Brain Prize is awarded each year by the Lundbeck Foundation, one of Denmark’s largest foundations. The award comes with a DKK 10 million ($1.45 million) prize. Brain Prize recipients are presented with their medals by His Royal Highness, King Frederik of Denmark, at a ceremony in the Danish capital, Copenhagen.