Excellent research in the fields of science communication and pandemic preparedness, nanovesicular precision medicine and network medicine
Vienna (OTS) – Science for and with society. This is the goal of the three new Ludwig Boltzmann Institutes (LBI), which were presented for the first time today at a press conference together with the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research and LBG President Freyja-Maria Smolle-Jüttner. The research institutions newly founded by the Ludwig Boltzmann Society (LBG) will in future offer scientists the freedom they need for outstanding research in the areas of science communication and pandemic prevention, nanovesicular precision medicine and network medicine.
„The founding of the three new Ludwig Boltzmann Institutes is another important step for health research in Austria and illustrates the commitment of the Ludwig Boltzmann Society in this area
“, says Martin Polaschek, Federal Minister for Education, Science and Research. “The new institutes will make a significant contribution to the development of innovative therapies for the complex challenges of modern medicine and promote exchange between science and society.
“
The LBI model: freedom for outstanding research
The work in the Ludwig Boltzmann Institutes takes place in a partnership between research and application-oriented organizations. The consortium consists of a host institution (these can be universities, private universities, non-university research organizations, etc.), partner organizations and network partners. The budget of the new LBI is a maximum of 1.5 million euros per year, 80 percent of which is financed by the Ludwig Boltzmann Society and 20 percent by the partner organizations. The institutes are set up within a host institution and managed by the LBG. The term is set for seven years, with the possibility of an extension for a further three years.
The new Ludwig Boltzmann Institutes will be founded according to the motto “People, not Projects” in order to offer outstanding scientists financial and organizational freedom to achieve at the highest level. “Over the next few years, internationally recognized and highly qualified researchers will provide important impetus to scientific knowledge and the development of new therapies, thereby making a decisive contribution to a healthy society
“, says LBG President Freyja-Maria Smolle-Jüttner. “With the new Ludwig Boltzmann Institutes, we are creating an intensive bridge from excellent basic research to applied practice.
“
Health Science: scientific debate for a healthy society
Health Sciences is the overarching name of all disciplines concerned with health and is broadly oriented in the interpretation of the LBG: The health sciences cover the spectrum from medical research to health system research and basic research through to implementation.
After a comprehensive international call for proposals, the three new Ludwig Boltzmann Institutes were selected, which will in future promote excellent research for people’s health in the field of health science. The focus of the research work at all LBIs is the scientific debate to solve social problems and issues.
The three new Ludwig Boltzmann Institutes at a glance:
LBI for science communication and pandemic preparedness at the Medical University of Vienna: Trust in science
With the LBI for science outreach and pandemic preparedness (LBI-SOAP), the Ludwig Boltzmann Society succeeded in bringing an internationally renowned scientist back to Austria. Under the direction of Univ. Prof. Dr. Florian Krammer, the LBI-SOAP will focus on communicating scientific findings and preparing for potential pandemics. The aim is to educate the public about current research results and scientific findings in the field of health and to promote cooperation between science, politics and society. The aim is to increase trust in and positive attitudes towards science.
The LBI-SOAP is located at the Medical University of Vienna and will carry out projects in collaboration with two partner organizations: the City of Vienna and Gesundheit Österreich GmbH as well as the three network partners Citizen Science Network Austria, Open Science and the University of Vienna. https://soap.lbg.ac.at/
LBI for Nanovesicular Precision Medicine at the Paris Lodron University Salzburg: Personalized therapies for complex diseases
As the life expectancy of the world’s population increases, the frequency of chronic diseases also increases and with it the need for effective, targeted and, above all, well-tolerated therapy options. Many illnesses, especially in older age, are currently still inadequately treatable using traditional active principles.
The Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Nanovesicular Precision Medicine (LBI-NVPM) pursues the mission of developing completely novel therapies that exploit the body’s own cellular communication and transport system on a nanoscale and thereby enable highly effective, gentle and targeted treatment strategies. Solutions are being developed in close and interdisciplinary collaboration between biomedical research and international clinical partners and with the involvement of experts from the pharmaceutical and food industries, regulatory authorities, patient organizations, doctors and medical nursing staff as well as affected target groups from the population for the entire process from production to approval, application and broad public acceptance in order to accelerate the development of nanovesicular precision therapies and to use them in the best possible way. The LBI-NVPM is located at the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg and is run by Univ. Prof. Dr. Nicole Meisner-Kober directed. https://nvpm.lbg.ac.at
LBI for network medicine at the University of Vienna: New approaches for personalized diagnosis and treatment
The human body is made up of a wide variety of components that interact at different levels: from proteins that interact with each other within the cell to organs that communicate with each other. The Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Network Medicine (LBI-NetMed) is looking for new approaches to decipher the architecture of this highly complex network in order to better understand how disruptions in this system cause diseases. The aim of basic research at LBI-NetMed is practical application in medicine. Fundamental insights into the molecular networks in the human body are intended to provide completely new approaches in order to be able to tailor the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of a wide range of diseases more precisely to individual patients.
The new LBI thus makes an important contribution – not only to the fundamental understanding of the human body and its diseases, but also to improving patient care worldwide. LBI-NetMed is led by Univ. Prof. Dr. Jörg Menche at the University of Vienna. https://netmed.lbg.ac.at
About Ludwig Boltzmann Society (LBG)
The Ludwig Boltzmann Society (LBG) is a non-university research and research funding organization. The focus of the content is primarily on the area of life sciences, other areas include the humanities, social sciences and cultural sciences. Together with academic and application partners, the LBG operates the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute (LBI) and develops and tests new forms of collaboration between science and non-scientific actors such as civil society, companies and the public sector. With the Clinical Research Groups (KFG) funding program, the LBG offers Austria’s first funding program in the area of non-commercial disease- and patient-oriented (translational), consortial clinical research. Parts of the LBG are the LBG Open Innovation in Science Center, which taps into the potential of open innovation for science, and the LBG Career Center, which supports young researchers in achieving their individual career goals within or outside of science. https://lbg.ac.at
Questions & Contact:
Ludwig Boltzmann Society
Mag. Werner Fulterer
+43 1 513 27 50 -28
werner.fulterer@lbg.ac.at