ECCO Young Researcher Award: A Boost for Emerging Researchers
Bella Ungar, SciCom Member
 Bella Ungar © ECCO |
Pokémon is a globally popular Japanese cartoon. My son is a Pokémon enthusiast. He loves the thrilling evolution of Pokémon creatures from the young Pokémon into its more advanced form. The suspense surrounding the ECCO Young Researcher Award mirrors this Pokémon transformation, as emerging researchers in our community are recognised for their own distinguished professional growth.
Two recipients of the 2024 ECCO Young Researcher Award, João Pedro Guedelha Sabino and Jakob Zimmerman, share their insights on how this ECCO recognition benefits their careers.
João Sabino, a physician-researcher from Leuven, Belgium, views the award as a motivational boost, providing not only monetary support for research but also recognition of the recipient’s efforts and achievements in translational research. He believes the best time to apply for the award is within five years of completing a PhD or fellowship, when significant research accomplishments can be showcased.
"The foundation for success in both medicine and research is a solid training in clinical and scientific fields", João explains. During his PhD, he focused on microbiome studies in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis-related Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). He now leverages that knowledge to conduct large-scale clinical studies on diet’s impact on IBD. "A strong team, collaboration and dedicated research time are crucial", he adds.
Jakob Zimmerman, based at the University of Bern in Switzerland, is establishing his own lab as an independent investigator studying T-cell subsets and their interactions with the microbiome using murine models of IBD. He considered the award especially important as it helps with "bridging the gap" between basic science researchers and clinicians. "This award is not only prestigious but also enhances visibility within the scientific community and opens doors to additional funding opportunities", says Jakob. Indeed, both Jakob and João won additional large-scale grants in proximity to winning the Young Researcher Award.
Both award winners underscore the importance of publishing significant research prior to applying for the ECCO Grant. Jakob Zimmerman also encourages young researchers to submit as many applications as possible, believing that each effort increases the likelihood of success.
While the realms of scientific research and the colourful lands of Pokémon may seem worlds apart, both require boldness, effort and a commitment to evolution. The 2024 ECCO Young Researcher Award winners regard this accolade as a significant career milestone and encourage fellow ECCO Members, especially female scientists, to apply. After all, the more applications submitted, the greater the chances of advancement.
ECCO Office note: the next call opens in January 2025 – see here for Fact Sheet.
Applications from all genders residing in an ECCO Member Country are encouraged!
Marc Ferrante, Jakob Zimmerman, João Sabino and Britta Siegmund at ECCO'24 Award ceremony © ECCO