The University of Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna strike a new path in promotion of young researchers: at the joint May F. Perutz Laboratories at the Vienna Biocenter three outstanding young investigators were awarded with a starting package of 500.000 € each. This enables the “Junior Group Leaders” to build up their own independent research group – the most important step in a scientific career.
Similar to the START-Award of the Austrian Science Funding Agency FWF, this Junior Group initiative promotes talented young scientists especially in establishing their own research group. Of more than 100 top-class applications – 80% of foreign countries – Gang Dong of the Medical School of Yale, USA, Florian Raible and Kristin Tessmar, both of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Heidelberg, Germany, received the starting package of 500.000 Euro. This starting package allows enough financial scope for a fast set up of a working group right at the beginning of a researcher’s career and subsequently the application for a professorship within the next 6 years.
Gang Dong
Gang Dong, Postdoc of the Yale School of Medicine, enlightens the structures of biomolecules, which play a role in diseases like diabetes ort he rare autoimmune disease "Lupus erythematodes". In his years in Vienna Dong will address the question how these molecules look and how you can influence them therapeutically.
Florian Raible
Florian Raible of the EMBL Heidelberg examines the cumulative complexity of organisms in the course of evolution. He discovered genes in the bristle worm "Platynereis dumerilii", which show a similar complexity to human genes. In the laboratory and with the aid of bioinformatics he wants to examine the role of these genes in the hormonal system of the worms and in humans as well.
Kristin Tessmar
Kristin Tessmar, also of the EMBL Heidelberg, investigates biological rhythms and the influence of moonlight as time circuit by means of the mating habits of the bristle worm "Platynereis dumerilii". Within her research project she wants to clear up the role and function of a certain cell type found in worms and vertebrates for these biological rhythms.
"We are overwhelmed how cooperative and international the whole Campus Vienna Biocenter works!”, say the three newly arrived unisonous. The research location Vienna can compete successfully with the best US-American and European institutes for the best research talents.
Contact:
Dr. Lisa Cichocki Communications Max F. Perutz Laboratories 1030 Vienna, Dr. Bohr - Gasse 9 T +43-1-4277-240 14