LBG: Federal Ministry of Science and LBG strengthen cancer research in Austria

The Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft (LBG)  - non-profit association for the promotion of scientific research – is financing three endowment chairs at the Medical University Vienna and the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna.

Recently three new chairs for cancer research were endowed at the Medical University Vienna (MedUni Vienna) and the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna (Vetmeduni Vienna). All chairs have been donated by the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft (LBG).
Josef Pröll, President of the LBG, in regard to the donated chairs: “We want to sustainably install already established expertise in our research landscape to stop the Brain Drain from Austria. Also after the completion of funding periods, existing knowledge shall further strengthen the Austrian research location. That’s why we pursue a strategy of Know-How integration into already existing structures.“

"Through establishing new chairs we strengthen basic research for the benefit of society and lay the foundation for further success in the field of cancer research. In addition, the research portfolio of the two universities will be further enhanced", emphasises Reinhold Mitterlehner, Federal Minister of Science, Research and Economy, whose ministry provides substantial funds for the LBG.

The research foci of the new chairs are the areas of Laboratory Animal Medicine – Laboratory Animal Pathology (MedUni Vienna and the Vetmeduni Vienna), Laboratory Animal Medicine – Translational Methods in Cancer Research (MedUni Vienna and the Vetmeduni Vienna) as well as Transgenic Models in Cancer Research (MedUni Vienna).
The professorships were tendered by the universities according to international criteria. After a hearing process the researchers Richard Moriggl, Lukas Kenner and Emilio Casanova-Hevia were appointed to the professorships; Moriggl and Kenner also receiving a double appointment for both MedUni Vienna and Vetmeduni Vienna. All three researchers established their expertise for these research foci through their work at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cancer Research resp. at the MedUni Vienna.

The University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna disposes over internationally recognised expertise in the area of Animal Models and Comparative Medicine.
Both research areas receive further strengthening through the new professorships. „Double appointments are ideal for securing an inter-university and interdisciplinary knowledge transfer. Especially within comparative medicine, such a structure is very conducive to gain insights which will inure to the benefit of both human being and animal“, explains Sonja Hammerschmid, Rector of the Vetmeduni Vienna.

„The interdisciplinary exchange of knowledge between human and veterinary medicine is affecting research in a solely positive way. The strengthening of this unique bridging of human and veterinary medicine, of humanities and natural sciences through the means of these newly endowed chairs, emphasises the top position and the excellent international reputation of interdisciplinary research in Vienna“, adds Wolfgang Schütz, Rector of the MedUni Vienna.

About the LBG
The Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft (LBG) is a non-university research organization based in Vienna and operates 22 research units (Ludwig Boltzmann Institutes/LBI) with about 400 employees in the fields of medicine / life sciences as well as the humanities, social- and cultural sciences. Acting according to its motto “Near to the people”, the LBG deals with socially relevant research questions: Selected LBI-research projects can be supported through the crowdfunding platform  www.inject-power.at.  All donations are eligible for tax deduction.

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