Hertie Foundation and FENS award Eric Kandel Young Neuroscientists Prize to Marta Zlatic

It is the fifth time that the Hertie Foundation and FENS have awarded the prize, which recognises the work of outstanding young scientists and gives them the means to advance their careers as researchers.

Dr Marta Zlatic conducts research at Janelia Research Campus, part of the prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute in the USA, and at Cambridge University in the UK. The prize is for her contribution to the understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying decision-making in the brains of animals. All living creatures are constantly making decisions and the nervous system controls behaviours that are essential for survival, such as flight or fight. Zlatic researches the bias towards various behaviours, the choice of one particular behaviour and the subsequent assessment of its success. 

FENS President, Barry Everitt, commented: “At FENS, we recognise the Eric Kandel Young Neuroscientist Prize as a significant means of both recognising outstanding research while aiding young neuroscientists in advancing their careers. We congratulate Dr Zlatic for this great achievement and we thank her for the major contribution to the understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying decision-making in the brains of animals, which is fundamental for future research in humans”.