The Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS) is one of Europe’s largest organizations in the Molecular Life Sciences, with over 30,000 members across 39 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology societies, in different countries of Europe and neighbouring regions. FEBS promotes and supports Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biophysics and related research areas through its Journals, Congress, Advanced Courses, Fellowships and other initiatives.

The FEBS Datta Medal is a prestigious award, bestowed annually by the Federation of European Biochemical Societies to a distinguished senior scientist for outstanding achievements in the fields of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, or related sciences. It is one of the top three awards given by FEBS at the annual FEBS Congress, and includes a silver medal and funding for accommodation and travel to the Congress. This year, the Congress will take place in Maastricht, The Netherlands, on July 4-8. The recipient of the Medal also delivers an honorary plenary lecture at the FEBS Congress, and contributes a review article to FEBS Letters, one of the scientific journals published by the Federation.

Nektarios Tavernarakis is an eminent Professor of Molecular Systems Biology at the Medical School of the University of Crete, in Heraklion, Greece, and Distinguished Member of the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH). He is also Research Director at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) of FORTH, where he is heading the Neurogenetics and Ageing laboratory. He is currently serving as President of the European Molecular Biology Conference (EMBC).

He has served as President of the Board of Directors of FORTH, President of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Governing Board, Vice President of the Scientific Council of the European Research Council (ERC), and Director of IMBB. He is also the Founder and first Director of the Graduate Program on BioInformatics at the University of Crete. He is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), the German National Academy of Sciences (Leopoldina), the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA), Academia Europaea, the European Academy of Sciences (EurASc) and the Academy of Athens. His work focuses on the molecular mechanisms of ageing and neurodegeneration. He has published numerous scientific articles in top-tier, cross-discipline, international scientific journals, in addition to invited book chapters, and other publications, including editorials, commentaries, and science-popularizing articles. For his scientific accomplishments, he has received several notable scientific prizes, including two ERC Advanced Investigator Grants, and an ERC Proof of Concept Grant.

He is the recipient of the EMBO Young Investigator award, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel research award, the Helmholtz International Fellow Award, and the Datta Medal of the Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS). He has received the Doctor Honoris Causa distinction of the Ionian University Department of Informatics. He is also the recipient of the Scientific Prize for Medicine and Biology, and the Excellence in Biomedical Sciences Award, of the Bodossaki Foundation, which are two of the most competitive scientific distinctions for Greeks, in Greece and abroad. In addition, he has received the BioMedical Research Award of the Academy of Athens, the Galien Scientific Research Award, the Empeirikeion Foundation Academic Excellence Prize, the FORTH Research Excellence award, and the International Human Frontier in Science Program Organization (HFSPO) long-term Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Links:

1. https://network.febs.org/posts/nektarios-tavernarakis-molecular-and-cell-biologists-should-be-actively-interested-in-research-beyond-their-immediate-specialization
2. https://febscongress.org/plenary-speakers/