Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize formally awarded to Carol W. Greider and Elizabeth Blackburn in Frankfurt’s Paulskirche.
On 14 March 2010, Carol W. Greider and Elizabeth H. Blackburn received the 2009 Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize at a ceremony in Frankfurt’s historic Paulskirche.
The Paul Ehrlich Institute’s press release noted that the prize honored their fundamental discoveries concerning telomeres and telomerase and their relevance for cancer and age-related diseases. The ceremony, traditionally held on Paul Ehrlich’s birthday, highlighted the importance of their work in the context of immunology, hematology, and experimental therapies.
This event was historically significant because it marked another major international recognition of Greider’s contributions, following the Nobel Prize and Lasker Award. Receiving the Ehrlich–Darmstaedter Prize placed her among an elite group of biomedical scientists whose discoveries have reshaped therapeutic possibilities.
For women in science, the prize ceremony in Paulskirche underscored the visibility of Greider and Blackburn as leading figures in molecular medicine, challenging longstanding patterns of male dominance in prestigious European biomedical awards. It reinforced the global consensus on the importance of telomerase research and demonstrated that women-led fundamental science could command the highest levels of international respect.