Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne

Brunhilde Wirth was honored with the highest-ranking prize of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Muskelkranke

25/03/2023

On March 23, 2023 she receives the national prize the "Duchenne-Erb Prize" in recognition of her life's work as a human geneticist and her outstanding scientific achievements: the elucidation of the genetic cause of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the discovery of genetic factors that protect against SMA and the associated cellular pathomechanisms.

 

Silke Schlüter (DGM Board Member), Prof. Tim Hagenacker (DGM Congress President 2023), Prof. Brunhilde Wirth (Awardee of the Duchenne-Erb-Prize), Prof. Ulrike Schara-Schmidt (DGM Congress President 2023); from left to right

At the congress of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Muskelkranke e.V. (DGM), Professor Brunhilde Wirth was awarded the highest-ranking prize of the DGM, the Duchenne-Erb Prize, on March 23, 2023.

Professor Wirth is director of the Institute of Human Genetics affiliated with the Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC) at the University of Cologne. She receives the national prize endowed with 10,000 Euros in recognition of her life's work as a human geneticist and her outstanding scientific achievements.

Professor Wirth has contributed in particular over the past 33 years to the elucidation of the genetic cause of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the discovery of genetic factors that protect against SMA and the associated cellular pathomechanisms.

These findings have been instrumental in the development of innovative therapies for people with SMA. As Chair of "SMA Europe," Professor Wirth has significantly shaped the scientific SMA landscape and has advocated for newborn screening for SMA nationwide. The award is made by decision of the board of the DGM on the basis of proposals from the Medical Scientific Advisory Board of the DGM (MWB).

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Brunhilde Wirth is pleased: "I am honored and very touched by this high-ranking professional award! SMA is the most common genetic cause leading to early death in infancy. One in 35 people carries the condition and one in 6000 newborns suffers from this form of muscle wasting. In Europe, about 30,000 people live with SMA, and in half of those with the disease, the disease is so severe that patients die within the first two years of life. Through the development of innovative therapies for patients with SMA, but especially through early, presymptomatic, gene-specific therapy, children are achieving near-normal motor function. The latter was made possible by a Germany-wide newborn screening for SMA in 2022."

Professor Wirth's groundbreaking work in the field of spinal muscular atrophy has been instrumental in developing innovative treatment options. For this, she had already received the Innovation Award of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia in 2019.

 

Duchenne-Erb Prize
The Duchenne-Erb Prize serves to promote research in the field of neuromuscular diseases in German-speaking countries. It honors scientists who have made outstanding contributions to research into neuromuscular diseases through their many years of dedication. As a rule, the prize is awarded every two years in equal parts to one national and one international laureate. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Muskelkranke e.V.

Contact
Prof. Dr. Brunhilde Wirth
Director
Institut für Humangenetik
http://humangenetik.uk-koeln.de/
https://www.cmmc-uni-koeln.de/home/
Publications: https://scholar.google.de/citations?user=de6jjTUAAAAJ&hl=de
Twitter: https://twitter.com/brunhildewirth