Mirjam Christ-Crain receives the Cloëtta Prize 2026
Professor Mirjam Christ-Crain, endocrinologist and clinical researcher at the University of Basel, has been awarded the Medical Research Prize of the Professor Dr. Max Cloëtta Foundation. She shares the award with Martin Jinek, Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Zurich.
24 June 2026
Mirjam Christ-Crain has made pioneering contributions to the study of hormones regulating the body's water balance, particularly vasopressin and oxytocin. Her research was instrumental in establishing copeptin as a reliable diagnostic biomarker. This has enabled improved differentiation between various causes of disorders of water balance while replacing or improving burdensome classical diagnostic tests.
Her research group is also developing new therapeutic concepts for the treatment of hormone-dependent disorders of water and electrolyte balance. These include hyponatraemia caused by the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis (SIAD), a condition in which the body retains excessive amounts of water, resulting in a decrease in blood sodium levels. The group is also investigating new therapeutic approaches for oxytocin deficiency in patients with arginine vasopressin deficiency (AVP-D).
By combining multicentre diagnostic studies, randomized clinical trials, and patient-oriented translational research, Christ-Crain provides the foundation for improved diagnosis and treatment of endocrine disorders.
Patient-oriented vision
Through her work, Mirjam Christ-Crain combines scientific excellence with a distinctly patient-oriented vision: to replace burdensome diagnostic procedures with more precise biomarker-based tests, to develop new therapeutic options for common but often difficult-to-treat endocrine disorders, and to strengthen clinical research from mechanism to patient benefit.
Since 2014, Mirjam Christ-Crain has been Professor of Endocrinology and Clinical Research at the University of Basel. From 2014 to 2023, she co-led the Department of Clinical Research of the University of Basel and the University Hospital Basel together with Christiane Pauli-Magnus. Since 1 August 2025, she has served as Chief Physician and Head of the Clinic for Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism at the University Hospital Basel. Her scientific achievements have been recognized with numerous distinctions, including the National Latsis Prize, the European Journal of Endocrinology Award, and the Otto Naegeli Prize.
Cloëtta Prizes for Basel Researchers
The Cloëtta Prize of the Professor Dr. Max Cloëtta Foundation has been awarded since 1974 and is endowed with CHF 50,000. It is among the most prestigious awards for medical research in Switzerland.
Among researchers from the University of Basel, recent recipients include the immunologist Christoph Hess (2023), the breast cancer researcher Mohamed Bentires-Alj (2020), and the neuroscientist Botond Roska (2019).
The Cloëtta Prize 2026 will be awarded on 30 October 2026 in Basel.
