WFSBP Awards
During the Congresses, the Executive Committee presents several prizes to honour distinguished scientists for their continuous excellence in clinical and basic research. The awards will be delivered during the Opening Ceremony of the Congress.
WFSBP Award of Scientific Excellence of the WFSBP Host
The “WFSBP Award of Scientific Excellence of the WFSBP Host” is dedicated to an outstanding researcher in the field of Biological Psychiatry originating from the host country of the World Congress of Biological Psychiatry.
WFSBP Lifetime Achievement Award in Biological Psychiatry
The “WFSBP Lifetime Achievement Award in Biological Psychiatry” is intended for senior research scientists (MD, PhD or equivalent) whose lifework has significantly influenced today‘s field of biological psychiatry.
WSFBP Research Prize
The “WFSBP Research Prize” is intended for WFSBP members (MD, PhD or equivalent) whose current scientific work has had an important impact in the field of clinical and / or basic research in the area of biological psychiatry. This award is open to members and non-members of the WFSBP.
WFSBP Award for Excellence in Education
The “WFSBP Award for Excellence in Education” is to acknowledge outstanding and innovative education in biological psychiatry including the implementation of new interactive media. The WFSBP Education prize is open to all WFSBP members who have improved education in all fields of Psychiatry.
WFSBP Young Investigator Awards
The training of a new generation of psychiatric academicians is a major objective of WFSBP’s participation in professional meetings. In recognition of the importance of academic exchange, WFSBP annually selects emerging young scholars from across the globe. The Young Investigator Award recognizes excellence in scholarly activity by junior researchers. Psychiatrists, psychologists, and basic researchers under the age of 40 that have submitted a (late-breaking) abstract for a poster may apply.
2026 Award Winners
WFSBP
Research Prize
Professor Daniel Martins-de-Souza is recognised for his pioneering contributions to neuroproteomics and the molecular mechanisms underlying psychiatric disorders. His research has significantly advanced our understanding of schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and biomarkers for mental illness.
WFSBP Lifetime Achievement Award
Professor Perminder Sachdev receives the WFSBP Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his outstanding career and lasting contributions to neuropsychiatry, cognitive ageing, and dementia research. His keynote lecture during the Awards Session will address Covert cerebral small vessel disease in the ageing brain: a silent driver of neuropsychiatric morbidity.
WFSBP Award for Excellence in Education
Professor Benicio Frey is honoured for his exceptional commitment to education, mentorship, and women's mental health. Alongside his research on mood disorders, brain imaging, and circadian rhythms, he has played an important role in training and supporting the next generation of clinicians and researchers.
WFSBP Young Investigator Awardees
Rahina Abubacker, India | Nandhini Bojappen, India | Julius Burkauskas, Lithuania | Fumito Hamada, Japan | Pooja Shakya, India | Bhagyalakshmi Shankarappa, India | Mini Sharma, India | Ashitha Siddappa Niranjana Murthy, India | Ranjit Singh, India | Arshia Sood, India | Shubham Upadhayay, India | Licia Vellucci, Italy
Previous Award Winners
WFSBP Lifetime Achievement Awards in Biological Psychiatry
Bernard Lerer, Israel
WFSBP Research Prize
Chieh-Hsin Lin, Taiwan
Philipp Homan, Switzerland
Young Investigator Awardees
| Giuseppe De Simone | Italy |
| Aiste Lengvenyte | France |
| Archana Mishra | India |
| Mahtab Motamed | Iran |
| Saba Faraji Niri | Iran |
| Razie Salehabadi | Iran |
| Marjan Shamspour | Iran |
