The American biochemist will head the IMBA – Institute for Molecular Biotechnology in Vienna
Vienna (OTS) – Elly Tanaka became known for her axolotl research, and the biochemist has now reached the peak of her scientific career: Tanaka will head the IMBA – Institute for Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) from April 1, 2024. The Academy is following the suggestion of an independent search committee made up of outstanding researchers.
Tanaka’s research area is the regeneration of complex body structures, such as the nervous system and the limbs, as well as their molecular and cellular basis. The most important model in their research is the regenerative salamander Ambystoma mexicanum, the axolotl. In her projects, Tanaka is currently focusing on the question of why the ability to regenerate differs between species and in different phases of the life cycle, where she also uses organoids.
Tanaka’s research offers hope
ÖAW President Heinz Faßmann warmly welcomes the American biochemist to the IMBA: “I am very pleased that Elly Tanaka will be working at the Academy of Sciences in the future. She is an outstanding scientist and her research gives hope to many people. The ÖAW continues to be uncompromising when it comes to excellence. I would like to thank Jürgen Knoblich very much for his excellent work as institute director. I am convinced that the important role that the Academy plays in the life sciences in Austria will be further strengthened with the appointment of Elly Tanaka.”
Tanaka says: “I am excited to start working at IMBA. My scientific vision closely aligns with the research topics pursued at IMBA – these range from the dynamics of the genome to stem cell research, which allows us to study important topics such as fertility and neurodegeneration. In the future, these research topics at IMBA will develop hand in hand, with insights from the cellular and genomic perspectives informing each other to achieve a deeper understanding of the molecular basis of life – in all its facets. I look forward to leading this institute with its excellent research groups and under the aegis of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Both personally and as a scientist, I find the close interaction between natural sciences, social sciences and cultural studies at the academy enriching. I would also like to thank Josef Penninger for his vision for the IMBA and his drive to make the IMBA a leading institute in the life sciences, as well as Jürgen Knoblich, who has led the institute on a successful growth path in recent years.”
From Harvard via Max Planck and IMP to IMBA
Elly Tanaka has worked as a group leader at the Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), also at the Vienna BioCenter, since 2016. She studied at Harvard University and the University of California, San Francisco, among others. Tanaka turned to research into regeneration during her postdoctoral research at University College London (UK). Tanaka founded her own laboratory in 1999 at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) in Dresden. In 2008 she became a professor at the Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), of which she later became director. Tanaka has been a senior group leader at the IMP since 2016.
Tanaka is a full member of the ÖAW and was admitted to the prestigious US National Academy of Sciences in 2023. She received, among other things, the Schrödinger Prize from the ÖAW and the German Ernst Schering Prize.
The IMBA has existed for more than 20 years and is the largest institute in the ÖAW with more than 200 employees. The internationally renowned institute of excellence conducts basic research in molecular biology with a focus on stem cell research, particularly organoid research, as well as research into genome organization and RNA biology. Due to its location at the Vienna BioCenter, there are extensive collaborations with the IMP and other research institutes in the field of life sciences. The possibilities for exploiting research results are increasingly reflected in spin-offs.
The ÖAW presented Elly Tanaka and her research to media representatives on March 14, 2024 as part of a “Science Update” at IMBA.
Questions & Contact:
Debora Knob
Press spokesperson for the Presidium
Austrian Academy of Sciences
T +43 1 51581-1209
debora.knob@oeaw.ac.at
Sven Hartwig
Head of Public & Communications
Austrian Academy of Sciences
T +43 1 51581-1331
sven.hartwig@oeaw.ac.at
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