We congratulate: Tanja Frey
Tanja Frey, FMH specialist in Medical Genetics at the Institute of Medical Genetics of the University of Zurich, has received an Early Career Award for Outstanding Science at the ESHG Conference 2026.
Tanja Frey receives Early Career Award at the ESHG Conference 2026
Tanja Frey, FMH specialist in Medical Genetics at the Institute of Medical Genetics of the University of Zurich, has received an Early Career Award for Outstanding Science at the ESHG Conference 2026.
The award recognizes outstanding scientific work by early-career researchers presented at the conference.
The European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG) is the European professional society for human and medical genetics. Its annual conference is one of the most important international platforms for new scientific findings, clinical developments, and professional exchange in the field of genetic medicine.
The award-winning work is part of Tanja Frey’s dissertation and was carried out together with Prof. Anita Rauch’s research team at the Institute of Medical Genetics. The research was led by Prof. Anita Rauch.
At the center of the work is the first description of a new disease entity: a rare and severe form of early-onset scoliosis, termed spondylodysplastic-erosive early-onset scoliosis. At the same time, the research team identified a gene not previously associated with scoliosis as the cause of this condition.
The discovery expands our understanding of the genetic basis of severe skeletal developmental disorders and provides a new foundation for the diagnosis of affected patients. It also highlights the importance of translational research at the interface of clinical genetics, molecular diagnostics, and disease mechanisms.
We warmly congratulate Tanja Frey on this international recognition.