Successful Research: PMU Presents 2026 Science Awards
From epilepsy to Long COVID, from the nutrition of preterm infants to esophageal surgery: Researchers at the Paracelsus Medical University (PMU) are advancing medical progress. At the 17th Science Get Together in Nuremberg, PMU once again honored outstanding achievements in research.
Summer weather is usually part of the annual Science Get Together, but in 2026 the event was overshadowed by extreme temperatures: 35°C and a Europe-wide heatwave became a topic of conversation. The organizing team in Nuremberg responded at short notice by distributing hand fans and cooling water sprays, while a neighboring department provided portable air-conditioning units to keep audiences comfortable in the lecture halls.
Despite the heat, attendees followed the keynote address with great interest. Prof. Dr. Yurdagül Zopf, Director of the Hector Center for Nutrition, Exercise and Sports at Erlangen University Hospital, explained how healthy nutrition can reduce obesity and lower cancer risk. In her engaging presentation, she shared findings from recent studies and answered numerous questions about the "obesity pandemic." Her key recommendations require neither special diets nor complicated routines: eat more legumes and significantly increase dietary fiber intake, while incorporating more physical activity into everyday life. Even just five minutes of exercise per day has been shown to reduce the risk of certain diseases, the gastroenterologist emphasized.
More than 130 guests from academia, research, and clinical practice gathered at Nuremberg Hospital's North Campus to exchange ideas. "Science thrives on dialogue and the interplay of different perspectives," said host and Vice Rector Prof. Hans Herbert Steiner in his welcoming remarks. Rector Assoc. Prof. Annemarie Weißenbacher also emphasized the importance of personal exchange between the Salzburg and Nuremberg campuses and thanked the sponsors whose support makes both the annual science event and PMU's research activities possible.
Award Ceremony
A highlight of the Science Get Together was the presentation of the Research and Innovation Awards (RIA). Each year, PMU recognizes outstanding researchers from both campuses, with equal representation of women and men. The selection is based on both research performance indicators and qualitative evaluations.
In the Researcher of the Year category, the 2026 awards went to laboratory medicine specialist Priv.-Doz. Dr. Dr. Sylvia Mink (Salzburg University Hospital), internist Prof. Bernhard Wernly (Salzburg University Hospital), neonatologist Prof. Niels Rochow (Nuremberg Hospital), and intensive care specialist Prof. Justyna Swol (Nuremberg Hospital).
Early-career researchers were also recognized. The Rising Scientist Award in Nuremberg was presented to Dr. Vanessa Bartsch, a rheumatology resident physician active in health services research, and neurosurgeon MUDr. Adrian Liebert, who investigates treatment approaches for chronic subdural hematoma. In Salzburg, neurologists Dr. Pilar Bosque Varela was honored for her epilepsy research, while Dr. Constantin Hecker received the award for his work in neurointervention and early neurological rehabilitation.
The Best First Author Publication in a Top-Ranked Journal award recognizes authors of particularly influential scientific publications. The Salzburg recipients were anesthesiologist Dr. Lisa Reisinger and biologist Dr. Markus Hierl, while the Nuremberg awards went to Irina Avramovska and Priv.-Doz. Dr. Luca Giulini from the Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery. In addition to certificates, all RIA recipients received non-cash prizes in the form of hotel stays for themselves and their research teams.
An on-site jury also selected the best scientific posters presented by PMU students. Students and researchers submitted around 75 posters from the fields of medicine, pharmacology, data science, biology, and educational sciences. All three winning posters came from Salzburg: Michael Kleindorfer for his research on spinal cord injuries, Beatrice Mayer for her work on cartilage disorders, and Janine Zwicklhuber for her analysis of skin biomarkers in migraine.
Further information on the PMU Science Awards and the university's research activities can be found in the Science Report 2026, which is also available in digital format.
Photos: Heiko Stahl
