Faculty of Life Sciences
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Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology
- Univ.-Prof. Dott. Leonida Fusani MPhil PhD
Research Focus:
The Department of Cognitive Biology favours a new approach to the study of cognition and communication, in both animals and humans, with firm roots in classical ethology, traditional cognitive science, and behavioural physiology. This approach is pluralistic, and follows Tinbergen's injunction to study any given biological trait from the multiple perspectives of phylogeny (evolutionary history), ontogeny (developmental history), mechanisms (cognitive, neural and hormonal physiology) and function (adaptation). We are strongly committed to experimental evaluation of multiple, testable hypotheses. Both careful and controlled lab experiments, and empirical study of animals in their natural environments, are considered crucial to a complete understanding of most behavioural traits. Thus, we often combine field work with laboratory work, and we attempt to combine the naturalist's eye for species-typical behaviour with the psychologist's search for shared cognitive mechanisms and the physiologist’s approach to unveil mechanisms underlying behaviour.
More information can be found at:
http://cogbio.univie.ac.at/
- Ass.-Prof. Narly Golestani
Research Focus:
Research focuses on the neuroscience of language and of auditory processing. We use functional and structural brain imaging methods such as MRI to study auditory, phonetic, and lexical processing, extending to multilingualism and to dyslexia, and to domain-general processes that modulate and are modulated by language processing and expertise.
More information can be found at:
http://www.brainandlanguagelab.org/
- Assoz. Prof. Bernard Wallner
Research Focus:
We, the Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology (Wallner group), in collaboration with the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology (Schaschl group), are looking for enthusiastic postdocs with experience in behavioral genetics/genomics. We are particularly interested in understanding the functional genetics of behavior of Japanese macaques living in our field station at Affenberg Landskron. We also interested to use genomics and gene expression studies to elucidate genetic networks involved in different behaviours. Active participation in the research and administration of the MSCA grant is expected. In addition, we expect MSCA postdocs to develop an independent research profile through active participation in scientific meetings, conferences, preparation of peer reviewed publications, and mentoring of students. We provide mentoring, trainings and infrastructure. The University of Vienna provides in addition non-research oriented transferable skills and training, a highly competitive salary and social security in accordance with Austrian law.
More information can be found at
https://www.behaviour.univie.ac.at/about-us/academic-staff/bernard-wallner/
Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research
- Assoc.-Prof. Dr. Ovidiu Paun
Research Focus:
My group broadly investigates why and how organisms diversify. For this aim, we focus on adaptation and divergence as fundamental evolutionary processes. We use integrative approaches, built upon a genomics core, in order to understand how organisms speciate and spread across niches, including some novel to their groups.
We have a focus on the genomic architectures and the environmental conditions that underlie convergent and divergent adaptation during repeated evolution. Of particular current interest for us is to understand the role of the environment and of structural variation in the evolutionary process.
More information can be found at:
https://plantgenomics.univie.ac.at
Neurosciences and Developmental Biology
- Ass.-Prof. Dr. Oleg Simakov
Research Focus:
- Comparative genomics
- metazoan genomic architecture
- synteny conservation
- transposable elements
More information can be found at:
https://molevodevo.univie.ac.at/research/research-oleg-simakov/
Department of Evolutionary Anthropology
- Ass.-Prof. Dr. Katerina Douka
Research Focus:
We investigate major questions linked to human evolution through the development and application of new biomolecular techniques, namely palaeoproteomics and radiometric dating. We focus on the taxonomic identification of collagenous materials and we routinely work on ancient bones, whether unidentifiable osteological remains or worked osseous artefacts, for their taxonomic identification and reliable dating. While our work traditionally has revolved around Pleistocene Eurasia, especially focusing on the dating and discovery of Neanderthal and Denisovan remains and their associated sites, we are very much interested in less archaeologically researched parts of the world. We welcome candidates with ideas that fit these analytical methods, from any part of the world.
