Scientific Career

since 05/2020
University Professor of Physiological Chemistry and Cellular Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna

05/2020 - 08/2023
Head of the Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna

since 2014
Scientific Director of the German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE) Potsdam-Rehbrücke and Chair of the Department of Molecular Toxicology, DIfE/University of Potsdam, Germany

2010 – 2014
Chair of the Department of Nutritional Toxicology in the Institute of Nutrition, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany

2006 – 2010
Chair of the Department of Biofunctionality and Safety of Food in the Institute of Biological Chemistry and Nutrition, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany

2003 – 2006
Head of the Free Radical Research Laboratory, Research Institute of Environmental Health, Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, Germany

2000 – 2003
Head of the Free Radical Research Division of the Neuroscience Research Centre of the Medical Faculty (Charité), Humboldt University Berlin, Germany

1994 – 2000
Head of the research division of the Clinics of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of the Medical Faculty (Charité), Humboldt University Berlin, Germany

1993 – 1994
Post-doctoral fellowship at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Albany Medical College, Albany NY, USA

1992 – 1993
Research assistant at the Research Institute of Molecular Pharmacology Berlin, Germany

1987 – 1992
Research assistant at the Institute of Biochemistry of the Medical Faculty (Charité), Humboldt University Berlin, Germany

Education:

2013
Dr. h.c. University of Buenos Aires

1998
Habilitation (Lecturer of Biochemistry): Secondary antioxidative defense systems in mammalian cells – the removal of oxidation products as demonstrated by the degradation of the lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxynonenal and the removal of oxidatively modified proteins

1993 – 1994
DFG research fellowship

1992
Graduation (MD): Nucleotide degradation and free radical damage during ischemia and reperfusion of the rat small intestine

Most important academic prizes/awards received

• 2019  SFRR (Europe) Basic Science Award
• 2013  Dr. h.c. University of Buenos Aires
• 2004  Catherine Pasquier Award / SFRR (Europe)
• 2003  René-Schubert-Award of Aging Research
• 2003  Skin Aging Research Award
• 2003  Paul Gersson Unna Award