Recent laureate

Health psychologist (1985), connected to Leiden University, has been awarded the Heineken Young Scientists Award 2022 in the field of Social Sciences. The jury praised her important contribution to improving the quality of healthcare for seriously ill patients, thanks to better communication between doctor and patient. Van Vliet’s research into how communication can help and harm patients shows a valuable translation between research and society.

The Heineken Young Scientists Awards are awarded every two years to four highly promising young researchers working in the Netherlands. The winners are selected from four fields of science: Medical/Biomedical Sciences, Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences is responsible for the nomination and selection process. The award includes a cash prize of EUR 10,000 and a work of art. Previous laureates in the field of Social Sciences include Anna van Duijvenvoorde (2020) and Marie-José van Tol (2018). The award was created in 2010 by Charlene L. De Carvalho-Heineken.

About the study
Van Vliet studies forms of communication that make patients feel better, e.g., experiencing less stress and better remembering information, or feel worse when confronted with a serious illness. She is at the cutting edge of health communication, palliative care, and placebo and nocebo effects. In the laboratory, for example, she uses video vignettes to study the effects of certain ways of communicating. She also uses observational research in the medical office to look at the specific elements of communication and how they relate to patient outcomes. For example, one of her analyses shows that terminally ill patients feel better under the care
of more empathic doctors, and that they also remember more of a conversation with this type of doctor. This makes Van Vliet a versatile researcher who not only seeks answers to fundamental questions, but also knows how to translate the results into practice.

Jury praises direct application of knowledge in daily life
The jury admires the way in which Van Vliet actively engages in outreach. She regularly appears in newspapers and magazines, presents her work for professionals and other interested parties, and organises scientific events for a wide audience. Her work is also included in clinical bad-news guidelines and is thus directly applied in the consulting room on a daily basis. With her work, Van Vliet makes an important contribution to improving the quality of care for seriously ill patients.

About Liesbeth van Vliet
Liesbeth van Vliet (Lusaka, Zambia, 1985) studied clinical and health psychology at Erasmus University Rotterdam and obtained her PhD in 2013 for her research on communication during the transition to palliative breast cancer care at Utrecht University/Nivel. After her PhD, she worked for several years at the Cicely Saunders Institute at King’s College London. Currently, Van Vliet is a lecturer at the Department of Health, Medical, and Neuropsychology and KWF Young Investigator at Leiden University. In addition to the Heineken Young Scientists Award, she has also received the KNAW Early Career Partnership (2021), the Dutch L’Oreal-UNESCO for Women in Science Award (2019), and a KWF Young Investigator Grant (2018).

Mathematician Jordi Tura i Brugués (1987), connected to the Lorentz Institute at Leiden University, has been awarded the Heineken Young Scientists Award 2022 in the field of Natural Sciences. The jury praised his pioneering contributions to the theory of quantum entanglement and nonlocality. He adapted Bell’s theorem, which is used to show entanglement of two particles, to fit large numbers of particles. An important step for the further development of the quantum computer and the quantum internet.

The Heineken Young Scientists Awards are awarded every two years to four highly promising young researchers working in the Netherlands. The winners are selected from four fields of science: Medical/Biomedical Sciences, Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences is responsible for the nomination and selection process. The award includes a cash prize of EUR 10,000 and a work of art. Previous laureates in the field of Natural Sciences include Freddy Rabouw (2020) and Peter K. Bijl (2018). The award was created in 2010 by Charlene L. De Carvalho-Heineken.

About the study
Tura i Brugués has pioneered the development of quantum algorithms and mathematical methods to demonstrate quantum entanglement. He devised a way to translate Bell’s inequality theorem, which measures the nonlocality of two particles, to large numbers of particles. Thanks to his theoretical work, it has become possible for the first time to demonstrate the existence of Bell correlations in half a million rubidium atoms. Such Bell correlations imply the existence of entanglement, which is one of the quantum properties that potentially makes a quantum computer so incredibly powerful. The more particles you can entangle, the more powerful the quantum computer. Tura i Brugués’ method for measuring Bell correlations can therefore be used to understand the computing power of quantum computers. Tura i Brugués is currently working on the development of quantum algorithms, which allow him to perform calculations on quantum computers. Among other things, he is developing quantum algorithms for complex optimisation problems, certification tasks, quantum machine learning, and the unravelling and prediction of the precise development of chemical reactions. He adapts these algorithms for the quantum computers that will be available in the near future.

