The Leenaards Award 2010: EPFL Scientist Nouchine Hadjikhani among th
Nouchine Hadjikhani
The Leenaards Award, representing a sum of 1.2 million Swiss francs, will be shared this year by two different research teams. Nouchine Hadjikhani, professor at the Brain Mind Institute at EPFL, is among the one of the teams composed of five researchers, and lead by Sébastien Jacquemont.
They have been working on establishing a genetic model for the study of obesity, autism and schizophrenia and will combine genetic research, brain imaging and other clinical assessments to better understand the genetic bases of these disorders. The other team are studying viral “finger prints” in the immune system that inhibit the host to combat other infections or, visa versa, that incite exaggerated defense responses.By offering the prize each year, the Leenaards Foundation engages in promoting biomedical excellence in the Lake Geneva region. The foundation privileges a long-term vision by supporting young researchers working on ambitious projects who tend to collaborate with several institutions in the Vaud and Geneva region.