Russia rewards top neuroscientist who left Europe for China with Vyzov Prize

Nikos Logothetis from the International Centre for Primate Brain Research in Shanghai becomes first non-Russian to receive the award

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Nikos Logothetis was director of cognitive processes at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Germany before moving to China. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 12:14pm, 19 Dec 2024Updated: 5:16pm, 19 Dec 2024

A prominent neuroscientist who left Europe to join a brand new research facility in China has won one of Russia’s top science awards for opening up the possibilities of non-invasive studies of brain activity in real time.

Nikos Logothetis was awarded the Vyzov Prize’s discovery category for his contributions to the development of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and its introduction into the study of human brain activity.

“When I started, I realised to my surprise that people have no idea what fMRI signals are,” said Logothetis, co-director and senior investigator at the International Centre for Primate Brain Research in Shanghai.

According to the Vyzov Foundation, Logothetis was recognised for making it possible to study brain activity non-invasively at a high resolution, potentially leading to new ways to diagnose and treat neurological conditions such as depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

Logothetis said it was an “extremely nice” surprise to win the international category, which this year received more than 600 nominations from scientists in more than 30 countries.

He is the first non-Russian to win the prize, which was established in 2023 in partnership with the government. Logothetis will receive his award at a ceremony in Moscow on Thursday night.