Science Awards 2024: Two KL researchers honoured
The prestigious Science Awards of the State of Lower Austria were presented at the Wissenschaftsgala 2024 in the Moonstone Building at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) on Wednesday, 9 October 2024. Two researchers from Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences (KL Krems) were honoured for their outstanding scientific contributions.
Vlnr: Dr.in Juliane Burghardt, Mag.a Dr.in Claudia Oppenauer, Jasmin Willinger, MSc, Prim. Assoc. Prof. PD Dr. Thomas Eiwegger, Landeshauptfrau Johanna Mikl-Leitner und KL Rektor Univ.-Prof. Dr. Rudolf Mallinger
The state of Lower Austria has been honouring outstanding scientists for their special achievements for almost 60 years. In addition to the traditional awards of honour and recognition, the "Wissenschaft Zukunft Preis" was also awarded to young researchers. Physician and immunologist Thomas Eiwegger, Head of the Division of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital St. Pölten and Head of the scientific working group Clinical Immunology at KL Krems, was honoured with the “Würdigungspreis 2024”. Jasmin Willinger, a graduate of the Master's degree programme in Psychology at KL Krems, was awarded the "Wissenschaft Zukunft Preis" for her Master's Thesis, supervised by Dr. Claudia Oppenauer from the Division of Clincial Psychologe at KL Krems.
The awards confirm KL's strategic course in the further expansion of internationally competitive, translational and clinical research in defined key areas of health sciences and human medicine - including in the socially highly relevant fields of clinical immunology and psychology. Karl Landsteiner University congratulates the two award winners most sincerely!
Appreciation Award 2024 for the physician and immunologist Thomas Eiwegger
Prim. Assoc. Prof. PD Dr Thomas Eiwegger's work focuses in particular on the field of immunology. His research has enabled him to establish the link between the chromosomal duplication of the IL-33 gene and allergic and autoimmune reactions. This has enabled him to emphasise the importance of targeted IL-33 therapies for rare, therapy-resistant diseases and the integration of DNA and mRNA sequencing in diagnostics. As part of the Clinical Immunology research group at KL Krems, the researcher will be able to advance his research work in a targeted manner in future.
Science Future Award for psychologist Jasmin Willinger
Jasmin Willinger, MSc, was honoured for her Master's thesis "Relationship between psychotropic drugs and theory of mind in patients with borderline personality disorder". The master's thesis shows how drug treatment affects the social-cognitive abilities of patients with borderline personality disorder. Her analysis provides important insights for the further development of treatment therapy in the future and could therefore lead to an improved quality of life for those affected.
