On 25 September 2017, Ursula Staudinger received the renown SENECA medal during a festive award ceremony in Düsseldorf, Germany. The 20,000 EUR prize for aging research is sponsored by the Industry Club Düsseldorf, an association of leading personalities from business and public life, and has been awarded for the seventh time.
Joachim Scheele, Chairman of the Association, outlined the reason for their choice: „Professor Staudinger really understands how to convey – to different target groups – the practical conclusions of her research findings on issues such as longevity as well as the development of volunteering and the reorganization of adult learning in the course of demographic aging.”
The SENECA medal honors pioneering scientific work that has led to important new findings in molecular, epidemiological and societal mechanisms of aging, new approaches of causal prevention of aging associated problems as well as the promotion of healthy and successful aging (extension of health span). Following the Roman philosopher of the same name, the acronym SENECA stands for “SENescendi Exquirite CAusas” – “Explore the reasons of aging”.
Previous award winners of the SENECA medal include Prof. Dr. med. Karl Lenhard Rudolph (2015), Prof. Dr. med. Agnes Flöel (2013), Prof. Dr. George M. Martin MD (2011) and Prof. Dr. James W. Vaupel (2009).
Ursula Staudinger also held a keynote speech „Longer lives: What next?“ in the Industry Club. She emphasized that our gained years were an enormous opportunity for our society, however, one would also have to seize this opportunity and make active use of this time.”