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2009-10 FELLOW ULMAN LINDENBERGER RECEIVES HIGHEST HONOR AWARDED IN GERMAN RESEARCH

Dr. Ulman Lindenberger, a residential Fellow at The Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, is an expert on brain behavior and understanding human intelligence across the lifespan.   BIO >>

STANFORD, CA, DECEMBER 9, 2009 — Ulman Lindenberger has been named as the recipient of The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation.)  The award includes a €2.5 million prize to pursue his work. 

Dr. Lindenberger, in residence as a Fellow at CASBS during the 2009-10 academic year, was congratulated with an impromptu champagne toast by Director, Iris F. Litt, M.D. and fellow scholars in residence at the Center.

In responding to the news about the award, Dr. Litt said “Ulman Lindenberger is the quintessential 21st century Scholar.  He is able to build on the historic foundation of knowledge in his field, incorporate new technology and models and bridge biologic and cognitive domains to advance our understanding of lifespan development."  She emphasized, "We are delighted that he has been awarded the prestigious Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize in recognition of his accomplishments and that he has chosen to spend his sabbatical year at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford. We are all enriched by his presence.”  

Dr. Lindenberger spoke modestly about the news.  "I did not even know I had been nominated and learned about the award in a phone call from the German Research Foundation at 4:30am on Thursday morning," he said.  "I first thought they wanted to remind me of some overdue reviews. Now that I know, I am of course happy and excited (but still need to write the reviews)."  He added, "My remaining time at the Center will give me the time and distance that I need to think about how to use the research money in a way that will make a difference." 

Dr. Lindenberger also took an important moment to express his thanks.  "I would like to thank my mentors, Michael Chapman and Paul B. Baltes, who both are no longer alive. Paul Baltes has taught me more about what it means to be a researcher and scholar than anybody else. He was a fellow at the Center in the academic years 1979, 1991 and 1998. I feel humbled and grateful about receiving the award while being at the Center myself. Also, awards such as this one are rarely about just one person, but generally about a group of people. I have been fortunate to collaborate with wonderful colleagues, postdocs, and students. I see this award as a recognition for the Center for Lifespan Psychology, and the entire Max Planck Institute for Human Development."

Iris F. Litt and Ulman Lindenberger take a moment to celebrate the news at the Center.

ABOUT DR. ULMAN LINDENBERGER
Dr. Ulman Lindenberger is Director of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development at the Center for Lifespan Psychology in Berlin.  He received his M.A. in Psychology from the Technical University of Berlin, and his Ph.D. in Psychology from the Free University of Berlin. 

Dr. Lindenberger investigates the development of human behavior across the lifespan, with an emphasis on sensorimotor and cognitive functioning. In the context of the Berlin Aging Study, he discovered that the links between sensation, perception, and cognition increase in strength from early to late adulthood. He and his team were also the first to directly compare the trainability of memory performance in children, adolescents, younger adults, and older adults within the same studies. Furthermore, Dr. Lindenberger has worked on improving the use of multivariate methods in developmental research.  BIO >>

ABOUT THE AWARD
The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize is the highest honour awarded in German research. The Leibniz Programme, established in 1985, aims to improve the working conditions of outstanding scientists and academics, expand their research opportunities, relieve them of administrative tasks, and help them employ particularly qualified young researchers.  Up to ten prizes are awarded annually.  
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ABOUT THE CENTER
Founded in 1954, the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University is a national and international resource that exists to extend knowledge of the principles governing human behavior to help solve the critical problems of contemporary society. Through our residential postdoctoral fellowship programs for scientists and scholars from this country and abroad, we seek to advance basic understanding of the social, psychological, historical, biological and cultural foundations of behavior and society.

The center was created to provide a refuge for distinguished and promising young scientists and scholars from diverse fields and disciplines. Here, ideas and thinking are the main business and scholars are encouraged to broaden their perspectives, reassess their intellectual positions and consider alternatives through sustained interaction with others.

Our formula for supporting advances in basic knowledge has stood the test of time and is a consciously replicated model for collaborative scholarly enterprises worldwide.