Kerckhoff Foundation Honors Research Projects at the Max Planck Institute in Bad Nauheim

Manish Dwari, Margo Favier and Jeong Hyeon Kwon receive awards for their research

September 22, 2026

The Kerckhoff Foundation has presented three poster awards for outstanding research projects at the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research in Bad Nauheim for the first time. The awards were presented as part of the Institute’s two-day retreat.

Around 250 scientists currently work at the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research (MPI). Research is conducted across three departments and four research groups, focusing, among other areas, on cardiovascular diseases, developmental biology, tumor development, and the role of the nervous system in the development of cardiovascular disease.

Certificate Ceremony at the Retreat — Two certificates for three awards: Because Manish Dwari, Margo Favier, and Jeong Hyeon Kwon (from left to right) ended up tied for points, Thomas Braun (right), deputy chairman of the Kerckhoff Foundation, decided on the spot to honor all three young scientists instead of awarding only two prizes, as originally planned.

Two certificates for three awards: Because Manish Dwari, Margo Favier, and Jeong Hyeon Kwon (from left to right) ended up tied for points, Thomas Braun (right), deputy chairman of the Kerckhoff Foundation, decided on the spot to honor all three young scientists instead of awarding only two prizes, as originally planned.

Under its statutes, the William G. Kerckhoff Foundation for Scientific Research and Continuing Education supports research at the MPI in a variety of ways. Its main activities include funding fellowships and operating a guest house for national and international visiting scientists.

This year, the Foundation presented poster awards to two female scientists and one male scientist in recognition of their research. The awards were presented during a two-day institute retreat, which brought together around 100 scientists from across the MPI to present and discuss current research findings, many of which have not yet been published.

The retreats focus on scientific exchange across the Institute’s different research areas. In addition to giving presentations, scientists showcase their research findings on large-format posters featuring data, microscopy images and other results. During the poster sessions, researchers discuss their findings in small groups, compare methodological approaches and explore possible next steps in their research.

At the end of the retreat, participants selected the best poster presentations. The three young scientists were then honored with the Poster Award, presented by the Kerckhoff Foundation for the first time this year.

Margo Favier received an award for her research into the so-called internal clock and its role in the embryonic development of the heart. Jeong Hyeon Kwon was recognized for studies of protein receptors in the cell membranes of macrophages. Manish Dwari received an award for his developmental biology research into cell division in heart muscle cells in zebrafish.

The awards were presented by Professor Thomas Braun, Managing Director of the MPI and Deputy Chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. He praised the commitment of the three award recipients as well as that of all scientists at the MPI and expressed his confidence that Bad Nauheim will remain an important location for outstanding scientific research in the years to come.

According to Volker Remmele, Chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, the poster awards are also intended to encourage continued high-quality research at the MPI. He said the Foundation therefore plans to offer the awards again next year.