Jury praises translation of complex mathematics into predictions
According to the jury, Tura i Brugués serves as an example for young researchers. He shows that fundamental research into the foundations of physics can be combined with pioneering work on technological applications. Quantum computers calculate in a fundamentally different way. That is why the potential is enormous, but in order to make use of that potential, it must be managed in a completely different way. Tura i Brugués has the rare ability to translate complex mathematics into predictions that can be tested in the laboratory. For example, the method he developed on the degree of Bell correlations could now be tested on the first generation of quantum computers.

About Jordi Tura i Brugués
Jordi Tura i Brugués (Girona, 1987) studied mathematics and telecommunications engineering at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Barcelona. In 2015, he obtained his PhD with honours from the Quantum Optics Theory group of the Institut de Ciències Fotòniques (ICFO), also in Barcelona. He remained at the ICFO for another year as a postdoctoral researcher. In 2016, he moved to the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Munich for a second postdoctoral position. Since 2020, he has been a lecturer at the Lorentz Institute at Leiden University, where he is a leader of the Applied Quantum Algorithms research group. In addition to the Heineken Young Scientists Award, he has received a Google Research Scholar Award (2021) and an ERC Starting Grant (2021).

Philosopher Fleur Jongepier (1986), connected to Radboud University Nijmegen, has been awarded the Heineken Young Scientists Award 2022 in the field of Humanities. The jury praised her research into the growing power of algorithms and how this affects the human capacity for autonomy and self-knowledge. Jongepier is able to combine high-level fundamental research with an active and important role in the current social debate.

The Heineken Young Scientists Awards are awarded every two years to four highly promising young researchers working in the Netherlands. The winners are selected from four fields of science: Medical/Biomedical Sciences, Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences is responsible for the nomination and selection process. The award includes a cash prize of EUR 10,000 and a work of art. Previous laureates in the field of Humanities include Mark Dingemanse (2020) and Maartje van der Woude (2018). The award was created in 2010 by Charlene L. De Carvalho-Heineken.

About the study
Jongepier studies how the growing power of algorithms affects the human capacity for autonomy and self-knowledge. She raises the topical question of whether we can still make autonomous choices in the face of online manipulation. In doing so, Jongepier examines the tensions between ‘algorithmic authority’ and ‘first-person authority’. Is it bad if we listen to algorithms more often than to individuals, and if so, why? And in which cases is it good to listen to algorithms rather than to individuals? Jongepier believes that when organisations increasingly rely on algorithmic systems, people are increasingly treated as objects. The fact that people have a point of view or a need becomes ‘facts’ about people that are used to guide or even manipulate them.

Jury impressed by active role in social debate
According to the jury, Jongepier’s appealing way of demonstrating the importance of in-depth scientific research and at the same time helping the public to form opinions is impressive. She asks questions and brings to the surface problems that society would otherwise ignore. Her active and important role in the current social debate translates into publications in Trouw, NRC, and de Volkskrant as well as in the prestigious Times Higher Education. In addition, she is one of the founders of the Bij naderzien philosophy blog. She also likes to sit in on talk shows every now and then.

About Fleur Jongepier
Fleur Jongepier (Eindhoven, 1986) studied philosophy at Utrecht University. She completed a research master’s degree at Radboud University Nijmegen and received her PhD summa cum laude for her research on self-knowledge. She then held various appointments, including postdoctoral researcher at the University of Cambridge. Since 2018, she has been an ethics lecturer at Radboud University in Nijmegen. Recently, she and a colleague published a volume, The Philosophy of Online Manipulation (open access). In addition to the Heineken Young Scientists Award, she has been awarded a NWO Veni grant, a Niels Stensen Fellowship, and a NWO grant for a PhD in the humanities.

Chronobiologist Laura Kervezee (1989), who works at Leiden University Medical Centre, has been awarded the Heineken Young Scientists Award 2022 in the field of Medical/Biomedical Sciences. The jury praised her research into the biological clock and its practical translation into the improvement of patient care. The chronobiological knowledge that Kervezee provides, gives insight into ways of keeping the biological clock healthy in our 24-hour society and other situations in which the clock becomes disturbed, such as when ageing or in hospital. In health care, these insights are used to improve the functioning of drugs and therapies.

