How do we age? How do bats communicate? And how can we save rhinos from extinction? Without these life scientists, we wouldn’t be able to answer such questions.

• Prof. Dr. Mirjam Knörnschild (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin / Museum für Naturkunde Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science): Animals can have their own personalities and voices - as the renowned behavioral scientist demonstrated in her work. This year, she and her team discovered African bats near Sicily that scientists had overlooked there for centuries. Previously, she had captured on video for the first time how rats specifically prey on these endangered bats.
• Prof. Dr. Beate Kampmann (Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin): The director of the Institute of International Health is a sought-after expert on epidemics - most recently regarding the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The physician criticizes the fact that global structures for disease surveillance and vaccine development receive insufficient funding: Outbreaks that seem “far away” can pose a danger to the entire world. In her role, Kampmann aims to connect international initiatives with Berlin, Germany, and the rest of the world.
• Prof. Dr. Harald Prüß (Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin / Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases): Prüß is researching the extent to which mental illnesses, such as certain forms of dementia, can be attributed to autoimmune reactions, as well as how to detect them early and stop the misdirected immune system. In 2026, he was awarded an Einstein Professorship, allowing him to continue his work in Berlin.
• Prof. Dr. Christa Thöne-Reineke (Freie Universität Berlin): As long as research cannot do without experiments on living organisms, laboratory animals must be treated with dignity. The veterinarian has been advocating for this for decades, including in the training of veterinarians: She develops virtual surgeries and tests clicker training for chickens to help reduce their stress and anxiety. For her dedication, she was awarded the Ursula M. Händel Animal Welfare Prize by the DFG.
• Prof. Dr. Kallol Ray (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin): The chemist takes nature as his model, which has developed millions of highly efficient catalysts: enzymes. The Einstein Professor aims to mimic their mechanism of action to build environmentally friendly reaction accelerators. These are not based on rare earth elements or heavy metals, but on oxygen. He intends to use them to produce green hydrogen from solar energy.

All of them were presented today in Der Tagesspiegel (October 1, 2026) within the framework of the series “The 100 Most Important Minds in Berlin Academia 2026” (T+, in German).