AITHYRA Institute.
Research Institute for biomedical AI established.
With funding of 150 million euros from the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation, the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) is founding the AITHYRA Institute in Vienna. At this institute, researchers from AI and biomedicine will collaborate in an unprecedented partnership to develop novel research approaches for biomedicine. It aims to combine the best research approaches from the world of academia, research-based companies, and start-ups and to work closely with Austrian and international universities and non-university scientific institutions. The goal is to gain a deeper understanding of biomedical interrelationships in order to better understand diseases, enable faster and more reliable diagnoses, and support the development of treatments for currently incurable diseases. The Foundation's funding will extend over 12 years, representing the largest private research funding initiative in Austria to date.
Unparalleled expertise.
For the role of founding director, the Foundation and the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) could win DeepMind Professor Michael Bronstein, considered a true superstar in the AI field. In addition to his academic achievements – including positions at Stanford, MIT, Harvard, and Oxford – he has contributed his expertise to leading tech companies and founded several successful start-ups.
To complement Bronstein's AI expertise, a high-ranking international search committee is currently looking to fill the position of biomedical director at the institute. Anita Ender, Administrative Director of CeMM – Research Center for Molecular Medicine at the ÖAW, will assume the position of managing director at the institute alongside her role at CeMM, thereby establishing a direct link to the medical campus in Vienna.
AI will drive the biological revolution in the next decade with the ultimate goal to improve human health. It aims to combine the best research approaches from the world of academia, research-based companies and start-ups and to work closely with Austrian and international universities and non-university scientific institutions. We will make AITHYRA the place where magic happens.
Michael Bronstein, Scientific Director
Photo: OeAW
Watch a short YouTube video of Michael Bronstein talking about AITHYRA.
AITHYRA's research principles.
Experts in AI and Life Sciences at the AITHYRA Institute aim to collaborate in a new, interwoven manner: AI researchers will be involved in biomedical research, experiments, and data analysis right from the start – rather than being brought in afterward, as has been typical until now. AITHYRA will adhere to the highest ethical standards in its research. Furthermore, it will make its results and data openly accessible to researchers worldwide, following the Open Access principle.
Location: Vienna!
Vienna is a hotspot for life sciences, with its diverse range of academic and non-academic research institutes, research companies, and start-ups. During the foundation's search for a suitable location, the Austrian Academy of Sciences and Vienna as a research hub successfully convinced the foundation's decision-making bodies in a competitive selection process.
Institute name developed in collaboration with AI.
The name "AITHYRA" was generated with the help of AI, in collaboration between the Foundation and the OeAW, embodying the institute's research principles in the name itself. To capture the essence of AI and biomedicine, Greek mythology was used as inspiration and tied to the goals of the new institute – thus, AITHYRA was born. According to the AI-generated backstory, she is the daughter of Athena, the goddess of wisdom, and Asclepius, the god of medicine, making her the patron and source of inspiration. The institute, named after this fictitious guardian, sets the tone for the forward-looking nature of the institute and extends the rich history of biomedical research into the future.
New building for AITHYRA Institute.
The AITHYRA Institute will be located in a newly constructed building at the Vienna BioCenter (VBC) in Wien-Landstraße. It will benefit from the successful life science environment of university and non-university institutes. In addition to setting up its own state-of-the-art AI-controlled robotics laboratory, the AITHYRA Institute will also have access to the VBC infrastructure, which will enable numerous synergies. Until the new building is completed, Vienna will provide space in the existing 'Marxbox' building in the immediate vicinity of the VBC. Two thirds of the funds required for the housing of the institute will be provided by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research and one third by a grant from the City of Vienna.
About the OeAW.
The Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) is Austria’s largest non-university research and science institution. Its statutory mission is to “promote science in every way”. Founded in 1847 as a learned society, today the OeAW has over 760 members, 27 research institutes and 1,800 employees dedicated to innovative basic research, interdisciplinary exchange of knowledge and the dissemination of new insights with the aim of contributing to progress in science and society as a whole.
Further information and contact.
Follow the developments at the AITHYRA Institute on its exciting path: www.oeaw.ac.at/aithyra
Watch a short YouTube video of Michael Bronstein talking about AITHYRA.
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