The future of transplant medicine is fueled by efforts of outstanding researchers and their teams. Innovative preclinical and clinical research projects will continuously improve our knowledge of transplantation and address emerging challenges.
To advance transplant research in Switzerland, the Swiss Transplantation Society (STS) conferred two awards, one STS Excellence Award, endowed with CHF 20’000.- and one STS Innovation Award with CHF 10’000.-. Both awards are financially supported by Astellas Pharma AG and were distributed at the STS Annual Meeting in Thun, January 2024.
An independent jury of experts elects two award winners among eligible candidates who may be surgeons, physicians or other persons active in translational transplantation research as well as clinical practice within Switzerland. The STS Excellence Award shall be conferred to a person in the middle of his/her career, below 55 years of age, whereas the STS Innovation Award shall be conferred to a younger candidate, ≤ 40 years of age, with outstanding future potential. Based on age limits, candidates will automatically qualify for the STS Excellence Award only or for both, the STS Innovation and the STS Excellence Award. The same rules otherwise apply for all candidates (see enclosed rules) except that criteria 10.b), 10.c) and 10.d) of these rules will be double-weighted for the evaluation of the STS Innovation Award. The winners are awarded as the representatives of a research group or project for outstanding scientific and/or clinical achievements.
Call for Nominations
For further details, please consult the STS webpage for the STS Excellence Award and the STS Innovation Awards, including the applicable award rules as well as the next call for nominations published there.
In case of questions, please contact the STS Secretariat office: [email protected] – Mrs Nicole Giacomini – T 021 312 92 62.
Award Winners
We cordially congratulate the winner of the 4th STS Innovation Award 2023: MD PhD Andrea Peloso. He is a surgeon-scientist trained in Italy, and currently leading the Scientific Clinic of the surgical department of the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and Geneva University Hospitals (HUG). His field of expertise lies within organ bioengineering and regenerative medicine. The ultimate goal of this translational research field is to overcome donor organ shortages in the future. Currently, together with his team in Switzerland and being part of international study programs and efforts, Andrea Peloso is investigating surgical advancements in hepatocellular carcinoma and in its prevention in a mouse model.
We would also like to offer our sincere congratulations to the winner of the 7th STS Excellence Award 2023: Dr. med. Julien Vionnet. He is Head of Clinic of the Organ Transplant Center and the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department at CHUV, and his research focus lies in transplant immunology. In the past few years, the research efforts of Julien Vionnet and his team contributed to an enhanced scientific-clinical understanding in the fields of short- and long-term outcomes after liver transplantation as well as in personalized medical care and immunotolerance in liver transplantation.
The winners have been officially announced and awarded during the Annual Meeting of the Swiss Transplantation Society in Thun on 26th of January 2024.
Prof. Dr. med. Hendrik Tevaearai, Zurich, STS President (left)
MD PhD Andrea Peloso, UNIGE and HUG, STS Innovation Award winner (middle left)
Dr. med. Julien Vionnet, CHUV, STS Innovation Award winner (middle right)
PhD Silvia Gluderer, Astellas Pharma AG (right)
For more information on the previous winners and the award jury, please visit the Swisstransplant Magazine or directly access the articles in German and French by clicking on the weblinks in the table below.
Hall of Fame:
Year | Award | Winner | Link to Article in Swisstransplant Magazine |
2023 | Innovation Excellence | MD PhD Andrea Peoloso, UNIGE and HUG Dr. med. Julien Vionnet, CHUV | n/a |
2022 | Innovation Excellence | PhD Maud Wilhelm / MSc Amandeep Kaur, UniBas MD PhD Ekaterine Berishvili, UNIGE and HUG | n/a |
2020/21 | Innovation Excellence | Dr. med. Dilmurodjon Eshmuminov, USZ Dr. med. Graziano Oldani, HUG | n/a |
2020 | Innovation Excellence | Due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the annual congress of the Swiss Transplantation Society 2021 had to be cancelled. Thus, the Excellence and Innovation Awards 2020 could not take place as planned, but the candidates who applied in 2020 were informed that they are automatically candidates for 2021. | n/a |
2019 | Innovation Excellence | MD PhD Alban Longchamp, CHUV Prof. MD PhD Déla Golshayan, CHUV | n/a |
2018 | Excellence | Prof. Dr. med. Stefan Schaub, USB | n/a |
2017 | Excellence | Prof. MD PhD Christian Toso, HUG | German, French |
2016 | Excellence | PD Dr. Oriol Manuel, CHUV | German, French |
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