Award for neurobiologist Reto Weiler

The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) has awarded Prof. Dr Reto Weiler, Managing Director of the Research Centre Neurosensory Science and Head of the Neurobiology Group, the prestigious "Boycott Prize".

The prize, named after the pioneer of retinal research Bryan Boycott, is the highest honour awarded by the society in the field of vision research. FASEB recognises Weiler's outstanding scientific contribution to the elucidation of electrical synapses in the retina. He has fundamentally changed the understanding of neuronal processing in the visual system, according to the laudatory speech at the award ceremony in Steamboat Springs (USA). FASEB is the umbrella organisation of American societies in the field of biological and medical research.

Weiler, who studied biology in Zurich, completed his doctorate and habilitation at the University of Munich. He has held the chair of Neurobiology and Ethology at the University of Oldenburg since 1986. Weiler was awarded the Max Planck Research Prize, among other honours, and was instrumental in setting up the German Research Foundation (DFG) Collaborative Research Centre "Neurocognition" for the Universities of Oldenburg and Bremen. From 2005 to 2008, he was Vice President for Research and was instrumental in driving forward the concept of the European Medical School Oldenburg-Groningen. Since 2008, Weiler has been Rector of the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg Institute for Advanced Study in Delmenhorst.