Dr. Alexandra Gersing. Courtesy of DRG / Thomas Ralafzyk.

Gersing is a senior physician and head of MRI and artificial intelligence (AI) research at the Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology at the University Hospital of Munich. She won the award for her habilitation thesis, "New Techniques for the Optimization of Musculoskeletal Diagnostics."

Gersing's research group's findings include new insights in quantitative and morphological MRI, according to the DRG. She has led research studies proving that the cartilage of diabetics is subject to faster degeneration than the cartilage of individuals without diabetes, for instance, and that weight reduction can slow down the degeneration of the articular cartilage and menisci in obese patients.

The prize has been awarded since 1979 and is supported by a $10,700 endowment (10,000 euros), the DRG said.