On 16 June, Prof. Anthony Hyman, Director General of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, visited Vilnius University. Prof. Hyman is one of the leading molecular biologists of our time, whose research has made significant contributions to understanding the fundamental principles governing cellular function.
During his visit, Prof. Hyman met with the leadership of the Vilnius University Life Sciences Center (VU LSC) and learned about the center’s activities and research directions. He also met with scientists from the EMBL Partnership Institute, discussed their ongoing research projects, and toured the center's scientific infrastructure.
Prof. Hyman later visited the University’s Central Administration, where he met with Rimvydas Petrauskas, Rector of Vilnius University, and Dr. Gintaras Valušis, Vice-Rector for Research. The discussions focused on the University’s research priorities, strengthening international collaboration, and the role of the EMBL–Vilnius University partnership in advancing these goals. The visit concluded with a meeting with Regina Valutytė, Vice-Minister of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania, during which issues related to the internationalisation of Lithuanian research and the development of the life sciences sector were discussed.
The VU LSC community also had a unique opportunity to attend a lecture by Prof. Hyman, which attracted considerable interest. In his presentation, he explored how cells organise thousands of different molecules in space and time to support essential biological processes. Particular attention was devoted to biomolecular condensates – dynamic, membrane-less structures formed through the process of phase separation. These structures play important roles in regulating gene expression, signalling, stress responses, and other fundamental cellular functions.
These discoveries have fundamentally changed scientists’ understanding of cellular organisation and opened new avenues for investigating the mechanisms underlying a wide range of diseases, particularly neurodegenerative disorders. In recognition of these outstanding scientific achievements, Prof. Hyman has received numerous prestigious international awards, including the EMBO Gold Medal, the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize, the Körber European Science Prize, and the 2023 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences. Prof. Hyman is also a Fellow of the Royal Society and has been elected to numerous international scientific organisations and academies, including EMBO, Academia Europaea, the National Academy of Sciences, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, and the Austrian Academy of Sciences.
Since March 2026, Prof. Hyman has served as Director General of EMBL, where he is responsible for the strategic direction and operations of one of Europe’s leading life science organisations. EMBL conducts research across six sites in Europe and brings together more than 110 independent research groups working across a broad range of life science disciplines.