As in previous years, the EKFS will award publication prizes to outstanding researchers for work funded by the EKFS in 2025. Each prize is endowed with €10,000, which recipients are free to use at their discretion.
The following eight researchers were honored:
Ziel der Ausschreibung der Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung ist es, in Klinik und Forschung besonders qualifizierten Ärztinnen und Ärzten im Anschluss an eine längere Familien- oder Betreuungsphase mit flexibel und individuell einsetzbaren Fördermitteln den effektiven Wiedereinstieg und die Fortsetzung ihrer erfolgversprechenden Karriere zu ermöglichen. Dafür schreibt die Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung für das Jahr 2026 bis zu drei Förderungen aus.
Bewerben können sich an Universitätsklinika in Deutschland tätige promovierte oder habilitierte Ärztinnen und Ärzte,
Radiological decision-making relies on the integration of visual imaging data and clinical information. Multimodal large language models can process both modalities, but currently lack mechanisms for targeted weighting. The aim of this project is to systematically investigate, using neuro-oncology as an example, how imaging and contextual information can be optimally combined to improve diagnostic accuracy, reduce misinterpretations, and enable structured, visually supported presentation of clinical cases.
Around 25% of people with depression have low-grade inflammation, which is unfavourable for treatment, but its’ cause is unknown. Short chain fatty acids (SCFA) may play a role in this: They reduce inflammation, but in depression, SCFAs and the bacteria that produce them are often low. New animal and human data suggest that especially one SCFA, called butyrate, is linked to depression severity and inflammation. In this project the scientists will assess the link of plasma SCFAs and various inflammatory mechanisms using a large existing database (400 patients and controls).
Bad Homburg v. d. Höhe, March 24, 2026 – The Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation (EKFS) has issued a call for proposals for its Else Kröner Research Schools in General Practice for the first time. This new initiative aims to support physicians wishing to carry out research during or shortly after completing their general practice training and thus to help bridge the gap between patient care and research. The foundation has earmarked a total of €1.5 million for the initiative.
Psychiatric conditions like alcohol use disorder (AUD), Korsakoff syndrome (KS) and the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), are characterized by inhibitory control deficits and neurophysiological alterations. This project aims to develop transdiagnostic tool for assessing altered cortical activity in inhibitory control networks in clinical populations, combining inhibitory control measurements with data from neuromodulatory and neurophysiological techniques.
