German, Austrian scientists receive Kazemi Prize

Professor Thomas Braun in the field of stem cells from Germany, and Nicolas Rivron, an outstanding young scientist in the field of laboratory embryos from Austria, were jointly announced as the winners of the sixth edition of the Kazemi Prize at the Royan International Research Festival.

Professor Braun is a principal investigator at the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research. He graduated in medicine in 1987 and then received a specialized doctorate in cell biochemistry from the University of Hamburg in 1993.

Dr. Rivron is an outstanding young scientist and embryo research laboratory at the IMBA - Institute of Molecular Biotechnology. He received his PhD in biology with a focus on vascular physiology and tissue engineering at the University of Twente, and his lab’s research focus is on blastula self-organization.

Secretary of the festival Parvaneh Afsharian said Royan Institute, as a representative of Iran, by holding this scientific event in the fields of reproductive medicine and stem cells, as well as by using advanced biotechnology methods such as animal cloning, has taken a big step in line with elevating the name of Iran and gaining an acceptable position at the international level.

In addition to having efficient and innovative researchers, one of the reasons for the success of Royan Institute has been the establishment of effective international interactions in various ways, such as holding international festivals, she added.

In its first festival in 2009, the award was given to Prof. Rudolf Saenisch from the US, one of the most creative scientists in the field of developmental biology, gene regulation, stem cell biology, and stem cell therapy, she said.

According to its official website, “Kazemi Prize is an international Prize which was established in 2010 to respect the efforts and revive the memories of Dr. Saeid Kazemi Ashtiani, the late founder of Royan Institute.”