Green light for new doctoral program EVision

The new PhD program "EVision: Extracellular Vesicles in Inflammation" focuses on the multiple roles of extracellular vesicles in the regulation of inflammatory processes. Five doctoral positions can now be filled with funding from the Austrian Science Fund FWF's doc.funds.connect program. The funding of 1.1 million euros for the next four years was approved in the latest call for proposals of doc.funds.connect. With this program, the Department for Biomedical Research at the University for Continuing Education Krems will deepen its research in the field of inflammation and sepsis, strengthen the promotion of young scientists and further expand the existing cooperation with the IMC University of Applied Sciences at Campus Krems and the Medical University of Vienna.

"Extracellular vesicles play an important role in the regulation of inflammatory processes and have become a 'hot topic' in research in recent years due to their high diagnostic and therapeutic potential. We are therefore all the more pleased that we have succeeded in developing a structured doctoral program in this field for the first time. The funding provided by the FWF enables us to support excellent young scientists in this highly topical field," says Prof. Viktoria Weber, Vice-Rector for Research and Sustainable Development at the University for Continuing Education Krems and Head of the Department for Biomedical Research there. Each of the five positions includes several months of international mobility for the students to leading research groups in Germany, Italy, Hungary and Canada.

Inflammation is an essential part of regeneration after infections or injuries. However, maladaptation can lead to acute overreactions or chronic inflammation, which represent an enormous challenge for the healthcare system. The molecular mechanisms that control the transition from regenerative to degenerative effects are still largely unknown. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a central role in communication between cells. They can modulate the functions of their target cells via their molecular cargo. The aim of the doctoral program EVision is to investigate the role of EVs in the regulation of inflammation in order to gain a better understanding from a systemic perspective and to arrive at new approaches for diagnostics and therapy.

Cooperation between universities and universities of applied sciences

The doctoral program "EVision: Extracellular Vesicles in Inflammation" comprises five doctoral positions - however, it is the declared aim to establish further positions in this field together with the partners and to create a long-term perspective.

The partners involved are the University for Continuing Education Krems, IMC Krems and the Medical University of Vienna. The program is coordinated by the University for Continuing Education Krems and Prof. Viktoria Weber.

With the current round of the programs doc.funds and doc.funds.connect, the Austrian Science Fund FWF has made a total of 71 doctoral positions at universities and universities of applied sciences possible. It is making 16.5 million euros available for this purpose. With these grants, the FWF is further expanding structured doctoral training at Austria's research institutions thanks to funding from the Austrian Future Fund and the Ministry of Science. Doctoral students are provided with an excellent research environment in which they can intensively work on future-oriented topics and gain a stronger foothold in their field of research. The funding also strengthens scientific excellence in research and teaching.