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Internationally recognized for his research into new treatments for mental disorders, psychiatrist and professor André Russowsky Brunoni, from the Department of Psychiatry at the Faculty of Medical Sciences at USP, has just received the Georg Forster Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Germany.
The researcher stood out in the field of Interventional Psychiatry, focusing on major depressive disorder, for his work both in the development of low-cost therapies with potentially high scalability and in high-complexity interventions, carried out in a hospital environment, for difficult-to-treat cases.
Aimed at researchers from Global South countries, the Georg Forster Award is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany, and awards the researcher 60 thousand euros. Every year, the Humboldt Foundation receives about 200 nominations and, in 2024, in addition to the Brazilian doctor, ecologist Amy Theresa Austin from the Universidad de Buenos Aires was also awarded.
The nomination of the USP researcher was made by Peter Falkai, full professor and head of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU), in Germany. In addition to the financial value, the award also includes a stay of six to 12 months at LMU and other top German universities.
“During this stay, I intend to collaborate with researchers from the German Center for Mental Health, focusing on artificial intelligence, implementation science, and innovative research designs, such as platform trials ,” explained Brunoni, who is also head of the Interdisciplinary Neuromodulation Service and co-director of the Electroconvulsive Therapy Service at the Institute of Psychiatry of Clinical Hospital of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of USP.
At the end of the season in German institutions, the goal is to apply the knowledge generated to the Brazilian reality, accelerating the implementation of the results of the research conducted by the group. “In the last five years, many new treatments for mental disorders have been developed, but the translation of these findings for the benefit of the population is still timid,” the professor added.
The award ceremony will take place between the months of June and July 2025, in Berlin, at an event attended by those honored by the Humboldt Foundation and academic authorities, such as the president of the Humboldt Foundation, Robert Schlögl, and governmental authorities, such as the president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
To learn more about the award, access this link..
Text: Communication Press Office from Faculty of Medical Sciences
English version: Nexus Traduções
