The Leopoldina champions the freedom and appreciation of science. It promotes a scientifically enlightened society and the responsible application of scientific insight for the benefit of humankind and the natural world. In its interdisciplinary discourse, the Academy transcends thematic, political, and cultural boundaries. It is also an advocate of human rights.

It is the role of the Leopoldina, in co-operation with other national and international organisations, to identify and analyse scientific issues of social importance. The Leopoldina presents its policy recommendations in a scientifically qualified, independent, transparent, and prospective manner, ever mindful of the standards and consequences of science.

caesar is part of a cluster for neurosciences in the Bonn-Cologne region and has multiple ties with the University of Bonn and University of Cologne. In collaboration with the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, the University of Bonn and Florida Atlantic University, caesar runs the International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) for Brain and Behavior. This first transatlantic IMPRS graduate program aims to train students in a large range of cutting-edge techniques which are currently instrumental in the quest for understanding brain circuit function in the whole animal and its role in defining behavior.

The institute is operated by a non-profit foundation under private law. The president of the Max Planck Society chairs the foundation board. Trustors are the Federal Republic of Germany and the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia. caesar is evaluated by a scientific advisory board. The evaluation is effected according to the procedures and criteria of the Max Planck Society.

Under the title “Zukunft Gesundheitsdaten — Wegweiser zu einer forschungskompatiblen elektronischen Patientenakte” (Future health data — a guide to a research-compatible electronic patient file), the iRights.Lab developed a comprehensive study on the subject of eHealth on behalf of Bundesdruckerei (federal printing house). It shows which challenges have to be mastered so that Germany can also use the potential of digitalization in the field of eHealth.

Here the study can be dowloaded in German.

Leopoldina Lecture by Nobel Laureate Prof. Dr. Ada Yonath The event is open to all interested parties.

The Leopoldina and the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) will organize the symposium “Global Mental Health in the Era of Sustainable Development: Research and Policy Priorities” from 30 to 31 May 2019 in Pretoria, South Africa, in order to discuss recent advances in mental health research. The participants will explore topics ranging from neuroscience and genetics to public mental health and epidemiology as well as intervention research.

The scientific coordinators of the symposium are Professor Frank Rösler ML, University of Hamburg, on the side of Leopoldina, and Professor Crick Lund, University of Cape Town, on the side of ASSAf. The event is open for everyone interested.

The event will be combined with the local award ceremony of the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage/Europa Nostra Award 2018, with which Fraunhofer IGD is being recognized this year for its CultLab3D project. The CultLab3D team has already been celebrating since June 22, when their project was honored in the official ceremony during the European Cultural Heritage Summit in Berlin: the European Commission and Europa Nostra honored 29 winners from 17 countries for their outstanding achievements in preservation, research, volunteering, education, training, and raising awareness. CultLab3D was among the winners of the prize in the Research category. Critical to this success is the forward-looking technology, which automatically produces 3D scans in the highest resolution – with unprecedented speed.