(Vienna/Toronto, 30-04-2026) Three members of the Medical University of Vienna were honoured at the annual congress of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) in Toronto. Andreas Zuckermann received the 2026 Francis D. Pagani, MD Endowed Mentorship Award, Sophia Alemanno was awarded an international research grant, and Laurenz Wolner received an International Visiting Scholarship. These honours underscore the international standing of transplant medicine at the Medical University of Vienna.
Andreas Zuckermann is Professor of Heart Transplantation at the Medical University of Vienna, Second Deputy Head of the University Clinic for Cardiac and Thoracic Aortic Surgery, and Head of the Heart Transplantation Programme. He received the 2026 Francis D. Pagani, MD Endowed Mentorship Award. Funded by the ISHLT Foundation, the prize is awarded annually to an ISHLT member who has rendered outstanding service through the selfless promotion of clinicians, teachers or researchers in the field of advanced heart and lung diseases.
Sophia Alemanno from the University Clinic for Thoracic Surgery at MedUni Vienna received the “ISHLT Extracorporeal Photopheresis Immunomodulation in Thoracic Transplantation Challenge Grant”. The research grant supports innovative projects on the application of extracorporeal photopheresis in thoracic transplantation medicine. In the final round, Alemanno’s project prevailed against applicants from several leading international centres.
Laurenz Wolner, a doctor undergoing specialist training at the University Clinic for Cardiac and Thoracic Aortic Surgery and a PhD student in the “Vascular Biology” programme, has been awarded one of the five 2026 International Visiting Scholarships by the ISHLT. The programme promotes the international exchange of knowledge and techniques in heart and lung transplantation, as well as in the treatment of end-stage heart and lung diseases. Wolner will therefore be heading to the Center for Transplantation Sciences at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston to receive in-depth training in translational heart transplantation research and to gain insight into tolerance-inducing strategies. The centre is headed by Joren C. Madsen, who is also affiliated with Harvard Medical School.
These three awards highlight not only clinical excellence but also the next generation of scientists and international research collaborations at the Vienna site. They also demonstrate MedUni Vienna’s strong standing in the field of heart and lung transplantation medicine.