ARIT: Austrian researchers receive awards in the USA

Researchers and representatives of several Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI) institutions gather among the bright sun, palm trees and cool air conditioning. Los AngelesUSA for this year’s Austrian Research and Innovation Talk (ARIT). Since 2003, this event has been an exchange of ideas with Austrian researchers in North America on current scientific topics. Under the title “Facing the Challenges of the 21st Century,” questions were discussed on the topics of artificial intelligence, the climate crisis, new technologies, and scientific skepticism.

According to the Federal Minister Martin Polaszek However, the question of how to bring science closer to the public and people is also a major issue. Such events would ensure greater understanding of science. Among others, the head of the ÖAW was there Heinz WassmannGeneral Manager of OeAD Jacob CallisChairman of the Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation Wolfgang Petrich, Alexa Sekerahead of the Scholars Program at the Getty Research Institute Los Angeles and Paul HaslingerMusician and film composer.

Since 2008, ASciNA (Austrian Scientists and Researchers in North America) awards have also been presented to researchers for their scientific achievements during ARIT: a Young Principal Investigator Award worth €10,000 in prize money and a Young Scientist Award worth €7,500 prize money. . the ASciNA Awards The President of the FWF is appointed by the Federal Minister Christoph Getringer and ASciNA presidents Dietrich Hopenberger Granted.

Prize winners

Marlys Misel He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Immunology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and has now also held the title of Junior Principal Investigator. Her work “Dietary Tryptophan Metabolite Released by Lactobacillus reuteri Intratumoral Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy” addresses the topics of nutrition and cancer treatment.

Climate scientist Kevin Blackforest He received the “Young Scientist Award”. He has been a doctoral student in Earth and Environmental Studies at Columbia University in New York City since 2019. “Science has to grapple with how to deal with the consequences of the climate crisis and what we should expect,” he explains. Therefore, his publications specialize in the extent of uncertainty in climate projections.

The second Young Scientist Award goes to a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Immunology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota: Ines Sturmlechner. Her focus is on the aging process and associated cell dysfunction. The title of her award-winning work is now: “Senescent cells limit p53 activity via multiple mechanisms to remain viable.”