May 13, 2026
Germany’s most highly endowed research award: Sahika Inal appointed Alexander von Humboldt Professor at TU Dresden and Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden
Humboldt Professor Sahika Inal (center) with Dorothee Bär, Federal Minister for Research, Technology, and Space, and Robert Schlögl, President of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
On May 12, 2026, in Berlin, Federal Minister of Research, Technology, and Space Dorothee Bär and Robert Schlögl, President of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, awarded Alexander von Humboldt Professorships to seven leading international researchers. Among them is the multi-award-winning bioengineer Sahika Inal, who will conduct research at the TUD Dresden University of Technology and the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (IPF). The award currently comes with a grant of five million euros for experimental scientists and three and a half million euros for theoretical scientists.
Proven expert in bioelectronics
Humboldt Professor Sahika Inal.
Prof. Angela Rösen-Wolff, Vice-Rector Research and Technology Transfer at TUD said, “We are absolutely thrilled about the confirmation of another Humboldt Chair and would like to thank the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for accepting our proposal. With Sahika Inal, we welcome to TUD a proven expert in bioelectronics – a crucial innovative field with numerous ties to our cutting-edge research areas. With her appointment, we want to close the gap between molecular material design, device technology, and biomedical implementation in the field of bioelectronics.
Prof. Carsten Werner, Scientific Director of the IPF: “Bioelectronic materials and systems create interfaces between living organisms and electronic information technologies, opening up radically new perspectives for medical technology. The awarding of the Humboldt Professorship 2026 to Sahika Inal provides a unique opportunity to strategically expand research activities with significant translational potential. The successful joint application by TU Dresden and IPF once again demonstrates the cross-institutional dynamism and innovative strength of this center of excellence.”
About Professor Sahika Inal
Sahika Inal has been Associate Professor in Bioengineering at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia since 2021. She commenced her studies in Textile Engineering at the Istanbul Technical University in Türkiye and completed her Master’s in Polymer Science in Berlin and Potsdam. In 2014, she earned her doctorate in Experimental Physics from the University of Potsdam. She then took up a postdoctoral position at the École des Mines de Saint-Étienne, France, and moved to KAUST as an Assistant Professor in 2016. Among other honors, she received the Beilby Medal and Prize in 2022 and was invited to the American Chemical Society (ACS) PMSE Young Investigators Symposium. In 2025, she was selected by the ACS for a Kavli Lecture, an award recognizing outstanding young chemists.
About the Alexander von Humboldt Professorship
The awardees.
With up to EUR 5 million in prize money, the Alexander von Humboldt Professorship is the most highly endowed research award in Germany. The objective of the Humboldt Professorship is to attract top researchers from abroad to Germany. Humboldt Professorships are awarded for five years by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space. More information: https://www.humboldt-foundation.de/en/
Contact:
Press office
TUD Dresden University of Technology
+49 351 463-32398
Emily Schöner
Leibnitz-Institut für Polymerfoschung Dresden
+49 351 4658 470