International recognition: Ahmet Kaymak, PhD student at the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, has won the David Marsden Award for the best study on dystonia published in Europe

Kaymak completed his education and research at the Sant'Anna School, first with a master's degree in Bionics Engineering and then with a PhD in Biorobotics. His study linked genetic mutations to brain dysfunction in dystonia. This is the third time the award has been given to a researcher from an Italian university.

Thanks to a study published in Annals of Neurology, which linked genetic mutations to brain dysfunction in dystonia, Ahmet Kaymak, a PhD student at the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, has won the 2025 edition of the prestigious David Marsden Award, named after Professor David Marsden (1938-1998), one of Europe's most influential neurologists and a pioneering figure in the study of dystonia. The award aims to inspire and promote cutting-edge research on dystonia, with a particular focus on supporting and encouraging the work of young emerging scientists across Europe.

This is the third time that the David Marsden Award has been awarded to a researcher from an Italian university: the previous winners were Mirta Fiorio (University of Verona) in 2007 and Niccolò Mencacci (University of Milan) in 2017.

“As an early-career researcher, it's encouraging to see my doctoral work resonate with the community, and I am hopeful this recognition will support the growth of my academic journey. This prestigious award will also boost the international outlook of the BioRobotics Institute and Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna as a prominent hub for neurology research” says Ahmet Kaymak.

Kaymak's research: genetics may hold the key to movement disorders caused by dystonia

The study, of which Kaymat was the lead author, linked genetic mutations to brain dysfunction in dystonia, identifying two genetic families that lead to different neural forms of the disease and may require two distinct treatments. Neural data from thirty-one dystonic patients with nine distinct genetic profiles were analyzed. These data revealed that different genes can lead to very similar effects on neuron activity.

The study, coordinated by Alberto Mazzoni, associate professor of Bioengineering at the Institute of Biorobotics of the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies and scientific director of the Computational Neuroengineering Lab, was carried out in collaboration with the IRCCS Carlo Besta Neurological Institute in Milan.

Between a Master's Degree in Bionics Engineering and a PhD in Biorobotics: Kaymak's training and research path

Ahmet Kaymak was born in Bayburt, Turkey. He is a neuroengineer with a multidisciplinary background ranging from computer engineering to biomedical sciences and human neurology.

Kaymak graduated in Computer Engineering and Biomedical Engineering from Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University in Istanbul, Turkey, before moving to Italy where he obtained a Master's Degree in Bionics Engineering, a joint study program between the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies and the University of Pisa, specializing in neuroengineering. He then won a scholarship for a PhD in BioRobotics at the Sant'Anna School and joined the Computational Neuroengineering Lab coordinated by Prof. Mazzoni to carry out his doctoral research. Dr. Kaymak's research lies at the intersection of neurophysiopathology, neuroanatomy, and genetics in the context of movement disorders, with a particular focus on dystonia.

"I have been Ahmet's supervisor since his bachelor's thesis in Bionic Engineering. His intelligence and determination led me to involve him in this cutting-edge project, in which we wanted to develop a new vision of dystonia, a neurological disorder that affects thousands of people in Italy. It was the right choice, because Ahmet has made a fundamental contribution to the study. I am sure that this important recognition will be the starting point for a brilliant scientific career," comments Alberto Mazzoni.