18 November 2025
Jun.-Prof Dr Irene Vercellino from the Ernst Ruska Centre for Electron Microscopy and Spectroscopy (ER-C-3) at Forschungszentrum Jülich has been awarded a Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Research Fellowship. The structural biologist is one of five early-career researchers selected for the inaugural round of fellowships from the Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Foundation, each worth €100,000.
The two-year fellowship supports researchers at the beginning of their careers who demonstrate creativity, innovative thinking and scientific excellence. The funding is available without restrictions and can be used freely for research activities.
Vercellino leads a structural biology research group at the ER-C, where she studies the folding of the inner mitochondrial membrane. These cellular “powerhouses” are essential for supplying energy to living organisms. Defects in their membranes can lead to severe metabolic disorders or neurodegenerative diseases. Using state-of-the-art cryo-electron microscopy and the high-performance computing facilities at Forschungszentrum Jülich, Vercellino visualises membrane proteins in their natural environment down to the atomic scale.
The Heraeus Fellowship is already the third significant distinction Vercellino has received within a short period. In 2024, she was honoured with the prestigious For Women in Science Award and was admitted to the Young College of the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
The official award ceremony took place in early November as part of the WE-Heraeus Forum in Berlin.
Group Leader
Announcement by the Wilhelm und Else Heraeus Foundation (in German): https://www.we-heraeus-stiftung.de/was-wir-foerdern/wiss-nachwuchs/wilhelm-und-else-heraeus-research-fellowships/