More information can be found at
www.katerinadouka.com
- Prof. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Thomas Higham
Research Focus:
Human evolution, radiocarbon dating, accelerator mass spectrometry, Bayesian modelling and calibration, Neanderthals and Denisovans
More information can be found at:
https://www.anthropology.at/people/thomas-higham/
- Ass.-Prof. Dr. Martin Kuhlwilm
Research Focus:
Bioinformatic analysis of genomic data, method development for detecting admixture in genomes of different species, computational modeling of population history, paleogenomics
More information can be found at:
https://www.anthropology.at/people/martin-kuhlwilm/
- Univ.-Prof. Ron Pinhasi, PhD
Research Focus:
Ancient DNA genomics: humans, great apes, pathogens
Human Evolution
Paleolithic archaeology
Paleoecology
More information can be found at:
https://www.pinhasilab.at
Department of Evolutionary Biology
- Assoz. Prof. Mag. Dr. Philipp Mitteroecker
Research Focus:
I have studied the development and evolution of human and primate anatomy, including the individual variation and perception of human faces, with medical applications to orthodontics. I am particularly interested in the interaction of developmental, environmental, and evolutionary processes. Another current research focus is on human childbirth: an evolutionary conundrum involving biological, environmental, and sociocultural dynamics.
I am fascinated by the analysis of complex biological data, including morphological, behavioral, and genetic data. I have contributed to modern morphometrics, the statistical analysis of biological form, as well as to multivariate biostatistics and quantitative genetics.
More information can be found at:
https://theoretical.univie.ac.at/people/permanent-scientific-staff/philipp-mitteroecker/
- Prof. DDr. Andreas Wanninger
Research Focus:
Research in the Wanninger group involves a variety of aspects of invertebrate development and evolution (EvoDevo, MorphoEvoDevo). Research is mostly on aquatic invertebrates with a strong focus on animals with a ciliated larva in their life cycle (lophotrochozoans), but we are also very much interested in other protostomes such as chelicerates (e.g., pycnogonids), crustaceans, or lesser-known clades. We use a wide range of state-of-the-art morphological, molecular, and in silico methods including immunolabeling, confocal and electron microscopy, imaging, in situ hybridisation, single cell RNA sequencing, as well as transcriptomics and genomics. To this end, we have generated a broad database of stage-specific transcriptomes of some of our target species. These can be mined for specific genes and research questions of interest. This dataset, together with the species used in the lab, is continuously increasing in order to carry out broad, comparative projects. We aim at expanding our team, projects, and research taxa, and thus invite everyone with an interest in exciting animal groups and research topics to contact us.
More information can be found at:
https://zoology.univie.ac.at/people/scientific-staff/andreas-wanninger/
Department of Nutritional Science
- Univ.-Prof. Dipl. oec. troph. Dr. Ina Bergheim
Research Focus:
The Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Vienna is divided into several working groups focusing on various areas of nutritional sciences related to the impact of foods/ food ingredients on human health and herein especially healthy aging. The research of the research field “Molecular Nutritional Sciences” focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying the development and progression of metabolic liver diseases e.g. non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and alcoholic liver disease (ALD) as well as their nutrition-based prevention and therapy. Herein, the interaction of nutrients and alcohol, respectively, with the intestinal barrier function and the role of these interactions in the development of metabolic liver disease are a main focus in research. Furthermore, molecular mechanisms involved in aging associated liver degeneration and the impact of alterations of intestinal barrier function herein are investigated. Using different model organisms’ findings from these studies are then used for developing new strategies to prevent and cure metabolic liver diseases as well as aging associated liver degeneration.