The Heineken Young Scientists Awards are awarded every two years to four highly promising young researchers working in the Netherlands. The winners are selected from four fields of science: Medical/Biomedical Sciences, Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences is responsible for the nomination and selection process. The award includes a cash prize of EUR 10,000 and a work of art. Previous laureates in the field of Medical/Biomedical Sciences include Meta Roestenberg (2020) and Joost Snijder (2018). The award was created in 2010 by Charlene L. De Carvalho-Heineken.

About the study
Kervezee is fascinated by the biological clock and its effect on health and disease. Her research focuses on the effects of the biological clock on ageing, disease, and bodily functions such as sleep, metabolism, and the immune system. She also studies the effect of the disruption of this internal clock on physiology and health, for example in night shift workers and hospital patients. For example, her research shows that the effectiveness of drugs depends on the time at which they are taken. She shows that by applying chronobiological knowledge in healthcare, patient care can be improved in a simple way.

Jury praises translation into public communication
It is unique how Kervezee manages to clearly communicate the complex data from her research to society, according to the jury. She gives workshops for NEMO Science Museum and creates teaching materials about the biological clock for secondary schools. With her research, she not only contributes to the fundamental knowledge of the biological clock, but she also looks for ways to counteract the disruption of our internal clock, which promotes health. Her work is noticed by national media, setting an example for a new generation of scientists.

About Laura Kervezee
Laura Kervezee (The Hague, 1989) studied biomedical sciences at University College Utrecht. She then completed a master’s degree in neuroscience at University College London and obtained a doctorate from Leiden University Medical Centre for her research on the biological clock. She is now researcher and chronobiologist at the Circadian Clocks group of the Department of Cell and Chemical Biology at Leiden University Medical Centre. In addition, she is co-initiator and co-coordinator of the BioClock Consortium, a national network of researchers and social partners focusing on restoring and maintaining the health of the biological clock in modern society, which was recently launched thanks to a grant from NWO. In addition to the Heineken Young Scientists Award, she recently received a ZonMw Veni grant for her project ‘It’s about time’ and has won previous awards including the KHMW Essay Award (2015) and the McGill MedStar Award (2019).

Kia Nobre, professor of Translational Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Oxford, will be awarded the C.L. de Carvalho-Heineken Prize for Cognitive Science 2022. The award honours her innovative approach to imaging and understanding the human brain as well as the impact of this work on numerous subfields of cognitive neuroscience, including attention, working memory, long-term memory, and language.

The Heineken Prizes are the Netherlands’ most prestigious international science prizes. Every two years they are awarded to five distinguished researchers. The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences is responsible for the nomination and selection process. During the first week of June, a 2022 laureate will be announced every weekday. Previous laureates of the C.L. de Carvalho-Heineken Prize for Cognitive Science include Robert Zatorre (2020) and Nancy Kanwisher (2018). The award was established in 2006 by Charlene L. De Carvalho-Heineken.

About the study
Nobre studies how our brains combine signals from our environment and our memory to shape experiences and direct perception, attention, language, and behaviour. Among other things, she focuses on how our brain can concentrate on the most relevant signals from the environment and the relevant items in our short-term memory. She explains: ‘At its core, selective attention is the prioritisation and selection of relevant information by our brain to anticipate and modify our behaviour. At any given moment, there is a gigantic number of signals available, coming from external stimuli from our surroundings and internal stimuli such as memories. These signals are constantly competing to be processed in the brain. Selecting and synthesising the most relevant signals amidst all these distractions is essential for building coherent sensory perception, understanding and producing language, and accomplishing everyday tasks like cooking or driving.’

Nobre’s research group has played a major role in developing knowledge of the structure of the brain’s attentional control network. Among other things, she discovered that the brain can make predictions about the timing of relevant events, and that these predictions determine where we focus our attention and, so, influence our perception. Nobre recently developed new methods to study how long-term memories affect our perception. Nobre uses the knowledge she gains about the brain to research what happens in the case of neurodegenerative diseases. The knowledge of how the brain processes information and creates a mental experience is of great importance for education, for example.

Jury praises pioneering role in cognitive science
The jury, with chair Roshan Cools, professor of cognitive neuropsychiatry at Radboud University Nijmegen and the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, is impressed not only by the depth but also by the breadth of Nobre’s research, and its impact. It has identified her as a pioneering and distinguished researcher who has helped to pioneer the transition from cognitive psychology to cognitive neuroscience. Nobre was among the first to use several revolutionary techniques to image the brain. For example, early in her career, she measured brain activity via electrodes in the brains of epilepsy patients who had had these electrodes implanted. This led to the discovery of new areas of the brain that play a role in processing words, a major breakthrough in understanding the language network in the human brain. The jury also recognises her commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion, for her exceptional mentoring and leadership skills, and calls her a role model for women scientists.

