The fact that MedUni Vienna is now nationally and internationally known and recognised as an institution in its own right is the result of hard work and creative heads - day in and day out.
Again and again, MedUni Vienna manages to produce research of outstanding international quality, despite its comparatively meagre financial provision. A number of scientists from MedUni Vienna are amongst the most quoted researchers in the world, particularly in the areas of rheumatology, neuroimmunology, ophthalmology, hepatology, urology or research into lymphomas.
Interdisciplinarity and translational research are important catchwords at Vienna University. Nearly all the University's organisational units are involved in medical-scientific and medical-diagnostic research - including its Triple Track strategy, that is to say the symbiosis of research, teaching and patient care.
The benefits of research and innovation for patients
The innovative approach of translational research is an integral part of MedUni Vienna's development plan, and one that offers its patients enormous potential. As a result of the unique combination of basic research and clinical applications, patients can benefit directly from the results of clinical studies.
An additional plus for patients is the application of this interdisciplinary approach within the core research area. Collaboration between all doctors involved in treatment and the pooling of medical skills are key factors in determining success, especially in the treatment of cancer patients.
In global competition for research and innovation
When it comes to developing expertise and innovation, every university is competing for the best brains, partnerships with industry and resources of all kinds. MedUni Vienna concentrates on four main areas of research (Research Cluster, Focus Disease Entity) and positions itself clearly as an innovator. The four research platforms (focus on technology) also contribute to promoting interdisciplinary networking and the development of new technologies.
With its innovative research concept, MedUni Vienna is an attractive location for Austrian and international researchers. Its strategic direction is focused on promising areas of research such as, e.g. biomedicine. Future plans are oriented towards investment in the institution's strengths, in order to maximise the potential for top-level research, while at the same time striving for continuous improvement.
The individual goals of MedUni Vienna's four research clusters
In the Immunology Research Cluster, the research on allergy, inflammation and infection is integrated and new diagnostic and therapeutic concepts are developed. The focus of the research lies on fundamental research as well as on translational and clinical research. The Immunology Research Cluster has furthermore set itself the task of operating on multiple levels to establish initiatives aimed at enhancing synergies between scientists in fundamental and clinical research and to foster innovative research activities.On an educational level, the research cluster aims at supporting the education and instruction of young scientists. Moreover, the research cluster functions as a platform to strengthen interactions with scientists involved in immunological research from other universities and research institutions.
Based on the on the Cancer Research and Oncology Research Cluster, MedUni Vienna has established an interdisciplinary center - the Comprehensive Cancer Center. As a joint institution of the University and the Hospital , the CCC combines interdisciplinary medical care of cancer patients with clinical and fundamental research as well as teaching at the highest academic level.
The people affected benefit in diagnostics and therapy from the innovative procedures and technologies, available to the CCC's experts through the close connection between therapy and scientific research. In the area of cancer formation and treatment, the CCC also serves as central organisational platform for the departments of MedUni Vienna in clinic and teaching and closely cooperated with study and support groups as well as other research institutions.
The aim of the interdisciplinary units of the Comprehensive Cancer Center is the integration and connection of all activities in various oncological areas.
This research cluster reflects the broad range of research in the area of neuroscience and psychosocial sciences at MedUni Vienna. Especially renowned are the Alzheimer's, depression, multiple sclerosis and pain research at MedUni Vienna.
The primary goal is to gain insights that lead to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of diseases in the nervous system, and hence to better diagnostics and a better therapy of the affected patients. In addition, the cluster is to promote the dissemination of research results among the public.
Another important focus is training. PhD students and other young staff members are offered a high-quality and internationally recognised training at the participating department.
A variety of factors is responsible for the emergence of cardiovascular diseases, all organ systems are affected by these diseases. This is what makes the Cardiovascular Medicine Research Cluster so important. Apart from cardiovascular diseases the focus lies mostly on imaging and non-imaging diagnostics as well as epidemiological and genetic questions.
In addition the cluster stands out due its fundamental research, among other things in the area of vascular biology as well as thrombosis research and a high level of interdisciplinarity. Like the other four research clusters of MedUni Vienna the goal is to create a center according to the model of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna (CCC).
Research Platforms
The Research Platform Transplantation provides an integrative platform for academic networking and the promotion of research efforts in the field of transplantation at the MedUni Vienna. It aims to increase the output of high quality transplantation research.
