Margit Höfler will assume the professorship of Cognitive Research pursuant to § 99 of the Austrian Universities Act (UG) at the University for Continuing Education Krems on March 1, 2026. With the establishment of this new professorship, the university is further strengthening a key area within the Faculty of Medicine and Health. The position is based at the Department for Dementia Research and Nursing Science and is dedicated to both fundamental and applied research questions relating to cognitive processes in adulthood.
The focus lies on the mechanisms of attention, memory, and learning that are essential for coping with everyday life, independence, and quality of life. The professorship will advance the establishment of a research laboratory to integrate methods such as eye tracking into both research and teaching.
“In my view, we still know far too little about how attentional processes and memory function in older adults,” says Höfler. “Yet this knowledge is crucial if we want to develop effective support and intervention programs for older people and individuals with dementia. This professorship gives me the opportunity to help close this important research gap.”
In addition, Höfler will contribute to the strategic development of the department. Her responsibilities include securing national and European third-party funding and participating in leadership and management tasks. In this way, the professorship strengthens the department’s structural development while further advancing cognitive research at the institution.
Scientific continuity and methodological expertise
With Höfler, the professorship is filled by a distinguished expert in the field. She completed her doctoral studies at the University of Graz, where she also obtained her habilitation and was granted the venia docendi. Since 2017, she has been a research staff member at the Department for Dementia Research and Nursing Science at the University for Continuing Education Krems.
A key focus of her research is the investigation of visual attention using eye-tracking methods. In this area, she has led several fundamental research projects and published numerous academic papers. Höfler is also involved in multiple interdisciplinary projects in the field of dementia research and prevention.
Contact
Tags
