The Walter and Gertrud Siegenthaler Foundation hands out three distinct awards each year to promote junior medical researchers at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Zurich on the occasion of Dies Academicus: A research grant, a science award, as well as a return grant.
On December 14, 2023, the Zurich Academy of Internal Medicine (ZAIM), the Walter Siegenthaler Society for Progress in Internal Medicine and the Walter and Gertrud Siegenthaler Foundation honored the former professor in memory of his significant life's work on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Walter Siegenthaler's birth. The symposium highlighted developments in medical innovation and medical decision-making. Among other things, former award winners of the Walter and Gertrud Siegenthaler Foundation provided insights into the latest advances in medicine and highlighted the profound impact of Walter Siegenthaler's work.
Most German-speaking physicians are familiar with the name Siegenthaler. The highly talented Gertrud Siegenthaler was the senior physician for internal medicine at the Swiss Nursing School in Zurich and later served as chief of service at the University Hospital Zurich. Her husband, Walter Siegenthaler, also dedicated his life to medicine. As head of clinic, physician, teacher and author, he led an active life. Walther Siegenthaler had an excellent reputation among his peers and was also well known by the general public. With his great passion for teaching, he was a highly popular professor and member of the teaching staff. His work was honored with several awards and his memory is honored each year at the Walter Siegenthaler Memorial Lecture.
The Board of Trustees is composed of the following persons:
On the occasion of his 80th birthday in 2003, Walter Siegenthaler established the Walter and Gertrud Siegenthaler Foundation to promote junior researchers at UZH’s Faculty of Medicine. Each year, the foundation hands out threeseparate awards on the occasion of Dies academicus: A research grant, a science award as well as a return grant.
See also the Dies academicus overview page
Beatrice Beck Schimmer, Vice President University Medicine Zurich, honors the winners of the Walter and Gertrud Siegenthaler Foundation at the 2024 Dies academicus. (Photo credits: Michel Buechel)
Beatrice Beck Schimmer, Vice President University Medicine Zurich, honors the winners of the Walter and Gertrud Siegenthaler Foundation at the 2026 Dies academicus. (Photo credits: Andrin Owassapian)
The foundation presents young researchers in the Faculty of Medicine with grants for research purposes in Switzerland and abroad for a duration of one to two years. The research grant is worth CHF 62,500 per year.
Jenny C. Kienzler, PD Dr. med. Dr. sc. nat., Institute of Experimental Immunology, Translational Neuroimmunology, University of Zurich
Research focus: “Targeting BTIC-induced immunosuppression: From Systemic Dysfunction to Immune Niche Reprogramming”
Stefan Yu Bögli, Dr. med., Department of Neurology and Neuro Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Zurich
Research focus: “Multimodality Monitoring Complexity in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Novel Dynamic Marker of Physiologic Resilience to Delayed Cerebral Ischemia”
The foundation presents its science award to excellent young researchers at the UZH Faculty of Medicine for outstanding scientific achievements at an internationally competitive level in the area of clinical or translational medical research. The award comes with prize money of CHF 20,000.
Florian A. Wenzl, Dr. med. univ., Ph.D., Center for Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich
Research focus: “Precision care in acute coronary syndromes and beyond”
The foundation presents its new return grant to excellent young researchers, who return to Switzerland after a research stay abroad and supports them by financing protected research time for the initial period after returning to Zurich.
Thomas C. Scheier, Dr. med. univ., Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich
Research focus: “Admission-AMR: Optimizing empiric antimicrobial treatment for ESBL-colonized adults at hospital admission”
Please fill in the relevant application form and submit it between 1 September and 1 December along with the requested documents as 1 PDF with the subject as specified in the requirements by e-mail to:
Dr. Priska Ammann
priskalilly.ammann@uzh.ch
+41 44 634 74 56
