There is one main requirement for success in science: having a tangible target in mind and pursuing it consistently. In the Portraits series, successful scientists share how they confronted this challenge and illustrate that there may be a variety of ways to achieve one’s goals.
For almost a year now, the Covid-19 virus has had the world in a stranglehold. How are people in Austria dealing with this situation? In what way have their attitudes, behaviour and contentment changed? And do they see a light at the end of the tunnel – now that the first vaccination phase in Austria […] Continue reading “The social fever curve of coronavirus”
In the USA, the most common cause of death among people under 50 is an opioid overdose, an epidemic that affects all social classes. New York City has 15 years of experience with a prevention programme. The success factors of this programme are the research topic of Laura Brandt, a psychologist at the University of […] Continue reading “Nasal spray against drug death”
Irmtraud Fischer explores the role of women in the Bible and in the history of biblical interpretation. Looking through “different lenses”, the Graz-based theologian arrives at surprising results that completely refute traditional norms as they are still postulated today. Continue reading “Through different lenses”
In the course of its history, Europe experienced many epidemics before Corona. For centuries, states have sought to contain them through active countermeasures. The Graz-based historian Christian Promitzer explored how scourges such as plague and cholera were combatted under the Habsburg Empire in the 19th century, finding some parallels with today. Continue reading “Social distancing under the Habsburg Empire”
The corona pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of an economy based on globalisation and just-in-time production. Marion Rauner, an expert in health and disaster management, sees a trend away from these economic dogmas towards more self-sufficiency and a renaissance of agriculture. Continue reading ““Austria has to become more self-sufficient””
The virologist Christoph Steininger is involved in several EU-wide research projects on the coronavirus. In an FWF-funded project on the clinically highly relevant CMV virus, his research group has just achieved a scientific breakthrough. Both research areas show how important purely curiosity-driven basic research can be for the development of drugs. Continue reading “Coronavirus: from molecule to drug”
Over the last 25 years, the microbiologist Michael Wagner has developed methods that make it possible to examine bacteria and archaea directly in medical or environmental samples without growing them. Today he watches them eat, sorts them by function, and in 2015 discovered “Comammox”, a new bacterial species that can help reduce the production of […] Continue reading “Exploring the miracle of life”
Electrical engineer Ioanna Giouroudi has developed a portable sensor in mobile phone format that can be used to examine rivers, wells or swimming pools for pathogens. She recently moved her professional focus from active research to administration: since October Giouroudi has been coordinating doctoral training at TU Wien (Vienna University of Technology). Continue reading “Strategy and focus”