17 September 2025
Dr. Casey Paquola will be honored with the "For Women in Science" award. The computational neuroscientist from Forschungszentrum Jülich is one of four early-career researchers to receive the €25,000 prize this year, awarded by L'Oréal, the German UNESCO Commission, and the German Humboldt Network.
Originally from Australia, Paquola earned her PhD at the University of Sydney's Faculty of Medicine and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Montreal Neurological Institute in Canada before joining Forschungszentrum Jülich. Her research lies at the intersection of microscopy, neuroimaging, and computational modeling. At its core is a central question: How does the human brain develop from birth through adulthood, and how do changes within the brain shape maturation of cognition and contribute to all-to-common emergence of mental illness?
Exploring Thought Spaces
Already as a teenager, Casey Paquola asked herself what happens in the brain when we dream or use our imagination. This early fascination has stayed with her to this day. At Forschungszentrum Jülich, she has studied the so-called Default Mode Network (DMN) - a network of brain regions that is particularly active in such moments.
In a recent study, she combined microscopic tissue analyses with high-resolution imaging and showed that the DMN is not a uniform system, but consists of differently structured areas: some are strongly linked to sensory regions and respond to external stimuli such as smells or music, while others are more shielded and support introspective processes such as self-reflection or future planning. This architecture largely determines whether thoughts are triggered by sensory impressions or arise from internal processes. These insights help explain how external stimuli are translated into our inner world of thoughts - and why certain memories can return so vividly.
Her research provides new insights into the foundations of our thinking - and into the mechanisms that shape our inner experience. At the same time, the results may help to better understand mental illness.
Unraveling the Secrets of the Young Brain
In another study, her team examined the early brain development of newborns. "With birth, the brain enters a new phase," Paquola explains. "Before birth, a strictly regulated genetic blueprint prevails; afterwards, the outside world takes over." Her team analyzed nearly 600 brain scans of preterm and full-term infants. The result: the last weeks inside the womb shape the architecture of the brain far more strongly than the first weeks of life.
The researchers showed that in the womb, the layers of the cerebral cortex become denser and more uniform. After birth, this development continues - but more slowly and in more region-specific ways. For preterm infants, this means being catapulted into a sensory-rich world before the inner structure of the brain is fully developed - a potential risk factor for later developmental disorders.
Sharpen Treatment Strategies
For Paquola, the results go far beyond basic science. "Three-quarters of all severe mental illnesses emerge before the age of 24," she explains. "If we understand development during this sensitive phase before the age of 24, we might be able to provide better support and early intervention."
Her work could also sharpen treatment strategies. "If we could determine from a brain scan, at the first signs of a neurological or mental disorder, whether behavioral therapy will be more effective than medication-or vice versa-we'd greatly improve outcomes," she says. Today, first-line treatments work only about 50 to 60 percent of the time. "Raising that to even 80 percent using imaging techniques would be a real breakthrough."
To get there, Paquola is developing a computational model that traces brain development from infancy to adulthood, spanning multiple levels - from the genetic code to the wiring of the entire brain. For this, she uses large datasets from participants of different ages.
Balancing Science and Family
Paquola considers herself fortunate to pursue this path in Germany. In her home country of Australia, there are fewer large funding opportunities for early career researchers. In Jülich, she not only receives strong institutional support for her team and her research but also practical help: the daycare center is located right on campus - actually within sight of her office. "That meant I could decide for myself when to return to the lab after my son was born - in a way that suited our family."
For her, research and everyday life, science and motherhood are not at odds. "Understanding the development of a brain that is just beginning to grasp the world is, for me, the most exciting task of all."
Celebrating Excellence
Following the motto "The world needs science - and science needs women," the prestigious awards will be presented at a festive evening event on September 18th in Düsseldorf, attended by guests from culture, science, politics, business, and society.
"For Women in Science" is part of a renowned global program launched in 1998 by the L'Oréal Foundation and UNESCO, and established in Germany since 2007. Last year, Jülich structural biologist Dr. Irene Vercellino was one of four award-winning early-career researchers. To date, more than 4,400 female scientists worldwide received the award, including seven who later won the Nobel Prize.
Casey Paquola already knows how she will use the prize money: "I postponed some research trips when our family grew," she says. "Now I can strengthen collaborations with colleagues in Australia and Canada-through direct, personal exchange in their labs."
Text: Brigitte Stahl-Busse
