University Assembly at PMU in Nuremberg:

The Paracelsus Medical Private University (PMU) in Nuremberg Welcomes Distinguished Guests

For the first time since taking office, PMU Rector Assoc. Prof. Dr. Annemarie Weißenbacher visited the Nuremberg Hospital. To mark the occasion, fresh Nuremberg gingerbread—a local specialty usually reserved for the Christmas season—was served. Vice Rector Univ.-Prof. Dr. Hans Herbert Steiner and the Nuremberg PMU leadership welcomed the Salzburg guests with this traditional souvenir.

Rector Assoc. Prof. Dr. Annemarie Weißenbacher attended the university assembly on the North Campus of Nuremberg Hospital, accompanied by Chancellor Dr. Vera Coreth and executive member Pia Antonia Hössl-Dworschak.

“Your visit underscores how important exchange with our alma mater is for the further development of our university,” said Steiner. He emphasized that collaboration and mutual appreciation are the foundation, as “an institution is not defined by buildings, titles, and structures, but by people, their attitudes, spirit, and passion.”

The rector and vice rector stressed their goal to promote more joint clinical studies and personal encounters between Salzburg and Nuremberg. “I am very pleased with the warm welcome and the exchange,” said Weißenbacher. In the future, PMU will focus more clearly on regenerative medicine in research, and in teaching, the aim is to train the best physicians.

Nuremberg’s Dean of Studies, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Christiane Waller, announced more support for students preparing for the rigorous USMLE exam, including learning coaches and tutoring programs. For Nuremberg Hospital, the high retention rate of young physicians is a positive development: in 2025, about half of the graduating class indicated they would start their careers at the hospital. Following the switch to the bachelor’s-master’s model in 2023, detailed planning for the first master’s year, set to begin in autumn, is currently underway.

Research Dean Univ.-Prof. Dr. Hermann Josef Bail presented a series of research grants and reported encouraging progress in science. In 2025, Nuremberg Hospital saw a 38% increase in funded projects and a 27% rise in clinical studies compared to the previous year. Third-party funding also grew by about 20%.

As part of the “Bridge Nuremberg-Salzburg” program (funding up to €25,000), four cross-site projects were awarded:

• Univ.-Prof. Dr. Simon Jäger (Nuremberg) is developing strategies against neuropathy in cancer patients with PD Dr. Florian Rieder, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Simon Gampenrieder, PD Dr. Dagmar Schaffler-Schaden, and Dr. Vanessa Castagnaviz (Salzburg).
• Prof. Dr. Ralph Bertram (Nuremberg), Univ.-Prof. Dr. Daniela Schuster, and Univ.-Prof. Dr. Johanna Pachmayr (Salzburg) are jointly researching active substances against the nosocomial bacterial pathogen Stenotrophomonas maltophilia.
• Parkinson’s disease is the focus of Univ.-Prof. Dr. Dr. Boris Musset (Nuremberg) and Univ.-Prof. Dr. Jan Pruszak (Salzburg).
• Univ.-Prof. Dr. Hermann Josef Bail, Dr. Karl Bodenschatz (Nuremberg), Dr. Martin Breitwieser, and Univ.-Prof. Dr. Roman Metzger (Salzburg) are investigating the impact of AI-supported fracture detection in the emergency room.

PMU travel scholarships were awarded to Filitsa Farmaki for a fellowship in Milan on treatment concepts for reflux and achalasia, and to nutrition scientist Dr. Robert Speer, who is researching malnutrition in rehabilitation facilities in Australia.

Research rotation positions at Nuremberg Hospital were granted to Dr. Stephan Wunderlich (Neurology), MuDr. Philipp Grau (Pediatrics), Sebastian Seurig (Pneumology), and Basel Habboub (Geriatrics).

Image caption: From left: Dean of Studies Univ.-Prof. Dr. Christiane Waller, Chancellor Dr. Vera Coreth, Vice Rector Univ.-Prof. Dr. Hans Herbert Steiner, Rector Prof. Dr. Annemarie Weißenbacher, Pia Antonia Hössl-Dworschak, Vice Chancellor Dr. Stephan Kolb, Administrative Director Dr. Ines Spieler, Research Dean Univ.-Prof. Dr. Hermann Josef Bail.