It is with great honour that the Young Academy of Europe presents the 2026 André Mischke Prize for Science and Policy to Professor Dr Ieva Plikusienė of Vilnius University and Chief researcher at the Centre for Physical Sciences and Technology, Lithuania.
Prof. Plikusienė is an internationally recognised interdisciplinary researcher working at the intersection of life sciences, physics, and nanotechnology. Her work centres on the development of advanced biosensors — particularly immunosensors — and the characterisation of thin-film properties using highly sensitive optical and acoustic methods. During the COVID-19 pandemic, her research on protein–antibody interactions using next-generation optical-acoustic sensors attracted international recognition and helped raise the profile of Lithuanian science on the global stage. This work was subsequently honoured by the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science programme, which in 2022 named her one of the fifteen most promising young scientists in the world — only the second Lithuanian scientist ever to receive this distinction.
What distinguishes Prof. Plikusienė is not scientific excellence alone, but her sustained and consequential engagement with policy. In 2025 she became the first Lithuanian scientist ever appointed to the Scientific Advisory Board of the UNESCO International Basic Sciences Programme — a top-tier expert group that shapes global science policy grounded in fundamental research and contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. She describes the role as an opportunity to strengthen national competencies through centres of excellence, promote international knowledge exchange, and ensure Lithuania has a meaningful voice in international scientific decision-making. She has also served as an expert evaluator for Horizon Europe EIC Pathfinder, FET Open, and DG CONNECT programmes. As Chair of the Young Academy of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences (2023–2025) and a Board Member of Invest Lithuania (2025–present), she has worked across institutional boundaries to connect frontier research with economic strategy and governance — contributing directly to Lithuania’s 2026–2030 investment strategy focused on productivity, expertise, and long-term competitiveness.
Prof. Plikusienė is a tireless communicator of science. Through public lectures, expert media appearances in radio and television, and outreach initiatives, she builds bridges between the research community and the broader public. Her visibility as a L’Oréal-UNESCO Rising Talent laureate strengthens public trust in science and actively promotes diversity and inclusion in European research. In 2023, her work at the intersection of science, education, and European collaboration was recognised with the Lithuanian European of the Year Award, conferred by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania and the European Commission. The following year, the President of Lithuania awarded her the Medal of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas— in recognition of her contributions to civil and public life.
In awarding Prof. Dr Ieva Plikusienė the André Mischke YAE Prize for Science and Policy, the Young Academy of Europe honours a scientist who embodies the ideals of its founding mission: excellence in both scientific research and engagement in science policy.