Humboldt Research Award for Prof. Danilo Russo

The Museum für Naturkunde congratulates Italian ecologist Prof. Danilo Russo on being awarded the prestigious Humboldt Research Award. With this award, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation honours internationally outstanding researchers whose work has had a lasting impact on their field and from whom further groundbreaking achievements can be expected in the future. The award is endowed with 80,000 euros. In addition, award recipients are invited to carry out research projects in close collaboration with colleagues in Germany.

Danilo Russo is Professor of Ecology at the University of Naples Federico II in Italy. His research focuses primarily on bats and their reaction to environmental changes. His scientific contributions range from habitat use and niche partitioning to communication and social behaviour, as well as biogeography, sensory ecology, and applied conservation, making him one of the most internationally visible researchers in his field.

The Humboldt Research Award will enable Danilo Russo to further deepen his collaboration with colleagues at the Museum für Naturkunde, particularly in the areas of sensory ecology and functional morphology. For the MfN, the award is a strong signal of the museum’s international visibility as a centre of excellence in biodiversity and evolutionary research. It also highlights the MfN’s outstanding research environment, where world-class collections, cutting-edge infrastructure, and interdisciplinary expertise create ideal conditions for biodiversity research.