Avrion Mitchison Prize
In honour of its founding director Avrion Mitchison, the DRFZ awards the Avrion Mitchison Prize to young scientists every year. The prize recognises publications or dissertations that make a significant contribution to the understanding and treatment of rheumatic diseases.
The Avrion Mitchison Prize is endowed with 3,000 euros. Since 2019, the prize has been donated by the DRFZ. From 1999 to 2018, it is was sponsored by the Schering Foundation.
The award ceremony takes place in autumn at an event marking the World Arthritis Day.
About Avrion Mitchison
Avrion (Av) Mitchison (1928 – 2022) was a British immunologist. His work on immunological tolerance, immune regulation and the interaction between T and B lymphocytes made a significant contribution to our understanding of the immune system.
From 1991 to 1996, he was the first Scientific Director of the then newly founded DRFZ. He established the field of research into the immunology of rheumatic diseases, in which various working groups studies the cells and mechanisms underlying the development and maintenance of rheumatic diseases.
Avrion Mitchison’s research has not only paved the way for new approaches to studying autoimmune diseases. His findings also provided the basis for novel, targeted therapeutic approaches aimed at restoring immunological self-tolerance and thus significantly improving the treatment of rheumatic diseases.
Mitchison Prize winners
The Avrion Mitchison Prize was not announced in 2024 and 2025.
2023 Timo Rückert, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin, ein Leibniz-Institut
Interview on YouTube
Talk on YouTube
2022 Maria Dzamukova, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin, ein Leibniz-Institut
Talk on YouTube
2021 Denise Beckmann, Institute of Musculoskelezal Medicine (IMM), University Hospital Münster
Interview on YouTube
Talk on YouTube
2020
Richard Addo, Medigene AG, München
Interview on YouTube
Talk on YouTube
Lennard Ostendorf, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin und Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin
Interview on YouTube
Talk on YouTube
2019 Anika Grüneboom and Stephan Culemann, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
2018 Quirin Hammer, Karolinska Institut, Stockholm, SE
2017 Rafael Leite Dantas, Universität Münster
2016 Corinna Wehmeyer, University of Brimingham, UK
2015 Christian Neumann and Caroline von Spee-Mayer, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin und Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin
2014 Christine Schauer, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
2013 Dirk Baumjohann, University of California at San Francisco, US
2012 Stefan Uderhardt, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
2011 Anna-Barbara Stittrich, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin
2010 Edda Schulz, Institut Curie, Paris, FR
2009
Inka Albrecht, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin
Kai Kessenbrock, University of California at San Francisco, US
2008 Kirsten Neubert, Universität Erlangen
2007 Thomas Tiller, Max-Planck-Institut für Infektionsbiologie, Berlin
2006 Varsha Kumar, Universität Bern, CH
2005 Ute Wellman, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
2004
Bimba Franziska Hoyer, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin
Bert Maier und David Schubert, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin
2003 Anja E. Hauser, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin
2002 Jochen Hühn and Joachim Lehmann
Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin
2001 Marcus Odendahl, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin
2000
Max Löhning und Anne Richter, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin
Verena Moos, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin
1999 Carsten Bramlage, Thomas Häupl, Christian Kaps and Ute Ungethüm, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin und Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Hasinger Lecture
The Albrecht Hasinger Lecture was jointly organised by the DRFZ and the Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin from 1994 to 2022. Every year, an internationally renowned scientist who had made a significant contribution to the understanding and treatment of rheumatic diseases was invited to give a lecture at the DRFZ.
The Hasinger Lecture was held in honour of Albrecht Hasinger (1935–1994). As State Secretary in the Berlin Senate’s Ministry of Health at the time, he played a decisive role in promoting the establishment of the DRFZ in 1988. In doing so, he not only made an important contribution to Berlin as a centre of science, but also provided nationwide impetus for the further development of healthcare – especially in rheumatology.
Albrecht Hasinger was the first president of the DRFZ Board of Trustees from 1989 to 1993.
List of Hasinger Lecturers
2022 Betty Diamond, Manhasset, NY, US
Innate immunity in neuroinflammation: the pivotal role of C1q?
Lecture on YouTube
2021 Pierre Miossec, Lyon, FR
IL-17 from discovery to targeting. How a protein without much interest became a key target in inflammation?
Lecture on YouTube
2020 Chris Buckley, Oxford, UK
The implications of the human cell atlas for targeting fibroblasts in immune mediated inflammatory diseases
Lecture on YouTube
2019 Desirée van der Heijde, Leiden, NL
Outcome assessment in rheumatology: a personal journey
2018 Richard K. Burt, Chicago, US
The future of HSCT for Multiple sclerosis and systemic sclerosis
2017 Stefan Rose-John, Kiel, DE
The biology of Interleukin-6 and its role in autoimmunity
2016 Mary B. Goldring, New York, US
The elusive search for a target in osteoarthritis therapy: Lessons from in vitro and in vivo models
2015 Michael Dustin, Oxford, UK
Mechanisms of information transfer at immunological synapses
2014 Frank Luyten, Lueven, BE
Reconstruction of the Joint: from Development to Engineering
2013 Tom WJ Huizinga, Leiden, NL
Immunological features of the development of RA over time
2012 Mark Shlomchik, New Haven, US
Lupus Pathogenesis: B vs. DC and other NET Results
2011 Peter E. Lipsky, Charlottesville, US
Development of new therapeutics for rheumatic diseases
2010 Paul-Peter Tak, Amsterdam, NL
Rheumatoid arthritis: from pathogenesis towards prevention of immune-mediated inflammatory disease
2009 Cornelia Weyand, Stanford, CA, US
The Immune System in Rheumatoid Arthritis – In Need for Rejuvenation
2008 Steffen Gay, Zürich, CH
Epigenetics in Rheumatoid Arthritis
2007 Joachim R. Kalden, Erlangen, DE
Aspects on the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematodes
2006 Maxime Dougados, Paris, FR
It’s good to feel better but it’s better to feel good: the current approach of the evaluation of musculoskeletal disorders
2005 Martin Weigert, Chicago, IL, US
The pros and cons of receptor editing
2004 Lars Klareskog, Stockholm, SE
2003 Diane Mathis, Boston, MA, US
2002 Bevra Hahn, Los Angeles, CA, US
2001 Iain McInnes, Glasgow, UK
2000 Ferdinand C. Breedveld, Leiden, NL
1999 Auli Toivanen, Paavo Toivanen, Turku, FI
1998 Nathan J. Zvaifler, San Diego, CA, US
1997 Derrick Brewerton, Westminster, UK
1996 Eng M. Tan, La Jolla, CA, US
1995 Frank A. Wollheim, Lund, SE
1994 Peter H. Schur, Boston, MA, US