About Kia Nobre
Kia Nobre (Rio de Janeiro, 1963) grew up in Rio de Janeiro and studied neuroscience at Williams College in Williamstown. In 1993, she received her PhD in neuroscience from Yale University. After a postdoc at Yale and a research position at Harvard Medical School, she moved to the United Kingdom in 1994. She became a faculty member of the Department of Experimental Psychology and a tutorial fellow at the University of Oxford, and was promoted to professor of Cognitive Neuroscience in 2006. Since 2010, she has been director of the Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity. In 2014, she became the first Chair of Translational Cognitive Neuroscience. Nobre is a member of the British Academy, Academia Europaea, and National Academy of Sciences in the USA. In addition to the C.L. de Carvalho-Heineken Prize for Cognitive Science, awards she has received include the MRC Suffrage Science Award, the Broadbent Prize, and the APS Mentor Award.

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Carl Folke, director of the Beijer Institute for Ecological Economics and founder and chair of the board of the Stockholm Resilience Centre, will be awarded the Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for Environmental Sciences 2022. The award honours his pioneering role in the integrated approach to sustainability issues. The environmental scientist was one of the first to argue that society and nature must be examined as a whole in order to maintain the resilience of Earth’s social and ecological systems.

The Heineken Prizes are the Netherlands’ most prestigious international science prizes. Every two years they are awarded to five distinguished researchers. The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences is responsible for the nomination and selection process. During the first week of June, a 2022 laureate will be announced every weekday. Previous laureates of the Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for Environmental Sciences include Corinne Le Quéré (2020) and Paul Hebert (2018). The award was established in 1990 by Alfred H. Heineken.

About the study
Folke laid the foundation for the theory that describes the resilience of social and ecological systems. Resilience is seen as the degree to which ecosystems can regenerate after disruption. Resilience defines the capacity to live with changing conditions, and to cope with predictable and unpredictable events, such as increasingly frequent extreme weather events. The loss of species due to the way in which humans interact with nature reduces the resilience of the entire terrestrial ecosystem and, therefore, the certainty of its continued existence. Early in his career, Folke realised that you cannot solve this problem by considering humans as external factors affecting ecosystems, as was common at the time. People are part of the ecosystems they are changing. By linking the concept of resilience to these so-called social-ecological systems, Folke makes the case that the world can only be improved by starting with ourselves.

Folke explores how this resilience can be increased by bridging the gap between science and policy. For example, he is seeking sustainable solutions with various governments and companies. He explains: ‘We are studying municipalities that have made a successful transformation to sustainable nature management. That knowledge in turn can be used to help other municipalities, counties, and countries.’

Jury praises Folke’s visionary view of sustainability science
Folke has played a crucial role in a cross-disciplinary approach to more sustainable use of the earth’s resources. The jury, with chair Wim van der Putten, department head of Terrestrial Ecology NIOO-KNAW and special professor of Functional Biodiversity at WUR, underlines that thanks to Folke’s vision, thinking about the sustainability challenge has changed: life on planet Earth is not limitless. He was at the forefront of influential concepts such as the ecological footprint, resilience, and Earth stewardship. In addition, he has brought science and policy together and ensures mutual knowledge sharing and understanding. The establishment of, among other things, the Stockholm Resilience Centre allows scientists from very different disciplines to work together to solve sustainability issues on a global level.

About Carl Folke
Carl Folke (Stockholm, 1955) studied business economics and biology, and received his PhD in ecological economics from Stockholm University in 1990. In 1991, he became deputy director of the Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics, part of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. In 1997, he became professor of Natural Resource Management at Stockholm University. In 2007, he founded the Stockholm Resilience Centre, together with Johan Rockström, where he has been scientific director ever since. He also became director of the Beijer Institute in 2007. In addition to the Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for Environmental Sciences, awards he has received include the Sustainability Science Award from the Ecological Society of America, the Planet and Humanity Medal from the International Geographical Union, and the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco’s Grand Medal Albert I in Science.

