Maxim Tobergte Receives Stefan Jentsch Award 2026

CGA alumnus recognized for exceptional doctoral research

Maxim Tobertge (née Hützen), a postdoctoral researcher in the Jachimowicz research group, has been awarded the 2026 Stefan Jentsch Award for his exceptional doctoral research. Presented by the German Society for Research on DNA Repair (DGDR), the award recognises outstanding PhD theses in the fields of DNA repair and genome stability. 

In his doctoral research, Maxim characterized rare syndromes with signs of genome instability and identified Ubiquilin-1 as a previously unknown regulator of Homologous Recombination repair that may reveal new therapeutic vulnerabilities in cancer.

Maxim conducted his doctoral research in the group of Ron Jachimowicz at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing. After successfully defending his PhD thesis with summa cum laude in June 2026, Maxim has now received another important recognition for his doctoral work. In addition to the monetary award, Maxim has been invited to present his research as the awardee at the DNA Repair Meeting in Cologne, taking place from September 7–9, 2026.

Reflecting on receiving the award, Maxim said: "I am honored that the German Society for Research on DNA Repair recognized my doctoral dissertation on Ubiquilin-1's role in DNA repair with the Stefan Jentsch Award. I am grateful for outstanding colleagues and an excellent research environment here in Cologne."

The award is named after the renowned cell biologist Stefan Jentsch, whose pioneering research significantly advanced our understanding of the role of ubiquitin and related protein modifications in genome maintenance and DNA repair.