The Research Platform Digital Medicine connects interdisciplinary research at the Medical University of Vienna to advance the use and development of digital technology in modern medicine. The platform links research, teaching, clinical requirements and translation with the aim of enabling groundbreaking research results.
| Inaugural kick off meeting on 28 November 2025 |
Our aim:
The Metabolism Research Platform aims to connect different research areas in the field of metabolism at MedUni Wien. By fostering collaboration and exchange, we want to open new perspectives in metabolism research and increase its impact and visibility both within and beyond our institution.
Why metabolism research matters:
Altered metabolism is a central denominator of several disease processes with implications for virtually any discipline in medicine. The high potential of metabolism research is reflected by the wide and diverse spectrum of research topics ranging from rare inborn errors of metabolism to common conditions such as obesity, diabetes, steatotic liver, as well as malnutrition. Further exciting aspects include changes in microbial metabolism due to dysbiosis, oncometabolism of tumors and cachexia, immunometabolism as key a regulator of immune functions, neuroscience linking central regulation of food intake, behavior and mental health to metabolism. All these areas highlight how interorgan metabolic crosstalk transcends traditional boundaries between medical disciplines with important repercussions on disease prevention and public health. We believe that many research areas at MedUni Wien have undeveloped potential in this field and this platform represents an opportunity to connect with your colleagues and explore those connections.
How to expand the metabolic research potential at MedUni Wien:
Metabolic research is already at the center of several research consortia of the MedUni Wien including the Custers of Excellence on metabolic control of aging (MetAge) and neuroscience (Excellent Brains), Special Research Areas (SFBs) on immunometabolism and lipid hydrolysis, as well as several other EU, WWTF and FWF-funded projects. Apart from promoting collaborations in metabolism research at the MedUniWien we want to promote the formation of a new research network, which will be able to attract competitive funding on multidisciplinary aspects of metabolism research.
By connecting the different research activities in metabolism at our university we will address the need to integrate metabolism into a multidimensional network of – omics, also including translational and investigator-driven studies. The platform is supported by dedicated research infrastructure, including a newly established metabolomics core facility and the functional imaging center (PET/MRI). Both units offer advanced analytical capabilities and in-depth expertise, actively contributing to the generation and interpretation of metabolic data. Through close collaboration, they help enable high-quality, multidisciplinary research in metabolism across diverse biological systems and scales. Additionally, the Metabolism platform will also crosslink with other research cluster and platforms of the MedUni Wien such as the Research Platform Medical Imaging (RPMI).The expanding activities in artificial intelligence at our university will help to integrate the vast amount of multi-omic and multi-organ data emerging from our metabolic research.
How we do it:
We plan to hold bimonthly research meetings and annual retreats with high level external speakers complementing research presentations of ongoing internal projects. Moreover, we want to provide small collaborative seed grants, assets for analytical and imaging core facilities and congress travel support for young early-stage investigators as part of our core mission to inspire the next generation of scientists in metabolic research.
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Upcoming events: Please reserve the date for our inaugural kick off meeting on 28 November 2025 featuring state-of-the-art lectures by leading international experts in metabolism research. The event will also include a scientific speed dating session showcasing the high potential of metabolism research at MedUni Wien. A link for registration will be provided soon.
Provisional organizing committee:
Michael Trauner (provisional coordinator), Boryana Petrova, Cécile Philippe, Thomas Scherer, Saverio Tardito, Thomas Weichhart
The Research Platform Medical Imaging consists of a cooperation of the institutes and research institutions of MedUni Vienna that deal with imaging, represented in six research focuses ("nodes").
The common interest lies on the further development and examination of morphological, functional and molecular imaging, so as to diagnose and treat diseases at an earlier stage.
Medical Centers of Excellence & evaluation of inventions
Given its history, its size and its Triple Track, the Medical University of Vienna is predestined to be a "knowledge machine". Having given birth to innovations, educated people and cured patients for centuries, it is in the best possible position to carry on doing this in the future.
MedUni Vienna is therefore constantly working on innovative research concepts for national and international researchers with the goal of creating an international "Center of Excellence".
In addition to this, MedUni Vienna intends to take on a leading role as a Health Care Player. Apart from participating in international networks and non-university collaborations, extraordinary funding measures for highly gifted researchers and performance-oriented career models for doctors will play a central role in this.
In order to develop additional sources of research funding in the future, MedUni Vienna plans to encourage the patenting and commercial exploitation of research results ("Academic Private Partnership"). The Medical University of Vienna has set up its own Service-Organisation for this purpose.