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Sunil Amrith, professor of History at Yale University, will be awarded the Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for History 2022. The award honours his search for the historical origins of the great inequality that exists between and within countries as well as the connection that he has identified to the impact of climate change. 

The Heineken Prizes are the Netherlands’ most prestigious international science prizes. Every two years they are awarded to five distinguished researchers. The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences is responsible for the nomination and selection process. During the first week of June, a 2022 laureate will be announced every weekday. Previous laureates of the Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for History include Lorraine Daston (2020) and John McNeill (2018). The award was established in 1990 by Alfred H. Heineken.

About the study
Amrith studies the history of South and Southeast Asia. He is interested in the transnational connections between these two regions, focusing mainly on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Among other things, he has studied the large-scale migration around the Bay of Bengal, and the circulation of cultural, religious, and political ideas that followed. He also focuses on the history of the environment in this region, and the relationship between climate and water cycles around the Indian Ocean. He recently wrote the book Unruly Waters, in which he explains why monsoons and rivers play such an important role in the history of South and Southeast Asia. The recurring theme in his work is the effect of imperialism and colonialism on the inequality between and within countries.  Again, he makes the connection to environment: Amrith is researching how climate change affects socioeconomic issues such as migration and inequality. He explains: ‘Our current environmental crisis is best understood in relation to a history of increasing inequality, both between and within countries. Moreover, we can better equip ourselves to understand the challenges we all face if we listen to and learn from the widest possible range of voices, including those that have been marginalised or silenced.’ 

Jury praises Amrith’s new perspective on environmental history
‘Unruly Waters is an extraordinary broadening of the history of the Indian subcontinent, from a whole new perspective,’ says the jury, with chair Judith Pollmann, historian, and professor of early modern Dutch History. Amrith combines political, social, and cultural insights, micro and macro perspectives. In doing so, he combines administrative and popular sources, such as film and drama. In addition, he ties his research to the perspective of the individual and the way in which life is affected by climate. For example, he makes a connection between colonial exploitation and climate change in India. This new approach to issues such as ecology, migration, politics, health, and climate makes Amrith a leader in the field of environmental history. 

About Sunil Amrith
Sunil Amrith (Kenya, 1979) grew up in Singapore and then moved to the United Kingdom to study history at Cambridge University. He received his PhD in history from the same university in 2005. After working briefly as a researcher at Trinity College, Cambridge, he was appointed lecturer at Birbeck College, part of the University of London. In 2015, he was appointed Mehra Family Professor of South Asian History at Harvard University. Since 2020, he has been Renu and Anand Dhawan Professor of History at Yale University. In addition to the Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for History, awards he has received include the John F. Richards Prize, the Infosys Prize in Humanities, and the MacArthur Fellowship.

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Vishva M. Dixit, vice president of Early Discovery Research at Genentech, will be awarded the Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for Medicine 2022. The award honours his pioneering biomedical research on apoptosis, the process of programmed cell death, and necrosis, where cell death is caused by factors outside the cell such as infection or trauma. His discoveries have provided mechanistic insight for new clinical treatments, including immunotherapy in cancer patients.

The Heineken Prizes are the Netherlands’ most prestigious international science prizes. Every two years they are awarded to five distinguished researchers. The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences is responsible for the nomination and selection process. During the first week of June, a 2022 laureate will be announced every weekday. Previous laureates of the Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for Medicine include Karl Deisseroth (2020) and Peter Carmeliet (2018). The award was established in 1989 by Alfred H. Heineken.

About the study
Dixit studies how the cells of the body die, and how our bodies regulate the process of apoptosis. Every second, your body replaces about a million cells because they are old, damaged or mutated. As the biomedical researcher himself explains: ‘We live because we are continuously dying.’ Dixit discovered which enzymes are involved in apoptosis, and how they activate each other in a chain reaction. This knowledge could be used, among other things, for enhancing immunotherapy in cancer patients, with immune cells initiating this chain reaction, killing cancer cells.

In addition to this ‘silent’ form of cell death, there is also ‘loud’ cell death: necrosis. This occurs, for example, in the case of a cut, burn or infection. Dying cells alert immune cells to come and clear away the danger: they trigger an inflammatory response (inflammatory signalling). Dixit discovered that cells have different sensors for specific forms of danger, but that they trigger the inflammatory process in the same way. The discovery of one of these so-called receptors, NLRP3, is of importance for treating inflammation that is not caused by pathogens (bacteria, viruses or fungi) and that can contribute to degenerative conditions such as arthritis, atherosclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease. Dixit’s research group discovered drugs that specifically inhibit NLRP3. This will make it possible to treat sterile infections in the future, without reducing resistance to pathogens.

