Already in 1974, Rudolf Jaenisch developed the first transgenic mouse – a revolutionary model to study diseases at the molecular level, which has been used all over the world by researchers in the fields of medicine, molecular biology and developmental biology since the 1980s. Today, Professor Jaenisch is a successful stem cell researcher with a special focus on epigenetic regulation of gene expression in healthy and diseased cells, epigenetic re-programming, the use of nuclear transfer technology for therapeutic cloning and in vitro reprogramming.

The Ernst Schering Prize is one of the most prestigious science prizes in Germany. Established in 1991 by the Ernst Schering Research Foundation, it has been awarded by the Schering Stiftung since 2003. It honors outstanding international achievements in the fields of biological, medical and chemical basic research.