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Honored with the European Lecture Award at Europe's most important neurosurgery congress

Prof. Dr. Jürgen Beck, Medical Director of the Department of Neurosurgery at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg, was presented with the prestigious European Lecture Award at the annual congress of the European Society of Neurosurgery in Vienna on October 7, 2025. With this award, the European society honored his work on spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH). The condition is characterized by sudden, very severe headaches. Beck has fundamentally changed the diagnosis and treatment of this SIH disorder - with tangible benefits for patients. Freiburg was described as a "leading center in Europe, even worldwide" in the award ceremony.

"This award is not just for my research, but for the entire team in Freiburg," says Beck. "The fact that our work reaches so many patients and convinces the experts makes me incredibly proud and grateful."

Research with an impact for patients

Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is a rare, often overlooked condition that usually manifests itself in the form of sudden, severe headaches. In many cases, the cause is a fine leak in the spinal cord through which cerebrospinal fluid escapes - with the result that the brain literally "hangs lower" and triggers pain. Beck and his team have established this condition as a separate clinical picture and have developed effective diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. A targeted surgical procedure in which the leak is closed using the body's own tissue often helps - many patients are permanently symptom-free afterwards.

The European Lecture Award is presented annually to a neurosurgeon with a "practice-changing contribution" - Beck is only the fifth winner from Germany since 1980.

Caption: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Beck receives the award from congress president Prof. Dr. Torstein R. Meling

Image source: EANS