(Vienna 02-03-2016) From now on, the Medical University Vienna and the CeMM Research Centre for Molecular Medicine of the Academy for Sciences intend to work together even closer and use shared structures and resources even better than before. For this reason, a joint "General Agreement" was signed by the President of MedUni Vienna, Markus Müller, the Vice President for Research and Innovation, Michaela Fritz and the Science Director of CeMM, Giulio Superti-Furga as well as Anita Ender, Administrative Director of CeMM on Tuesday. This Agreement is indefinite.
Since the establishment of CeMM, MedUni Vienna and CeMM have invested resources in joint, medically oriented fundamental research projects. At the same time, CeMM developed into an internationally competitive centre and thus an important partner for MedUni Vienna and AKH Vienna due to top research which is reflected in publications in major journals, the successful achievement of ERC grants, but also due to the training of scientific-medical talents and the creation of a modern molecular and cell-biological research and development laboratory. Following this extremely successful test and establishment phase, the partnership between CeMM and the Medical University Vienna is now to be fortified and strategically improved.
"For many years, the cooperation between CeMM and MedUni Vienna has been extremely successful and an example for the optimal connection of fundamental research and clinical expertise in order to develop innovative, diagnostic and therapeutic approaches on the fast track. With the now also contractually recorded intention to use synergies even more efficiently and to initiate new projects, we consolidate the visibility and international competitiveness of both institutions in the global market, while simultaneously emphasising the general attractiveness of Vienna as a research location", says Markus Müller.
Giulio Superti-Furga: "From the very beginning, the cooperation between CeMM and MedUni has made pioneer projects for the molecular foundation of personalised medicine on a top international level possible. All CeMM projects are designed to illuminate basic issues of the human physiology and pathology and to promote innovations for patients and society. Also in the future, we fully rely on the cooperation with MedUni Vienna."
Successful strategic projects
There are already many successful, scientific projects between the two contractual partners. Thus, the Biometrical Sequencing Facility (BSF) is part of a joint Genomics Core Facility of MedUni Vienna and CeMM and the first technology platform for Next Generation Sequencing in biomedicine in Austria. In the "Center for Rare and Undiagnosed Disease (CeRUD)", which was established in 2014, the resources of CeMM and MedUni Vienna are consolidated in order to research interdisciplinary rare diseases and to ensure optimal clinical treatment for the patients. Genom Austria, in turn, is a scientific, educational and cultural project of CeMM in cooperation with the Medical University Vienna under the auspice of Margit Fischer, wife of Federal President Heinz Fischer.
To further consolidate synergies - also in apprenticeship and career
Since February 2015, Sylvia Knapp is responsible for, among other, the execution of scientific cooperation projects between MedUni Vienna and CeMM with a dual affiliation at the MedUni Vienna and CeMM as the Director for Medical Matters of CeMM. The new General Agreement between MedUni Vienna and CeMM is also designed to help promote the cooperation in apprenticeships and to make it possible for CeMM employees to, for example, also work as physicians at MedUni Vienna. This signifies another competitive advantage over other institutions. Thus, a total of five team leaders hold a dual affiliation.
MedUni Wien and CeMM Research Centre for Molecular Medicine of the Science Academy reinforce cooperation
MedUni Vienna and CeMM intend to work together even closer and use shared structures and resources even better