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Be up to date! Have a look at our most recent news.
After one year of incertanty concerning a stay abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I could succssefully go to Oeiras-Portugal for 3 months , from April to July 2021. There, I was lucky to join the Inflammation Laboratory of Prof. Miguel Soares as a HOROS Student, in the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia. I worked aside with the post-doc Qian Wu, in an interesting project about the interaction of Primary Renal Proximal Tubule Epithelial Cells (RPTEC) and malarial anemia.
The whole group from Prof. Miguel Soares was very nice and welcomed me with opened arms, as I was one of their students. Especially, Qian Wu taught me a lot about his project and I quickly became a part of it. I was able to perform previously known methods as flow cytometry analysis, RT-PCRs, Western Blots, c-DNA preparation and quatification, as well as new methods like the isolation of kidney macrophages and RPTEC. Most importantly, I learned a lot about their malaria mouse model, which was a new animal model for me.
I am happy to say that my stay in Portugal allowed me not only to reinforce the use of previously known methods in another laboratory with other equipments, but also to acquire theoretical and practical knowlegde about malaria and a malaria mouse model.
The country and the people treated me very well and I felt every day very lucky to be there!
Innsbruck has a long history of training PhD candidates in biomedicine. Initiatives to build an "international state of the art" in PhD education were started even two years before the Medical University of Innsbruck was founded in 2004. Last week, 20 years of effective PhD education in Innsbruck were celebrated!
Vice-Rector Bandtlow emphasized Georg Wick's exceptional achievement in convincing the relevant ministry to fund doctoral programs at Austrian institutions between 2003 and 2005 while serving as the President of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). After all, the Medical Institution of Innsbruck was the first Austrian medical university to provide an FWF-funded Doctoral College, and the program's success ultimately helped universities to further establish organized doctorates.
The doctoral programs at the Medical University of Innsbruck that have been and are still being funded by the FWF and the EU are known by the acronyms MCBO, SPIN, HOROS, CORVOS, as well as CavX, IGDT+, and CBD. Some of these programs have been run in collaboration with the University of Innsbruck, hastening the internationalization of doctoral training.
Besides Bernhard Flucher whose PhD college MCBO was seen as a “role model” for other Austrian medical graduate colleges, Reinhard Würzner’s dedication to doctoral education by being the speaker of HOROS and the first EU doctoral college in the life sciences sector coordinated by an Austrian university, CORVOS, was particularly highlighted.
Photo: D. Bullock, MUI
What better occasion to walk in the snow for the first time of the year than a Summer Retreat? On September 28th HOROS/CORVOS/IIT students embarked for the annual retreat, in the direction of Sölden in the Öztal valley, Austria. Their mission? The 007 Elements, a James Bond cinematic installation on the top of Gaislachkogel.
As they arrived in the valley of Ötzi, they were led to a local pizzeria minutely chosen by Hussam (HOROS) where they had early meal. This pit stop was also the occasion for Prof. Reinhard Würzner to update students on various matters such as lectures, publications, social media or secondments.
After refuel, the group headed to the gondola to access the 007 Elements, overhanging the valley at 3.040m. Originally, it was planned to hike up to the top, however, it had snowed during the week in Sölden and therefore, the idea was abandoned. And indeed at the Bergstation, some realized that actually skiing clothes could have been a serious option.
007 Elements stands as a memory of the James Bond movie SPECTRE scenes that were filmed in Sölden. The premises take the visitors through different rooms to discover the James Bond saga origins but also reveal the making of some iconic stage sets or action scenes, with a focus on the SPECTRE movie. Fans would have also appreciated the display of famous objects such as the golden gun or the explosive watch.
Ending the visit, the group was greeted outside by snowfall. Probably a good way to signify the end of this lovely Summer Retreat.
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On the 16th of September 2022 researchers from the Medical University of Innsbruck met at the 8th CIIT Science Day with HOROS & CORVOS, which had been organized with great commitment by Thomas Sonnweber, Doris Wilfingseder and Wilfried Posch. In the seminar rooms of the MZA, allocated researchers and PhD students presented almost 50 current research projects in demanding poster sessions. Additionally, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Andreas Bergthaler from the Institute of Hygiene and Applied Immunology (Medical University of Vienna) was invited to the event and delivered an exceptional keynote lecture. The lively scientific exchange followed by a light buffet with drinks made this year’s Science Day a resounding success. We want to thank all people involved in the organization and the participants for this interesting and stimulating meeting.
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
