Prof. Olivia Merkel, DZL scientist and professor at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU), has been awarded the UNIPRENEURS Award 2026. The award recognises professors who make an outstanding contribution to entrepreneurship and the translation of scientific findings into innovative spin-offs. The award ceremony took place on 22 September at the Allianz Forum at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, under the patronage of Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Space Dorothee Bär and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Katherina Reiche.
Merkel’s research focuses on novel, non-viral RNA delivery systems for targeted drug delivery. A particular focus is on delivery via the lungs, with potential applications in the treatment of cancer as well as infectious and inflammatory lung diseases.
In 2023, Merkel co-founded the Munich-based spin-off RNHale, which is developing inhalable RNA therapeutics for the treatment of asthma and COPD. The company recently received a €2.5 million Transition Grant from the European Innovation Council (EIC) to further develop its technology. The underlying research has been supported, among others, by grants from the European Research Council (ERC) and LMU.
The UNIPRENEURS Award is presented annually to 20 professors who contribute to strengthening the culture of entrepreneurship at German universities. The awardees are nominated by founders who have been supported and mentored by them on their journey from a scientific idea to a successful start-up.
“The UNIPRENEURS Award means a great deal to me personally because it confirms my commitment to seeing scientific findings not as an end in themselves, but as a basis for advancing clinical applications and developing new therapies,” says Olivia Merkel. She also emphasises the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration for successful translation: “It takes people with different skills and expertise working together to turn a scientific idea into a viable innovation.”
Source: Pharmazeutin Olivia Merkel mit UNIPRENEURS Award ausgezeichnet – LMU Munich
Further information:
RNA nanocarriers: ERC Grant awarded to Prof. Olivia Merkel - Deutsches Zentrum für Lungenforschung