| Federica Tizzoni | Italy |
| Esmé Jansen van Vuren | South Africa |
WFSBP Research Prize
Tadafumi Kato, Japan
Dominique Endres, Germany
WFSBP Award for Excellence in Education
Rajiv Tandon, United States of America
WFSBP Lifetime Achievement Awards in Biological Psychiatry
Marie Asberg, Sweden
Siegfried Kasper, Austria
Young Investigator Awardees
| Brenda Cabrera-Mendoza, United States | Zhe Lu, China | Bhagyalakshmi Shankarappa, India |
| João Carvalho, Brazil | Harkishan Mamtani, India | Sheikh Shoib, India |
| Kashypi Garg, India | Muftau Mohammed, Nigeria | Frederike Stein, Germany |
| Ishrat Husain, Canada | Preethi Veedrappa Reddy, India | Rebecca Strawbridge, United Kingdom |
| Manish Jha, United States | Neelabja Roy, India | Siroshini K Thiagarajan, Malaysia |
| Ali Kandeğer, Turkey | Carlien Rust, South Africa | Bilge Ugursu, Germany |
| Jee Kim, Australia | Fahimeh Saeed, Iran | Yuji Yamada, Japan |
| Daisuke Koshiyama, Japan | Mohammadreza Shalbafan, Iran | Yuyanan Zhang, China |
WFSBP Awards for Scientific Excellence of the WFSBP Host
Professor Gabriele Sachs, Austria
WFSBP Award for Excellence in Education
Professor Simavi Vahip, Turkey
WFSBP Lifetime Achievement Awards in Biological Psychiatry
Professor Robin Emsley, South Africa
Professor Peter Riederer, Germany
Young Investigator Awardees 2021
| Frances Adiwkwu, Nigeria | Dhruva Ithal, India | Ruth Verity Passchier, South Africa |
| Rakshathi Basavaraju, USA | Aishwariya Jha, India | Gayatri Saraf, Canada |
| Yvonne Bouter, Germany | Katarina Kouter, Slovenia | Miriam Schiele, Germany |
| Erine Briecker, South Africa | Anna Linda Leutritz, Germany | Georgios Schoretsanitis, Switzerland |
| Dominique Endres, Germany | Alexander Lourdes Samy, Malaysia | Bhagyalakshmi M. Shankarappa, India |
| Giuseppe Fanelli, Italy | Tina Meller, Germany | Nevya Spurthi Thatikonda, India |
| Adam Fijtman, USA | Marleen Mitschek, Austria | Douglas Teixeira Leffa, Brazil |
| Dusan Hirjak, Germany | Sachin Nagendrappa, India | Lucy Vanes, United Kingdom |
| Arpit Parmar, India |
WFSBP Awards for Scientific Excellence of the WFSBP Host
Professor Glenda MacQueen, Canada
Professor Stanley Kutcher, Canada
WFSBP Research Award
Professor Matcheri Keshavan, USA
WFSBP Lifetime Achievement Awards in Biological Psychiatry
Professor Robert Post, USA
Professor Dan Stein, South Africa
WFSBP Young Investigators’ Awards for best posters
have been given during the Closing Ceremony to 8 young poster presenters (under 40 years old).
WFSBP Award for Scientific Excellence of the WFSBP Host
Professor Per Bech, Denmark
WFSBP Research Award
Professor Eduard Vieta, Spain
WFSBP Award in Excellence in Education
Professor Florence Thibaut, France
WFSBP Young Investigators’ Awards for best posters
have been given during the Closing Ceremony to 8 young poster presenters (under 40 years old).
WFSBP Lifetime Achievement Award
Professor Janusz Rybakowski, Poland
WFSBP Research Award
Professor Rupert Lanzenberger, Austria
WFSBP Award in Excellence in Mentorship
Professor E. Mohandas, India
Professor Bilgen Taneli, Turkey
WFSBP Award in Excellence in Education
Professor Philippe Courtet, France
Professor Konstantinos Fountoulakis, Greece
WFSBP Young Investigators’ Awards for best posters
have been given during the Closing Ceremony to 10 young poster presenters (under 40 years old).
WFSBP Lifetime Achievement Award
Professor Janusz Rybakowski, Poland
WFSBP Research Award
Professor Rupert Lanzenberger, Austria
WFSBP Award in Excellence in Mentorship
Professor E. Mohandas, India
Professor Bilgen Taneli, Turkey
WFSBP Award in Excellence in Education
Professor Philippe Courtet, France
Professor Konstantinos Fountoulakis, Greece
WFSBP Young Investigators’ Awards for best posters
have been given during the Closing Ceremony to 10 young poster presenters (under 40 years old).