In September the popular scientific magazine EOS organized a poll among its readers to identify the most important Belgian scientist ever. More than 6000 votes were counted.

On Wednesday, 22 October 2008 during the ceremony celebrating the 25th anniversary of the magazine EOS, the winner was made public in the Museum of Natural Sciences in Brussels. The celebration was attended by Patricia Ceysens, Flemish minister of Economy, Enterprise, Science, Innovation and Foreign Trade. After a number of speeches looking at the future and the evolution of science in the coming 25 years, the winners were made public.

Out of 11 candidates, Dr Paul Janssen came out as the “Most important Belgian scientist”, followed in second place by Professor Marc Van Montagu, the plant genetic scientist working in Ghent, and in third place by Georges Lemaître, physician and astronomer.

Dora baroness Janssen received the prize on behalf of her late husband. Exactly 5 years after his sudden death in November 2003, this election is a remarkable recognition of the outstanding achievements of Dr Paul and his team in the field of research for new medicines in the last 50 years.