Özlem Türeci
Awards & Honours
7
Awards Won
4
Honours
2
Rankings
2
Covers
1
Records
Özlem Türeci's list of accolades reflects not just personal achievement but a collective scientific triumph. Her role in developing the first mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine earned her a place on TIME's 100 Most Influential People list in 2021, alongside her husband. The same year, she received Germany's Federal Cross of Merit, one of the country's highest civilian honours. In 2022, she shared the Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research and the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize, both recognizing the vaccine's impact. Her work also earned a Canada Gairdner International Award, one of the most prestigious prizes in medical science. In 2026, the University of Barcelona awarded her an honorary doctorate, describing her as someone capable of transforming a research laboratory into a space of hope.
Awards
Honours & Distinctions
Honorary Doctorate
Awarded honoris causa for her contributions to science and medicine.
German Future Prize
Awarded for the development of the COVID-19 vaccine.
TIME 100 Most Influential People
Listed among the world's most influential people.
German Federal Cross of Merit
Awarded for her contributions to the COVID-19 vaccine effort.
Rankings & Lists
TIME 100 Most Influential People
Financial Times Person of the Year
Magazine Covers
TIME
2021
The Vaccine Makers
Forbes
2021
The Power Couple Behind the COVID-19 Vaccine
Records & Feats
Co-developed the first mRNA-based vaccine approved for human use
The COVID-19 vaccine BNT162b2, developed by BioNTech and Pfizer, was the first mRNA vaccine to receive regulatory approval.