The Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) welcomes a highly decorated researcher as the new director of CeMM – the Research Center for Molecular Medicine. The 57-year-old Italian expert on gut health and brain immune defense, Maria Rescigno, will take over leadership of the Academy’s institute.

Developer of New Cancer Therapies

Rescigno’s scientific focus lies in microbiome research. She is a pioneer in studying the interactions between host and microbes. Her work centres on the gut–liver–brain axis and related disorders, including neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. Among her discoveries is a kind of “protective barrier” in the gut, similar to the blood-brain barrier, which prevents bacteria from entering the bloodstream.

She has also developed novel cancer therapies, in which specially engineered bacteria activate the immune system against tumors and directly attack cancer cells. With Rescigno’s appointment, a new field of expertise will be established at CeMM and on the AKH campus, focusing on complex, multifactorial diseases from both genetic and environmental perspectives.

Faßmann: “CeMM Remains a Leader in Life Sciences”

OeAW President Heinz Faßmann stated: “CeMM is among the best life science institutes in the country and beyond. I am very pleased that we were able to find an excellent successor to Giulio Superti-Furga, the founding director of CeMM, in such a short time. I warmly welcome Maria Rescigno, a highly successful researcher from Italy, to the Austrian Academy of Sciences. We remain true to our excellence strategy. With her focus on the microbiome, Rescigno will open new research areas. The clinical connection of her work gives hope to many people.”

“What Is Essential Is Invisible to the Eye”

Maria Rescigno commented: “The sentence ‘What is essential is invisible to the eye’ comes from the book The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and it fits my research very well. Our well-being, in fact, depends on a vast population of invisible microbes — about one and a half kilograms of tiny co-inhabitants, collectively known as the microbiota, which live on all the surfaces of our body and within our organs. These microorganisms are far from being mere passengers: they help us digest, train our immune system to defend itself, and produce beneficial substances. In every respect, they are part of who we are.”

High-Caliber Search Committee Led by Helmholtz President

The OeAW appointed a high-level search committee to find a suitable candidate to lead CeMM. The committee was chaired by Otmar Wiestler, until recently the president of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres. Rescigno emerged as the top candidate, and the OeAW followed the committee’s recommendation.

Rescigno previously served as Vice-Rector for Research at Humanitas University in Milan and Deputy Director of the Humanitas Research Hospital. Earlier, she worked in Cambridge and Oslo. She is a multiple ERC grant recipient, a member of EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organization), and a member of the Accademia dei Lincei, whose most famous member was Galileo Galilei.

Her entrepreneurial drive is reflected in several patents, and in 2016 she founded Postbiotica, a microbiota-focused startup.

Rescigno succeeds Giulio Superti-Furga, founding director of CeMM and professor of systems biology at the Medical University of Vienna, who is currently involved in establishing a new Center for Biomedical Research and Biotechnology in Sicily. He remains closely connected to CeMM and continues to serve as a member of the Academy.

CeMM – Research at the AKH Campus

Founded 20 years ago, CeMM employs around 300 staff members. The international, independent institute of the OeAW is dedicated to advancing the molecular understanding of human diseases. Located at the AKH Campus in Vienna, CeMM maintains a close strategic partnership with the Medical University of Vienna.

CeMM operates at the interface between basic biomedical research and clinical medicine. It is an internationally recognized training centre for PhD students and postdocs in biomedicine, and—with six spin-off companies—a leader in translating research into application.

As a partner and current chair of the EU-LIFE alliance, CeMM ranks among Europe’s top life science institutes.