Lifetime Achievement Award

The award recognises individuals who have made career-long contributions to building the field of applied and translational neuroscience in Europe, at the national or international level.

Winners

The 2026 winners are:

Robin Murray, United Kingdom

For his pioneering contributions to transforming the understanding of psychosis, from early breakthroughs in drug safety to establishing the influential neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia. 

Marian Joëls, The Netherlands

For her outstanding achievements in neurobiology, advancing our understanding of how stress hormones influence brain function and behaviour, and highlighting the lasting impact of early-life adversity on mental health. 

Photo credit: Julie Blik

The winners will be honoured with a commemorative statuette and certificate and an invitation to the ECNP Congress.

The winners may also be asked for an interview, to be published in ECNP communication channels.

Award ceremony

The award will be presented at the 39th ECNP Congress 2026.

Who is eligible?

Residents of European countries* who are affiliated with or have retired from a university, research institution or hospital, and whose research originates primarily in Europe.

Members of the ECNP Executive Committee, the chair of the ECNP Scientific Programme Committee and the members of the ECNP Award Committee are not eligible until three years after their term.
*The 46 countries of the Council of Europe, plus Israel.

Selection of the winners

The award winners were selected by the ECNP Award Committee. Short-listed applicants might have been asked to submit additional information before a final decision was taken.

The award cannot be shared and cannot be won more than once by the same individual. Nominees were informed about the decision before 1 May 2026. There was no correspondence about the outcome.

Previous winners

View the previous ECNP Lifetime Achievement Award winners.

Year Winners
2025 Kim Q. Do, Switzerland 
2024  Jan van Ree, Netherlands
Tomas Hökfelt, Sweden
2023 Aleksander Mathé, Sweden
2012 Jules Angst, Switzerland
2010 Moussa Youdim, Israel
2018 Jacques Glowinski, France
2006 Raphael Mechoulam, Israel

Please note: this award was discontinued from 2006–2008 and after 2012, before being reestablished in 2023.