Eva Luise Köhler Research Prize for Rare Diseases 2009

On Monday 2 March 2009, in the presence of the German Federal President Horst Köhler and the German Federal Minister of Health Ulla Schmidt, the Eva Luise Köhler Research Prize for Rare Diseases was awarded at a ceremony at Deutsche Telekom’s Berlin branch office building. In Germany some four million people suffer from one of more than 6000 rare diseases. Many of these diseases mean a significantly reduced life expectancy and quality of life for the patients. Because of insufficient research there is a lack of suitable medicines and therapies. The prize, which is worth 50,000 euros, is an initiative of the Eva Luise and Horst Köhler Foundation in cooperation with ACHSE e.V. Its aim is to boost and improve research in the field of rare diseases.

This year the prize goes to Prof. Dr. Leena Bruckner-Tuderman for her research project on the subject of Dystrophic Epidermolysis  Bullosa, a genetic disease that particularly affects children and is associated with extreme sensitivity of the skin. http://www.achse-online.de/