More information can be found at: https://nutrition.univie.ac.at/en/research/professorship-molecular-nutritional-sciences-univ-prof-dr-ina-bergheim/
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Univ.-Prof. Dr. Verena Dirsch
Research Focus:
Scientists at the Division of Pharmacognosy identify or use natural products (from plants, fungi or microorganisms) to understand biological processes that may be of potential interest for pharmaceutical use. Major expertise bundled at the Department is the identification and isolation of bioactive small molecules by high-tech analytics, chemometric and chemoinformatic activity prospecting (Rollinger lab), bioprospecting and synthetic biology of bacteria and fungi for drug discovery (Zotchev lab), as well as mammalian cell signaling studies targeted by natural products (Dirsch lab). A unique and dynamically developing environment within pharmaceutical sciences is available that provides the opportunity to work productively at the interface of chemistry and biology.
More information can be found at: https://pharmakognosie.univie.ac.at
- Univ.-Prof. Dr. Thierry Langer
Research Focus:
Computational Life Sciences :
This research focus coordinates the numerous activities at the Faculty that focus on applying and developing information technologies in the life sciences. In addition to forming topic-related clusters, this key research area is aimed at the interdisciplinary establishment of new methods in the fields of pharmacoinformatics, in-silico metabolomics, proteomics and bioinformatics, genomic evolution, sequence-function relationships, multiomics methods, machine learning, deep learning and artificial intelligence, as well as structural and systems biology. Particular emphasis is laid on processing high-throughput biological data, the development of mathematical methods for modelling biological and biomolecular systems, large-scale metagenome analyses, computational drug design, molecular informatics, as well as data integration and data mining.
This key research area cooperates closely with other centres and faculties, the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Max Perutz Labs. The move to the new location at the Vienna Biocenter Campus will further intensify the existing cooperation with the Center for Integrative Bioinformatics Vienna (CIBIV).
More information can be found at
pharmchem.univie.ac.at
- Prof. Dr. Christoph Rademacher
Research Focus:
The skin represents an attractive organ for the application of novel vaccines since it harbours a large reservoir of resident immune cells capable of eliciting a systemic response against antigens. In particular, Langerhans cells (LCs) are located in the epidermis, the upper layer of the skin. Insight generated over the past decades has highlighted the ability of LCs to promote a systemic cytotoxic T cell response. These responses were primarily investigated using antibody-based delivery of antigens to LCs and were especially effective when Langerin was used as a targeted receptor. Langerin is a LC-restricted C-type lectin receptor. We have developed a small molecule ligand specific for Langerin that we here explore as the basis for antigen delivery via liposomal formulations [Wamhoff et al. (2019)]. These nanoparticulate formulations can encapsulate small molecules and protein antigens and release their cargo intracellularly [Schulze et al. (2019)]. We were able to show specific uptake of these liposomes into Langerin-expressing model cells as well as primary human LCs. Furthermore, we study their endosomal fate and intracellular processing. Overall, these highly specific nanoparticles potentially build the basis for innovative delivery of vaccines via the skin.
Keywords: DC-based vaccines, vaccines, immunology, targeted delivery, dermatology, C-type lectins, glycobiology.
More information can be found at:
https://pharmazie.univie.ac.at
- Univ. Prof. Manuela Schmidt
Research Focus:
The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences promotes the discovery, development, and appropriate use of medications for the welfare and the safety of the public. The range of topics in Pharmaceutical Sciences
More information can be found at:
https://pharmtox.univie.ac.at/research/systems-biology-of-pain-prof-schmidt/
- Ass. Prof. Marietta Zille, PhD
Research Focus:
The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences promotes the discovery, development, and appropriate use of medications for the welfare and the safety of the public. The range of topics in Pharmaceutical Sciences
More information can be found at:
https://pharmtox.univie.ac.at/research/cerebrovascular-pharmacology-prof-zille/
- Univ.-Prof. Dr Sergey Zotchev
Research Focus:
Natural products from microorganisms;
Genetics and biochemistry of natural product biosynthesis;
Biosynthetic engineering; Bacterial genomics;
Metabolic engineering and synthetic biology
More information can be found at:
https://pharmakognosie.univie.ac.at/people/zotchev-sergey-b/