Marc Aurel Busche awarded the 2026 Rainwater Prize for Innovative Early Career Scientists

This award is one of the most prestigious international honors in neurodegeneration and dementia research. The prize will be presented at the Tau Global Conference, in May 2026 in Washington, D.C. and is endowed with 200,000 USD.

Founded in 1991 by philanthropist Richard E. Rainwater, the Rainwater Charitable Foundation is a US-based organization and a leading independent funder of research on neurodegenerative diseases associated with abnormal tau pathology. Its Rainwater Prize Program was created to accelerate scientific progress by recognizing researchers who advance the field through scientific excellence, leadership, and innovation.

The “Innovative Early Career Scientists” award honors internationally nominated researchers for their groundbreaking work and long-term commitment to neurodegenerative research, and provides significant funding to support future studies through a nonprofit organization of the recipient’s choice.

Marc Aurel Busche is the head of the Brain Aging and Neurodegeneration Lab at the University of Basel’s Department of Biomedicine DBM. His research focuses on how pathological proteins, such as amyloid-β and tau, disrupt neuronal circuits in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, often before widespread neuron loss occurs.

Using advanced in vivo imaging, electrophysiology, and translational approaches, Dr. Busche's team seeks to identify early circuit-based changes that could serve as targets for diagnostics and treatments. This work bridges the gap between basic neuroscience and clinical relevance. He will be specifically recognized for his discovery of the role that soluble oligomeric tau species play in neuronal dysfunction and their translational potential for primary tauopathies.

“We are honored that Marc's innovative contributions to neuroscience research have been recognized by the Rainwater Charitable Foundation. This award reflects his exceptional scientific vision and the potential of his work to benefit people affected by dementia,” said Prof. Dr. Ivan Martin, Head of the Department of Biomedicine.

Marc Aurel Busche’s research continues to reveal key mechanisms of neural dysfunction in dementia. His work has contributed to the development of new physiological markers and rational strategies for early intervention.

About the Rainwater Charitable Foundation

The Rainwater Charitable Foundation is a private foundation established by Richard E. Rainwater and is a major international supporter of research into primary tauopathies, neurological diseases driven by abnormal tau protein accumulation. Through the Rainwater Prize Program and targeted research initiatives, the foundation invests in scientific innovation to catalyse advances that may lead to effective diagnostics and therapies.