Science Award 2022: Three KL researchers awarded
In the Grafenegg Auditorium, the renowned Schience Awards of the State of Lower Austria were awarded on Tuesday evening as part of the Wissenschaftsgala 2022. Three researchers from the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences (KL) were honoured for their outstanding scientific contributions.
Seit knapp 60 Jahren zeichnet das Land Niederösterreich herausragende Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler für ihre besonderen Leistungen aus. Neben den traditionellen Würdigungs- und Anerkennungspreisen wurde auch der „Wissenschaft Zukunft Preis“ für den Forschungsnachwuchs vergeben. Gleich drei Forscherinnen der Karl Landsteiner Privatuniversität für Gesundheitswissenschaften wurden heuer jeweils in einer der drei Kategorien mit einem Preis geehrt.
Die Auszeichnungen bestätigen den strategischen Kurs der KL beim weiteren Ausbau einer international kompetitiven, translationalen und klinischen Forschung in definierten Schwerpunkten der Gesundheitswissenschaften und der Humanmedizin – unter anderem in den gesellschaftlich hoch relevanten Bereichen der Onkologie, der Psychologie sowie der Wasserqualität und Gesundheit. Die Karl Landsteiner Privatuniversität gratuliert den Preisträgerinnen auf das Herzlichste!
Würdigungspreis 2022 for Physician and Cancer Researcher Sonia Vallet
The highest award of the province of Lower Austria, the prestigious Würdigungspreis, was awarded this year to two researchers for their overall scientific work: In addition to anthropologist Gerhard Weber, the award went to KL researcher Sonia Vallet: The Italian-born physician has been working on various types of cancer for more than 20 years. For example, the scientist is working on developing new therapeutic approaches against breast cancer and against certain forms of leukaemia, or on elucidating the causes of bone metastasis. She combines the areas of research, teaching and therapy as a senior physician in the Clinical Department of Internal Medicine II at Krems University Hospital and as a research associate in the Molecular Oncology and Haematology Working Group at Karl Landsteiner University.
Anerkennungspreis for Psychologist Juliane Burghardt
Juliane Burghardt was able to secure one of four Anerkennungspreisen with her research work: This award is for researchers who have already gained professional recognition and attention for their research work. The doctor of psychology, who works in the Division of Clinical Psychology at the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, was awarded for her essay in which she argues for the quality rather than quantity of research results. The other awards went to Nicole Dörr from AC2T research GmbH, the Austrian Competence Centre for Tribology in Wiener Neustadt, the physician Thomas Gremmel from the Provincial Hospital Mistelbach-Gänserndorf and the food technician Kathrin Kober-Rychli from the Feed and Food Quality, Safety and Innovation (FFoQSI) Competence Centre based in Tulln.
Wissenschaft Zukunft Preis for Molecular Diagnostician Claudia Kolm
At the Wissenschaftsgala, the achievements of young researchers were honoured as well: Four young researchers who are at the beginning of their scientific careers were awarded the "Wissenschaft Zukunft Preis" of the Gesellschaft für Forschungsförderung Niederösterreich (GFF). In this category, Claudia Kolm, among others, was able to convince with her PhD thesis: The research assistant in the Division of Water Quality and Health dedicated her work to the development of reliable and low-cost rapid test methods for detecting bacterial contamination in water bodies. In this way, the researcher is making a significant contribution to safeguarding water quality worldwide. This category also included Alina Lenzer for her bachelor's thesis at IMC Krems University of Applied Sciences, Jakob Tuna for his diploma thesis at the Vienna University of Technology and Klemens Krems for his PhD thesis at the Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna.
Jochen Danninger, the State Councillor for Economics and Technology, congratulated on behalf of Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner and emphasised: "Science needs role models just as much as we celebrate them in sport or the music industry. People to act as role models, whom we look up to and whose successes we emulate. People who inspire us for science."
