Construction of the Eric Kandel Institute – Center for Precision Medicine at MedUni Vienna on the MedUni Campus AKH has reached roof-raising stage. Named after Austrian Nobel Prize winner Eric Kandel, the new research building will provide space for various highly specialised units dedicated to researching the possibilities of personalised and digital medicine, the two most important trends in 21st century medical science, from 2027 onwards. The institute is seen as a significant contribution to securing Vienna's pioneering role as a centre of science. A topping-out ceremony attended by Science Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner, MedUni Vienna Rector Markus Müller, AKH Vienna Director Herwig Wetzlinger and STRABAG Commercial Director Matthias Ristl marked another milestone in the realisation of this forward-looking project.
The topping-out ceremony is a significant milestone in the realisation of this forward-looking project. A state-of-the-art infrastructure is being created on around 6,100 m² of floor space, which will offer around 200 researchers at MedUni Vienna optimal conditions for the development of individualised prevention, diagnosis and therapy procedures.
The new centre is also a key project for strengthening the international visibility of Vienna as a centre of science and medicine. Financed by donations and EU funds, the Eric Kandel Institute – Centet for Precision Medicine is also a sustainable investment in future, innovative healthcare.
"Based on a fundamental understanding of human biology, precision medicine is revolutionising the practice of medicine, the prevention, treatment and cure of disease," said Nobel Prize winner Eric Kandel, Professor Emeritus of Physiology and Psychiatry at Columbia University in New York, in a message from the United States. "With this magnificent, state-of-the-art new building and an outstanding staff, the Medical University of Vienna is well on its way to becoming an international leader in the field of precision medicine. Congratulations!"
Science Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner explained: "The Eric Kandel Institute – Center for Precision Medicine is creating a place where cutting-edge research is directly translated into healthcare for people. It represents Austria's commitment to combining scientific excellence with social responsibility. We are investing here in the future of our healthcare system, in the international reputation of our research landscape and in the opportunities for future generations. It is a special honour that this institute bears the name of Eric Kandel: it not only pays tribute to an outstanding Nobel Prize winner, but also highlights our historical responsibility in this commemorative year. Once again, Austria as a centre of science is underlining its role as the heart of an open, innovative and united society."
"The new Center for Precision Medicine is making great progress, as we can see impressively at today's topping-out ceremony. The City of Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna are impressively demonstrating that Vienna rightly plays in the top league in the global medical landscape," said Vienna's Mayor Michael Ludwig in a message. "I am convinced that even in times of difficult economic challenges, investments to improve healthcare pay off many times over. We are already benefiting from the advantages of precision medicine, which is developing inexorably, especially in the field of diagnostics, enabling significant therapeutic advances. This progress should be transferred to other medical fields and gain further momentum through the centre. Naming the institute after Eric Kandel honours his outstanding achievements in research and emphasises his close ties to the city of Vienna, characterised by the idea of togetherness and understanding."
"With the Eric Kandel Institute – Center for Precision Medicine, we are taking a decisive step towards further expanding the international competitiveness of MedUni Vienna," explained Markus Müller, Rector of MedUni Vienna. "This research centre will not only strengthen Austria as a centre of science in the long term, but will also attract international talent and lay the foundations for developing personalised prevention, diagnosis and therapy concepts for the benefit of our patients. In this way, we are fulfilling our responsibility for scientific excellence and for Vienna as a centre of health and business."
"After 19 months of intensive work, we are delighted to have successfully completed the shell construction as part of our building contractor activities," said Matthias Ristl, Commercial Director at STRABAG. “With this building, we are creating a place wh ous medical progress can take root and become visible. This topping-out ceremony marks a significant milestone on the way to a research centre that will shape the future of digital and personalised medicine. It is a very special honour for STRABAG to be able to contribute to this development, and it fills us with pride.”
The Eric Kandel Institute – Center for Precision Medicine
The Eric Kandel Institute – Center for Precision Medicine at MedUni Vienna is currently being built on the MedUni Campus AKH and will go into operation in 2027. Named after Vienna-born Nobel Prize winner Eric Kandel, the new research building offers state-of-the-art infrastructure for around 200 researchers on approximately 6,100 m² of floor space. The focus is on research and development in personalized and digital medicine – the two key areas of the future in medical science. The aim is to develop innovative prevention, diagnosis and therapy concepts and to bring together key technologies in precision medicine in one location. The institute is a key strategic project to strengthen the international visibility of Vienna as a centre of science and medicine. With its realisation, MedUni Vienna – supported by donations and EU funds – is making a sustainable investment in the further development of high-quality, future-oriented healthcare and consolidating its role as an international driving force in precision medicine.
About the namesake Eric Kandel
With the findings from his scientific work, Eric Kandel (born in Vienna in 1929) provided deep insights into the workings of human memory and a molecular understanding of mental processes and psychiatric disorders. In 2000, he received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of chemical and structural changes in the brains of all learning organisms, from snails to humans.
Kandel was forced to emigrate to the United States with his family in 1939 after Austria's annexation by Nazi Germany and became an American citizen in 1945. In 2009, Kandel was made an honorary citizen of the city of Vienna. In 2012, he received the Grand Silver Medal of Honour with Star for services to the Republic of Austria, in 1994 an honorary doctorate from the University of Vienna and in 2018 an honorary doctorate from the Medical University of Vienna. Kandel lives in New York.