Paul Wrede selected as 2026 Schmidt Science Fellow

Out of 450 applications, Paul Wrede was selected as one of 32 young scientists to receive the 2026 Schmidt Science Fellowship. The doctoral student in Prof. Daniel Razansky’s professorship for biomedical imaging is only the second researcher at ETH Zurich to receive this prestigious fellowship, which has been awarded since 2018. Fellows receive financial support for a postdoctoral position at a world-class research institution.

The vision: reducing side effects and increasing the effectiveness of therapies

“For me, the fellowship represents an extraordinary opportunity to explore a completely new field of research while enjoying great scientific freedom,” says Paul Wrede, delighted with the award. As part of his doctoral work, he has developed new methods to visualise drugs more precisely within the body and control them in a targeted manner.

“To do this, I attach active ingredients to tiny microparticles that look like small flowers – their diameter is only about one-twentieth the width of a human hair. Using ultrasound, these particles can be navigated through the bloodstream much like small remote-controlled vehicles. Their special shape allows them to carry a particularly large amount of medication and transport it very precisely to a tumour or stroke site,” he explains.

During his fellowship, he aims to investigate how artificial cells can be developed to better communicate with the body and understand fundamental biological processes. “Together with my doctorate, this is an important stepping stone on the path to my long-term vision: adaptive therapies that do not work against the body, but rather support it in fighting diseases sustainably on its own,” says Paul Wrede. He is also a member of the doctoral program at the Max Planck and ETH Center for Learning Systems (CLS). Paul Wrede spent the first two years of his doctorate at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart under the supervision of Prof. Metin Sitti.