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We started our retreat with a scenic car ride to the charming Kühtai and then walked for 45 minutes to reach the Graf-Ferdinand-Haus. The walk was enchanting with the snow-clad surroundings creating an idyllic winter-wonderland experience. After Prof. Würzner conducted an enlightening lecture on tick-borne encephalitis, we had a cozy dinner and engaged in some friendly conversation. We were already looking forward to the sledging adventure that awaited us. As expected, the exhilarating sledging downhill was an absolute blast!
After 4 years, on 25th of January 2023, Roya successfully defended her PhD thesis. Supervised by Prof. Dr. Cornelia Lass-Flörl, she investigated Aspergillus terreus using a model to study in vitro and in vivo persistence, tolerance, and resistance to drugs at the Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck. Thanks to HOROS, Roya was able to spend 6 months at collaboration partners at the Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, Netherlands, were she focused on the description of species within the Aspergillus section Terrei. However, congratulation Roya, we are happy that you did this great job and will keep on working on this project as a postdoctoral researcher.
With great pleasure, HOROS can report from the latest Entrepreneurship visit at MED-EL in Innsbruck on Thursday 2nd of February. The company is world-leading in the design and production of hearing implants supporting people suffering from hearing loss to (re-)enjoy sound. Their hearing solutions for young and old include a wide range of products, from cochlear implants to bone conduction systems.
To learn more about hearing, hearing loss, and respective solutions, we visited the Audioversum Science Center beforehand and enjoyed a great tour throughout this interactive exhibition. Lastly, we entered the MED-EL world and got familiar with mission, history, and products of this company. To discuss our impressions and experiences we had dinner at a very nice restaurant in the heart of Innsbruck.
The next day, Mrs. Ursula Bayer, Project Manager for Education & Training at MED-EL, hosted us and gave us an interesting and interactive presentation of the company followed by a fascinating factory tour. The latter gave us insights into the technical background of designing and producing hearing implants. Lastly, we had the chance to talk to Mrs. Caroline Schenk and Anna Himmler from Human Resources who showed us interesting career options in different departments at MED-EL.
We are grateful that MED-EL hosted us and organized such a pleasant event – we’ll be back!
For the first time after 3 years our annual Retreat to the beautiful Obergurgl could be held from 07th to 9th of January 2023 without restrictions. Once again members of two PhD programmes of excellence, HOROS (Host response in opportunistic infections) and CORVOS (Complement regulation and variations in opportunistic infections) as well as local PhD candidates from the IIT (Infection, Immunology, and Transplantation, Innsbruck, Austria) program came together to enjoy scientific discussions and do networking to push their research projects forward. Renowned scientists from across Europe, including Jörg Köhl (Lübeck, Germany), Seppo Meri (Helsinki, Finland), Tom Eirik Mollnes (Oslo, Norway), Peter Garred (Copenhagen, Denmark), Zoltán Prohászka (Budapest, Hungary) Mohamend R. Daha (Leiden, Netherlands) representing CORVOS as well as Christian Karsten (Lübeck, Germany) and Mikkel-Ole Skjødt, both member of the HOROS advisory board, participated and inspired with their talks. Especially for our PhD candidates it was a perfect environment to prove their scientific and presentational skills in front of experts in the field of opportunistic infections and immunology in a relaxed and private atmosphere. Additionally, representatives of the CORVOS industrial partner Hycult Biotechnology (Uden, Netherlands), namely Loek Willems, Eirik Toonen, and the CEO & Owner Ronald de Niet as well as of the company Novartis (Schaftenau, Austria), Marco Grasse (former CORVOS Administrator) were present.
Besides a tight schedule, there was still time for networking and team building with PhD students and principal investigators. The majority of participants enjoyed skiing at the lovely nearby slopes or assisted one another in learning how to ski while some went hiking or sledding. Another highlight was ice-skating were we played the popular Hungarian “catch on ice” game. No matter the favorite sport, they were all ideal for interacting with other scientists.
PROGRAMME SPEAKER
Reinhard Würzner, M.D., Ph.D.
Schöpfstraße 41
A-6020 Innsbruck
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November was Enrique’s month to shine and finally finish his PhD studies by defending his thesis. In the past years, he was developing novel 5-flucotosine-based antifungal therapeutics under the supervision of Prof. Fabio Gsaller at the Department of Molecular Biology, Medical University of Innsbruck. Congratulations Enrique! Good luck with your future work life in the pharmaceutical industry.
In October 2023, it was Annie’s turn to defend her PhD thesis. Under the supervision of Prof. Hubertus Haas, her work at the Department of Molecular Biology, Medical University of Innsbruck was focused on analyzing molecular mechanisms for the adaptation of Aspergillus fumigatus to iron starvation. We welcome Annie to the club of Alumni and wish her all the best for her future.
This year's summer retreat indeed lived up to its name. It was cozy, warm, and exceptionally beautiful—a description that perfectly captures the feelings we experienced while conquering the mountain trails. The day before our departure, it had been raining incessantly. However, as luck would have it, good people tend to have good fortune, and the weather transformed from dreary to irresistibly sunny.
Though we were only a group of five, we initially thought that postponing the retreat to September, when all the PhD students had returned from their vacations, was the right decision. But no. Despite our small number, there was no shortage of lively conversations and a fantastic atmosphere. Our journey commenced with a boat tour from Pertisau, finishing at Scholastika station. During our hike, we enjoyed breathtaking views of Achensee, with its deep blue and turquoise waters. The Mariensteig trail provided a viewpoint higher than the lake, offering an especially captivating view. To the left, the rugged and gray Karwendel mountains contrasted with the vibrant colors of Achensee.
After walking approximately 5 km and immersing ourselves in the Tyrolean landscapes and panoramas, we indulged in a well-deserved meal at a local restaurant in Gaisalm. There, we savored soup with Knödel and each relished fresh trout, undoubtedly fished from the nearby lake.
Without a doubt, we couldn't resist the allure of the lake. Statistics suggest that 6 out of 10 of us dipped our toes in its refreshing waters. It was an undeniable success, and following our swim, we embarked on a further run to warm up. Upon reaching the parking area, we decided to take a break at a café by the embankment to reflect on our tour and discuss upcoming scientific plans, all while savoring delicious ice cream.
Seven hours later, we returned to Innsbruck, brimming with great emotions and invigorated by the abundant oxygen. Such a delightful and vibrant trip would not have been possible without the meticulous organization of Frederik Radvan and Prof. Würzner.
We are thrilled to announce that Azin has successfully defended her PhD on the 5th of September. This long-awaited moment marked the culmination of her studies, and it was truly a cause for celebration. Surrounded by friends, family, and esteemed colleagues, Azin's achievement was met with great joy and pride. Azin was supervised by Prof. Florian Kronenberg, Institute of Genetic Epidemiology. Over the last years, her research has been centered on PCSK9, leading to significant findings that have enhanced our understanding of its regulation and impact on disease. We congratulate Azin on her impressive success and wish her all the best for her future.
In the past years, Lara performed comparative analysis of pharmacokinetics and therapeutic efficacy of new oral and intravenous iron preparations in anemia of chronic disease (ACD) with and without combined true iron deficiency. Some days ago, Lara could successfully defend her PhD thesis to join the growing group of HOROS Alumni. We are very happy for you and wish you good luck for your future path.
PROGRAMME SPEAKER
Reinhard Würzner, M.D., Ph.D.
Schöpfstraße 41
A-6020 Innsbruck
