University of Innsbruck
Austria
The University of Innsbruck (UIBK) was founded in 1669 and is the biggest and most important institution for research and higher education in westerly Austria. Today it comprises almost 27,000 students and more than 4.000 staff and faculty members.
With its long-lasting educational tradition and scientific history, the UIBK provides perfect contemporary conditions for strong research and teaching. International rankings confirm the University’s leading role in basic research. In this productive environment 16 faculties provide a broad range of programs in almost all fields of studies. In order to promote international exchange in research and teaching, the University collaborates with numerous international institutions in research and higher education.
In September 2012, the Institute for Biomedical Aging Research (IBA), founded by the Austrian Academy of Sciences in 1992, was assigned to the Faculty of Biology of the UIBK as a distinguished Research Unit for human biogerontology. Researchers at the IBA study aging processes at the cellular and molecular level. The goal is to apprehend the etiology of age-related impairments and diseases and to define distinct measures to postpone/prevent disorders to improve the quality of life of individuals at advancing age.
The institute houses 5 research groups, two of which are represented in the present programme: the Immunology group and the Stem Cell Aging Group. The goal of the Immunology group is to reach a better understanding of age-related changes occurring in the immune system in order to find new ways to prevent loss of immune function within age and to ensure healthy aging. As the body continuously regenerates through various types of stem cells and thus gains the vigour to withstand accruing age-associated changes, knowledge on stem cell aging became an integral part of regenerative medicine, a new discipline of great importance for active and healthy aging.
Key personnel involved in the project:
Beatrix Grubeck-Loebenstein: Head of the IBA
Günter Lepperdinger: Head of the IBA Stem Cell Aging Group
Carmen Giefing-Kröll: Research Assistant
Main tasks attributed to them in the project:
Partner UIBK is responsible for the coordination of Biogerontology and participates in task 1 by outlining the most important achievements in the field and assessing their suitability for translation. UIBK is also responsible for the organisation of task 3 of biogerontology on communication and dissemination. Beatrix Grubeck-Loebenstein and Günter Lepperdinger have both been involved and have coordinated multiple EU-funded project, scientific as well as strategic ones such as ERA-AGE I and II and Futurage.
Short profile of all personnel and previous relevant experience:
Beatrix Grubeck-Loebenstein is Head of the IBA and Professor of Immunogerontology at the University of Innsbruck. She is one of the leading scientists in immunogerontology, as well as a qualified physician. Beatrix Grubeck-Loebenstein was a member of the steering committee of two ERA-networks on aging research (ERA-AGE and ERA-AGE 2) and has participated in numerous EU projects in FP5, FP6 and FP7 (MANAD, ImAginE, LifeSpan, ARIG, MARK-AGE, ADITEC). She is a founding member of the Austrian Platform for Questions Related to Aging (ÖPIA) and of the “Beirat für Altersmedizin” of the Austrian Federal Ministry for Health, Family and Youth. Dr. Grubeck-Loebenstein has authored and/or coauthored more than 200 research papers and book chapters, acted as Editor / Managing Editor / Section Editor of the Elsevier journal Experimental Gerontology and is presently member of the Editorial Board of several biogerontological journals.
Günter Lepperdinger has worked as a PI since 1996 in various research institutions such as IMB Salzburg, MPI Martinsried, NIH-Bethesda, and since 2002 he heads the Stem Cell Aging Group at the IBA in Innsbruck. He is an Adjunct Professor for Biochemistry of Salzburg University and an Adjunct Professor for Developmental Biology at the University of Innsbruck. His research group has participated in various joint research projects at a national and international level (e.g. FP7 project VascuBone, Marie Curie Reintegration HyalStemAge). He authored more than 75 publications and served as an Assoc. Editor for Elseviers’ Experimental Gerontology from 2002-2007, presently acts as Editor for Karger’s Gerontology.
Carmen Giefing Kröll has a basic training in biomedical aging research and knowledge in public health. She is responsible for compiling the contemporary knowledge in the field of biogerontology to validate the most suitable measures and strategies for translation, in particular regarding potentially efficacious medications, dietary regimens including functional food, matched physical exercise programs as well as technical advancements to promote a healthy lifestyle. She is also actively engaged in communicating and disseminating these achievements to the common public.