Jury praises significant contribution of clinical treatments
Dixit’s early findings revealing the fundamental mechanism of apoptosis form the basis of advanced therapies now used in clinics. The jury, with chair René Medema, director of Science Policy at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, said it was confident that Dixit’s future research would have a similar impact on the treatment of numerous diseases, including cancer, autoimmune diseases, and infections. In addition to these important scientific discoveries as a ‘leader in apoptosis research’, the jury says Dixit is a highly dedicated mentor for postdocs and his students. The jury is awarding the prize to Dixit because of his drive to disseminate knowledge about the immune system to a wide audience. The fact that he actively promotes science education in low- and middle-income countries also factored into the jury’s decision.

About Vishva Dixit
Vishva Dixit (Kisii, Kenya, 1956) studied medicine at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. In 1981, he moved to the United States for a medical residency training programme at Washington University in St. Louis. In 1986, he joined as an Assistant Professor the Pathology Department at the University of Michigan, where he was appointed full Professor in 1995. Beginning in 1997, he held various positions at the biotech company Genentech, and he has been vice president of Early Discovery Research since 2005. Between 1999 and 2008, he was also a professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of California. Dixit has more than fifty patents to his name. In addition to the Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for Medicine, awards he has received include the Vilcek Prize, the Gutenberg Research Award, and the Dawson Prize in Genetics.

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Carolyn Bertozzi, professor of Chemistry and, by courtesy, Chemical & Systems Biology at Stanford University, will be awarded the Dr H.P. Heineken Prize for Biochemistry and Biophysics 2022. The award honours Bertozzi’s ground-breaking research into communication between cells and methods of influencing this communication.

The Heineken Prizes are the Netherlands’ most prestigious international science prizes. Every two years they are awarded to five distinguished researchers. The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences is responsible for the nomination and selection process. During the first week of June, a 2022 laureate will be announced every weekday. Previous laureates of the Dr H.P. Heineken Prize for Biochemistry and Biophysics include Bruce Stillman (2020), Xiaowei Zhuang (2018) and Jennifer Doudna (2016). The award was established in 1964 by Alfred H. Heineken.

About the study
Our cells communicate with each other through molecules on the cell surface. Sugar molecules, also known as glycans, play an important role in this process. Bertozzi is developing chemical methods to study and influence the cell surface. Immune cells, for example, can tell from these sugars whether a cell is healthy or diseased. Amongst other things, her research shows that cancer cells fool immune cells by presenting a specific sugar molecule on the cell surface. With techniques from her lab, these sugar molecules can be ‘mowed down’, making immune cells recognise the cancer cells as dangerous and attack them. This is a major breakthrough in the treatment of cancer through immunotherapy that is currently being tested in patients.

Recent development
Recently, Bertozzi’s group discovered a new strategy to attack harmful extracellular molecules that cause disease. Conventional drugs for this often consist of monoclonal antibodies, which block harmful molecules by binding to them. But with some harmful molecules, this does not work. That is why Bertozzi and colleagues developed a way to not just block these molecules, but to ensure that they are taken into a cell and completely broken down there.

Jury praises Bertozzi’s role as founder of a new field
Bertozzi has developed more techniques to affect the cell surface and the inside of the cell, in living animals, grouped together under the name ‘bioorthogonal chemistry’. Bioorthogonal chemistry, founded by Bertozzi, has developed into a major field of study. Laboratories all over the world use these techniques to study and influence interactions between cells. The jury, chaired by Albert Heck, professor of chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences at Utrecht University, calls this concept one of the few truly transformative developments at the interface of chemical and life sciences. Bertozzi bridges the gap between chemistry and biology as well as between the laboratory and the patient. This proves her great contribution to translational research, in which she is a pioneer in the translation of results from fundamental research to practical application.

Role model for LGBTQ+ in science
In addition to her work as a brilliant chemist, the jury has praised Bertozzi’s activities regarding education for science and society, calling her an inspiring teacher, a successful entrepreneur, and a tireless advocate for the importance of science in everyday life as well as diversity in science. In particular her support of women and LGBTQ+ scientists. In addition, her research results are finding their way into medical applications.

