The human brain is the most complex thing that we know of. It controls how we think, how we feel and how we perceive and interact with the world around us. Diseases of the nervous system place an enormous burden on patients, their families, healthcare systems and society. Understanding the brain and finding treatments for the patients afflicted by neurological disease is therefore one of science’s greatest challenges. The Brain Prize is awarded in recognition of the people whose work transforms the field.

For the Lundbeck Foundation, The Brain Prize is an opportunity to celebrate those people and to raise awareness of their science, their field and the challenges and opportunities in neuroscience more broadly. We also tell the personal stories of the winners- their upbringings, and scientific journeys. These stories are as unique as the award-winning science. Brilliant scientists come from all walks of life and by telling the human stories behind pioneering neuroscience The Brain Prize can serve as an inspiration for future generations of neuroscientists. This sentiment is articulated by Prof. Sir Richard Friend, Cavendish Professor of Physics at the University of Cambridge:

“Prizes in science are a very powerful way of telling the whole world that behind exciting and important things there are human stories. The scientific endeavour is global. There are brilliant people everywhere. If we can use the business of giving prizes to democratise that sense of opportunity, that will be a useful service to mankind.”