Research on hunger wins 2021 Eppendorf & Science Prize

The American scientist Amber L. Alhadeff, Ph.D., Principal Investigator at the Monell Chemical Senses Center and the University of Pennsylvania, USA has won the 2021 Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology for her work on the gut-brain control of hunger circuits. Alhadeff’s research has revealed how hunger-sensitive neurons in the brain receive signals from the gastrointestinal tract, and how they influence food intake and other survival behaviors. Her work helps to answer such questions as why we behave differently when we have not eaten, how we know when to stop eating, how foods we eat influence our brain activity, and why we perceive the world differently when we are hungry or full.

“Amber Alhadeff described in a brilliant essay how neurons encoding hunger are modulated by what we eat and how they can change our behavior,” explained Dr. Peter Stern, Senior Editor at the journal Science and Chairman of the Prize Jury. “Her research aids our understanding of how hunger changes our general perception of the world, and of the mechanisms underlying neural control of food intake.”

“I am extremely honored to receive this award for my research accomplishments,” said Alhadeff. “It is a tremendous jumpstart to my independent research career and a huge motivator for my lab.”

“Eppendorf and Science have been presenting this prize together for 20 years. This is an amazing legacy,” stated Eva van Pelt, Co-CEO of Eppendorf SE. “I enjoy watching the careers of our awardees develop over time as they become true opinion leaders in their field.”

About the Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology

The annual Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology honors early-career scientists, like Amber L. Alhadeff, for their ground-breaking research. Alhadeff is the 20th recipient of this international prize which is awarded jointly by Eppendorf and the journal Science. Researchers who are 35 years of age or younger and have made outstanding contributions to neurobiological research based on methods of molecular and cell biology are invited to apply. The winner is awarded US$ 25,000 and has his or her essay published in Science. The next deadline for applications is June 15, 2022.

About Eppendorf

Eppendorf is a leading life science company that develops and sells instruments, consumables and services for liquid, sample and cell handling in laboratories worldwide. Its product range includes pipettes and automated pipetting systems, dispensers, centrifuges, mixers, spectrometers and DNA amplification equipment as well as ultra-low-temperature freezers, fermentors, bioreactors, CO2 incubators, shakers and cell manipulation systems. Consumables such as pipette tips, test tubes, microtiter plates and single-use bioreactors complement the range of highest-quality premium products.

Eppendorf products are most broadly used in academic and commercial research laboratories, e.g., in companies from the pharmaceutical and biotechnological as well as the chemical and food industries. They are also used in laboratories that perform clinical or environmental analysis, in forensic laboratories and in industrial laboratories where process analysis, production and quality assurance are performed. 

Eppendorf was founded in Hamburg, Germany in 1945 and currently has around 4,500 employees worldwide. The company has subsidiaries in 28 countries and is represented in all its other important markets by distributors.

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