The Shaw Prize Award Presentation Ceremony 2025 was recently held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. In late May, Wolfgang Baumeister, director of the Cryo-Electron Microscopy Facility and distinguished adjunct professor at the iHuman Institute of ShanghaiTech University, and emeritus director of the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Germany, was awarded the Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine 2025 for his pioneering development and application of cryo-electron tomography.
Professor Baumeister attended the ceremony with his wife, Gudrun Baumeister (third from left). Joining him to witness this glorious moment were Liu Zhi-Jie, executive director of the iHuman Institute (first from left), Yang Guang, distinguished adjunct professor at the Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies (SIAIS) (second from right), Ernesto Carafoli, visiting professor at SIAIS (third from right), as well as Luca Zinzula, research associate professor (second from left) and Zhang Xiaoxiao, research associate professor at the iHuman Institute (first from right).
Professor Baumeister and his team utilized cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) technology to first resolve the in situ structure of the proteasome complex, revealing how cells recognize and degrade pathogenic proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases, and elucidating the conformational changes of the proteasome in different functional states. This work provides key scientific evidence for unraveling the molecular mechanisms of various diseases.
John Lee Ka-chiu, Hong Kong SAR chief executive, served as the presiding guest. In his speech, he congratulated the laureates and praised their outstanding and enduring contributions to science and the progress of human civilization.
The Shaw Prize was established in 2002 and includes awards in Astronomy, Life Science and Medicine, and Mathematical Sciences. It honors outstanding scientists who have achieved breakthrough advances in scientific research or applications with profound impacts on humanity. The 2025 Shaw Prize laureates include: John Richard Bond and George Efstathiou for the Astronomy Prize; Wolfgang Baumeister for the Life Science and Medicine Prize; and Kenji Fukaya for the Mathematical Sciences Prize.
As a pioneer in structural biology, Professor Baumeister has led the development of cryo-ET technology with his resilient research spirit and exceptional scientific vision. His work has not only brought revolutionary technological breakthroughs but has also profoundly influenced the global landscape of life science research. This award is not only a high affirmation of Professor Baumeister’s personal achievements but also highlights ShanghaiTech’s international influence in structural biology and bioimaging.