The Kavli Prize, one of the world’s leading honours in science, recognises researchers whose discoveries have transformed our understanding of the universe, the nanoscale and the brain. The neuroscience prize is awarded every two years and includes a prize of $1 million, shared between recipients.
Professor Holt shares the prestigious international award with Professor Kelsey Martin, Professor Erin Schuman and Professor Oswald Steward, for their discovery of local protein translation in neurons and its importance for brain development and plasticity.
The researchers are recognised for their work uncovering how brain cells (neurons) can produce proteins exactly where they are needed, transforming understanding of how the brain develops, learns and adapts. Their research has overturned the long-held view that proteins are made only in the cell body, showing instead that neurons can rapidly generate them at connections between cells, enabling precise, local control.
Professor Holt’s research has been central to this discovery. She showed that the growing tips of developing nerve fibres can respond to signals and produce the proteins needed on the spot to guide their path, revealing how brain cells build and refine their connections.
By revealing how brain cells build and adapt their connections, Professor Holt’s work sheds light on the foundations of learning, memory and recovery from injury. As these processes are disrupted in many neurological conditions, her research is helping to pave the way for new treatments for diseases such as dementia and for repairing damaged nerves.
Elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2007, Professor Holt is internationally recognised for her pioneering work on neural circuit assembly and the molecular mechanisms that guide the wiring of the brain.
Today’s accolade follows numerous honours for Professor Holt’s significant contributions to neuroscience, including a CBE in the King’s Birthday Honours in 2024, and The Brain Prize in 2023 for groundbreaking discoveries into the mechanisms of brain development and plasticity.
Professor Christine Holt CBE FRS FMedSci said: “I’m absolutely delighted and deeply honoured to receive the Kavli Prize of Neuroscience. I’ve been very fortunate to work with many talented students, postdocs, and collaborators so this prize recognises the work of the whole team. The recognition highlights the importance of doing basic research that is curiosity-driven and that brings new insight to understanding some of the neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. I am particularly delighted to share this prize with my esteemed colleagues Erin Schuman, Kelsey Martin and Oswald Steward whose separate discoveries have inspired my own research.”
Professor Andrew Morris CBE FRSE PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: “Many congratulations to Professor Christine Holt on this outstanding achievement. Her work has transformed our understanding of how brain cells build and modify their connections, opening new avenues for research into neurological disease and recovery. The Kavli Prize reflects the global impact of her discoveries and highlights the meaningful contribution Academy Fellows make to advancing science and improving health."
Professor Holt shares the 2026 Kavli Prize in Neuroscience with Professor Kelsey Martin (Simons Foundation, US), Professor Erin Schuman (Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Germany), and Professor Oswald Steward (University of California Irvine, US).
For more information and to read the full Kavli Prize announcement, including details of all 2026 laureates, read the Kavli Prize press release.