2026 Sabin Awards Ceremony

Uğur Şahin, MD and Özlem Türeci, MD

Through their unwavering dedication to innovation in the service of humanity, Professors Uğur Şahin, MD, and Özlem Türeci, MD, have advanced immunization and inspired a generation of scientists.

As physician-scientists, life partners, and entrepreneurs, Şahin and Türeci have devoted their careers to translating science into meaningful medical advances for patients. Their deep understanding of the human immune system and their pioneering work in the field of vaccines and personalized cancer immunotherapies led to the creation of a versatile platform technology which is also being leveraged to develop vaccines for diseases that represent large unmet global health needs. Together they led and initiated the historic development of the first approved new technology vaccine against COVID-19, moving from lab and clinical evaluation to conditional approval within an unprecedented 11-month period. This vaccine is credited with saving millions of lives worldwide.

In parallel, their dedication extends beyond developing medical innovations. They are working along the entire research and development chain to help improve the health of people. Together with their team and partners, they are leading initiatives to contribute to build a sustainable and resilient vaccine ecosystem, contributing to improved access to novel medicines worldwide.

Experienced scientific entrepreneurs and pioneers, Sahin and Türeci co-founded and successfully scaled two biotechnology companies: Ganymed Pharmaceuticals in 2001 and BioNTech in 2008. Building on their remarkable track record, they announced plans in March 2026 to establish their third venture.

Şahin is a clinically experienced physician, immunologist, and internationally recognized pioneer in the development of novel approaches to treating cancer and infectious diseases. He serves as BioNTech’s Chief Executive Officer. Sahin is co-inventor of more than 500 filed patent applications and patents. His academic credentials include serving as a Full Professor in Translational Oncology & Immunology (TRON) at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany and as member of the scientific management board of the Helmholtz Institute for Translational Oncology (HI-TRON). Şahin was born in Iskenderun, Türkiye and moved to Germany with his family at the age of four.

Türeci is a physician, immunologist, and researcher with translational and clinical experience who serves as BioNTech’s Chief Medical Officer. Prior to co-founding BioNTech in 2008, she co-founded Ganymed Pharmaceuticals alongside Uğur Şahin and Christoph Huber, where she served as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Medical Officer.

Türeci is also a professor for Personalized Immunotherapy at the University Medical Center Mainz and the Helmholtz Institute for Translational Oncology Mainz (HI-TRON) and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and serves as President of the Association for Cancer Immunotherapy (CIMT). She is a member of the steering committee of the German Chancellor’s Strategy Group for Technology and Innovation. Türeci was born in Siegen, Germany and is married to Sahin.

Both are repeatedly listed among the top 20 translational researchers worldwide in Nature Biotechnology and have received numerous awards for their innovations and research.