Triple Recognition and Funding for Prof. Martin Reuter

Bonn/Germany, December,17, 2025. Prof. Martin Reuter, an expert in artificial intelligence at DZNE’s Bonn site, has received three recognitions simultaneously for his work in AI-based brain imaging. The Helmholtz Association is funding the continued development and maintenance of open-source software FastSurfer and has also honored it with the Helmholtz Software Award in the category Sustainability Prize. In addition, the DZNE Foundation is providing bridge funding for a closely linked AI project aimed at identifying novel biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases. 

FastSurfer is an open-source software platform developed by Martin Reuter and his team that enables fast, automated, and highly reliable analysis of human brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. Using advanced deep-learning methods, the software automatically identifies and quantifies numerous brain structures with high precision, providing an essential basis for studying structural changes associated with aging and neurological disorders. What sets FastSurfer apart is its exceptional speed and high level of automation, performing analyses in minutes that would otherwise require substantial time and specialized expertise. As a result, FastSurfer supports both large-scale research studies, such as DZNE’s Rhineland Study, as well as clinical applications, including investigations into Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. As an open-source software tool, it is freely available and can be used worldwide at no cost. 

Helmholtz Funding for FastSurfer 

Through the program “Helmholtz Science Serve: Boosting Research Software at Helmholtz,” the Helmholtz Association is supporting Prof. Reuter and his research group for one year to ensure the long-term maintenance, further development, and broader dissemination of FastSurfer. The funding amounts to approximately €150,000 and is matched by an equivalent contribution from DZNE. 

Sustainability Prize for Research Software 

In recognition of FastSurfer’s sustainable design and long-term viability, Martin Reuter has been awarded the Sustainability Prize of the Helmholtz Software Award. Endowed with €3,000, the prize honors research software that is developed with robustness, maintainability, and long-term availability for the scientific community in mind. 

DZNE Foundation Secures AI Research Project 

The DZNE Foundation is also supporting Prof. Reuter’s research through targeted bridge funding. In 2025, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), the leading biomedical research funding organization in the United States, significantly restricted its support for international research partners, affecting ongoing projects that are crucial to the understanding of neurodegenerative diseases. Following the abrupt discontinuation of NIH funding in mid-2025, the DZNE Foundation stepped in with approximately €100,000 to ensure the continuation of a key AI-based research project led by Reuter. 

This project focuses on developing novel AI-based methods for the precise analysis of the choroid plexus in brain MRI data. The choroid plexus plays a central role in cerebrospinal fluid regulation and clearance processes in the brain, yet it has so far been difficult to measure reliably. The goal is to identify new imaging biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and ALS. Project partners include Harvard Medical School and the University of Rochester. 

Two Projects, One Shared Approach 

FastSurfer provides the methodological foundation for the biomarker project. Neural network architectures originally developed for FastSurfer are being adapted and extended for the detailed analysis of the choroid plexus. In turn, the newly developed methods will be integrated back into FastSurfer. The resulting AI module for precise identification and quantification of this brain structure will be released publicly as an additional FastSurfer component. 

“FastSurfer and our AI project on the choroid plexus share a common goal: to provide reliable tools that enable researchers and clinicians worldwide to detect brain changes early and with high precision,” says Prof. Reuter. “The current support from both the Helmholtz and the DZNE Foundation allows us to develop these methods sustainably and make them freely accessible to the community.” 

Why New AI Methods Are Needed 

Existing neuroimaging tools provide only coarse segmentations of the choroid plexus. The new, specialized AI methods are designed to enable reliable longitudinal analyses and to detect even subtle changes at early stages — an important step toward improving the understanding, diagnosis, and monitoring of neurodegenerative diseases.