CIBSS member Asifa Akhtar will receive the FEBS | EMBO Women in Science Award 2025. She is being recognised for her pioneering research on the mechanisms of dosage compensation and epigenetic regulation and commitment to gender equality in science.
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Asifa Akhtar receives Women in Science Award 2025 by FEBS | EMBO
CIBSS member Asifa Akhtar is being recognised for her pioneering research into the mechanisms of gene expression and epigenetic regulation, and for her commitment to gender equality in science.
Prof. Dr. Asifa Akhtar, Image: Jürgen Gocke
“Asifa Akhtar is an international leader and a pioneer in the field of epigenetic regulation. Research conducted in her lab over the last two decades has revealed principles governing how epigenetic mechanisms, especially histone acetylation and long non-coding RNAs, are able to fine-tune transcription to the specific needs of a particular cell,” comments CIBSS and EMBO Member Nikolaus Pfanner, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Freiburg, Germany. “Her dedication to both her scientific pursuits and her advocacy for greater inclusivity are truly inspiring,” he adds.
The FEBS | EMBO Women in Science Award honours outstanding female scientists in Europe who also serve as role models for women in science. Caroline Dean, Chair of the FEBS Women in Science Working Group, highlights Akhtar's commitment to equal opportunities as the first female Vice President of the Max Planck Society and her successful international mentoring of young scientists.
The award ceremony will take place during the 49th FEBS Congress in Istanbul, Turkey, from 5 to 9 July 2025.
Asifa Akhtar is Vice President of the Biology and Medicine Section of the Max Planck Society, Director at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg and Honorary Professor at the Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg. Her awards include the Ellis Island Medal of Honour (2023) and the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (2021).