About Carolyn Bertozzi
Carolyn Bertozzi (Boston, 1966) studied chemistry at Harvard University in the United States. She received her Ph.D., also in chemistry, from the University of California (UC) Berkeley in 1993. In 2002, she was appointed professor of Chemistry and Molecular Cell Biology there. In 2015, she moved from UC Berkeley to Stanford University and became professor of Chemistry and, by courtesy, of Chemical & Systems Biology. Her scientific work forms the basis of more than fifty patents and she is co-founder of several biotech companies, where her research results find their way into medical applications. In addition to the Dr H.P. Heineken Prize for Biochemistry and Biophysics, awards Bertozzi has received include the Wolf Prize, the Nagoya Medal, and the Solvay Prize.

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Visual artist Remy Jungerman will be awarded the Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for Art 2022. The jury praises the artist for the way he interweaves the cultures of the countries that define him: Suriname, the Netherlands, and the United States. By using geometric patterns and horizontals composed of panels varying of length, width, and colour, Jungerman creates a unique style and an extensive layering in his work. This form and connection of traditions offers the audience a new visual language that initiates a dialogue between disparate cultures.

The Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for Art is the biggest visual art prize in the Netherlands. The award was established in 1988 by Alfred H. Heineken to honour and encourage top talent in the arts in their development and to enhance their international prominence as artists. The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences is responsible for the nomination and selection process. Previous laureates include Ansuya Blom (2020) and Erik van Lieshout (2018).

Jungerman creates sculptures, paintings, and installations in which he combines elements from different cultures. Materials, traditions, and rituals from Africa and North and South America form the basis of his work and he incorporates them in a modernist way. Specifically, he draws much inspiration from the Maroons of Suriname, descendants of escaped enslaved people. He uses textiles from the Winti religion, which Maroons, among other beliefs and practices, adhere to, and kaolin, a porcelain clay used in this culture during rituals to purify bodies and objects. In his large installations, he also uses other materials from rituals. He wants to use the aesthetics of these materials to tell new stories. 

Jury praises combination of different traditions
The jury, chaired by Patricia Pisters, professor of Film Studies at the University of Amsterdam, is impressed by the body of work that Jungerman has steadily built up. In his installations, sculptures, paintings, and prints, he repeatedly manages to combine visual elements from different traditions in original ways. Although visually abstract, the jury describes his art as simultaneously physical and grounded. For example, in his work Visiting Deities, an installation around a long table of kaolin-treated blue-and-white and black-and-white chequered textiles, he uses Dutch river clay and water samples from the Amstel, Hudson, and Cottica rivers. Rivers on the three continents between which Jungerman travels. This layering makes the viewer think, according to the jury. Jungerman explains: ‘I thought it was important to install this table at the Venice Biennale. The Giardini, where the Biennale is held, has always been a glorification of the colonial past. There, all the rich countries could exhibit the wealth they had amassed from free labour through their colonies. As someone who comes from former colonial territory, I wanted to use the table to purify the space, and in doing so, to start the conversation.’ 

Follow-up research into Gee’s Bend quilts
Jungerman will receive €100,000 funded by a private fund, the Dr. A.H. Heineken Foundation for the Arts; half of this is earmarked for a publication and/or exhibition. The award will allow Jungerman to broaden his field of work. For example, in the United States he plans to research Gee’s Bend quilts, a type of blanket made by women from the isolated African-American community of Gee’s Bend. They use similar geometries to the early Maroon shoulder cloths from the previous century. Jungerman wants to discover what the similarities are and, in doing so, tell the great story of that geometric journey from the African continent to North and South America.

About Remy Jungerman
Remy Jungerman (1959, Moengo, Suriname) is a visual artist. He studied at the Academy for Higher Art and Culture Education in Paramaribo in Suriname and continued his education at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. He was an artist-in-residence at Art Omi in New York in 2013 and at the International Studio & Curatorial Program, also in New York, in 2018. Jungerman represented the Netherlands at the Venice Biennale in 2019 with the exhibition The Measurement of Presence, with artist Iris Kensmil. Jungerman has exhibited frequently at home and abroad, including at the Kunstmuseum Den Haag, Prospect 3, the New Orleans Contemporary Art Triennial, the Lyon Museum of Contemporary Art, the Brooklyn Museum in New York, and the Havana Biennial. In late 2021 and early 2022, he curated a major solo exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, titled Behind the Forest.