2025 International Brain Stimulation Award winner announced

The Editors of Brain Stimulation opens in new tab/window: Basic, Translational and Clinical Research in Neuromodulation, and Elsevier opens in new tab/window, a global leader in scientific information and analytics, are delighted to announce that Walter Paulus, MD is the recipient of the 2025 International Brain Stimulation Award. The awardee is determined by the Senior and Deputy Editors of Brain Stimulation, based on nominations from the entire brain stimulation community.

The International Brain Stimulation Award (IBSA) acknowledges outstanding contributions to the field of brain stimulation. These contributions may be in basic, translational, or clinical aspects of neuromodulation, and must have had a profound influence in shaping this exciting and fast-growing field of neuroscience and medicine. The award will be presented at the 6th International Brain Stimulation Conference opens in new tab/window, Feb 23-26, 2025, Kobe, Japan, where Dr. Paulus will deliver a plenary lecture.

Dr. Paulus is Emeritus Professor of Clinical Neurophysiology and former Clinical Director, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University Medical Centre, Göttingen, Germany. In 1978, he started training in Neurology at the University Hospital for Neurology in Düsseldorf. In 1980, he spent 6 months at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London. After receiving his specialty degree in Neurology, he continued at the Alfried Krupp Hospital in Essen and then in 1987 at the Ludwig Maximilian’s University in Munich. He was appointed to faculty in Göttingen in 1992. Since his retirement in 2021 from his Göttingen position, he continues EU-funded research at the Department of Neurology, Ludwig Maximilian’s University. From 2014 to 2018, he was chair of the European and African Chapter of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology (IFCN), from 2018 to 2022 President of the IFCN. Awards: Prize for the best thesis of the University of Düsseldorf (1979); Hans Berger Prize of the DGKN (2016); Pierre Gloor Award of the ACNS (2022); European Career Achievement on Non-invasive Brain Stimulation Award of the European Society for Brain Stimulation (2024).

Dr. Paulus and colleagues developed techniques for transcranial direct, alternating, and random noise stimulation (tDCS, tACS, tRNS) with the aim of modulating brain excitability. These transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) modalities are now widely used across the world in basic research to study brain-behavior relationships and in clinical research to modify disease expression. In Dr. Paulus’ early work, plastic aftereffects of tES were quantified in the motor cortex by using motor evoked potentials as output. Dr. Paulus and colleagues showed that defined intensity and time windows determine the plastic behavior of the brain, in line with the increase in intraneuronal calcium levels. Initially seemingly simple relationships, such as cathodal stimulation being inhibitory and anodal stimulation being excitatory, or linear relationships between stimulation duration or intensity and aftereffects, were subsequently specified in more complex non-linear models. State dependency was explored; at first glance, simple anodal/cathodal aftereffect induction applies only to the resting state of the motor cortex. Mental challenges or motor activation lead to collapse or reversal of aftereffects. Surround inhibition in conjunction with a “leaky membrane” hypothesis can model these effects. Dr. Paulus and colleagues described homeostatic mechanisms when combining electrical and rTMS methods. They also investigated the importance of the directionality of current flow, both for electrical and magnetic stimulation. Pioneering work was done on the co-application of many CNS-active drugs, which essentially influence the effects of both electrical and repetitive magnetic stimulation methods. These and other results have aided in the improvement of clinical stimulation protocols such as in the treatment of major depression.

“Dr. Paulus launched entire new areas of Brain Stimulation – tDCS, tACS, tRNS. His initial studies showed to a skeptical world that these interventions can change brain activity immediately and for some time after stimulation’ said Dr. Mark George, Editor in Chief of Brain Stimulation. “He also trained and mentored many of the innovative scientists in this field. Importantly he organized a series of early science meetings that served as the basis of the today’s world brain stimulation community.”

"Over several decades, Dr. Paulus’ work has led to the widespread use of non-invasive transcranial Electrical Stimulation techniques in basic and clinical research. The strong global interest in tDCS, tACS, and tRNS derive from Dr. Paulus’ development of these modalities and demonstration of their neuroplastic effects.” according to Dr. Harold A. Sackeim, founding editor of Brain Stimulation and chair of the awards committee.

About Brain Stimulation

Brain Stimulation: Basic, Translational and Clinical Research in Neuromodulation aims to be the premier journal for publication of original research in the field of neuromodulation. The scope of the Journal extends across the entire field of brain stimulation, including noninvasive and invasive techniques and technologies that alter brain function through the use of electrical, magnetic, radiowave, or focally targeted pharmacologic stimulation. This includes investigations that study the effects of brain stimulation on basic processes, such as gene expression and other aspects of molecular biology, neurochemical regulation, functional brain activity, sensorimotor function, and cognitive and affective processes at the systems level.

The Journal seeks the highest level of research on the biophysics and biopsychophysics of stimulation paradigms as well as the use of these techniques as a probe to outline patterns of neural connectivity. As an equal partner with this basic emphasis, the journal will have strong representation of research on the therapeutic potential and adverse effects of the stimulation technologies. The inclusion of research in therapeutics will represent not only clinical trials, but also conceptual pieces, discussions of ethics as they pertain to this field, services research, etc. www.brainstimjrnl.com opens in new tab/window

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