AITHYRA Research Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences

AITHYRA Directors Michael Bronstein, Anita Ender, Georg Winter

Today we celebrate the 1st Anniversary of AITHYRA, founded as Research Institute for Biomedical Artificial Intelligence of the OeAW with generous support of the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation. Happy Birthday, #AITHYRA, the institute we love, cherish and pamper. www.oeaw.ac.at/aithyra/about

AITHYRA-University of Vienna AI for Science School for Ukrainian Students

Last week the AITHYRA - @univie.ac.at AI for Science School for Ukrainian Students took place in Vienna. Thank you to Michael Eichmair, Maths+ coordinator Dmytro Rzhemovskyi and Michael Bronstein for involving #AITHYRA in such a meaningful activity of training talent. More info: tinyurl.com/3bze8zyt

Maria Cristina Russo, Director for Global Approach and International Cooperation in Research and Innovation of the European Commission, visited AITHYRA on Friday, 12 September 2025 (c) Bubu Dujmic

Thank you to Maria Cristina Russo, Director for Research and Innovation of the European Commission, for visiting AITHYRA and to discuss talent attraction and societal impact in Europe. Our Faculty had the chance to present their vision and research plans, right after their first retreat in Vienna.

AITHYRA #AIinLifeScience Symposium Participants (c) Bubu Dujmic

Everything comes to an end, but we have the feeling that the first AITHYRA #AIinLifeScience Symposium in Vienna can only be the beginning of a conference series. Thanks to all participants for a successful event! www.oeaw.ac.at/aithyra/about

“We can do science in a different way: generate very big datasets, train models with them, and then use that to predict and engineer biology”, says @benlehner.bsky.social from @sangerinstitute.bsky.social at the #AITHYRA #AIForLifeScience Symposium

“We need to start all over again and reinvent small molecule drug discovery in a way that is native to AI”, Greg Verdine, Co-Founder, President and CEO of LifeMine Therapeutics, is convinced. #AIForLifeScience #AITHYRA

The current grand challenge in AI, that @marinkazitnik.bsky.social from @harvard.edu is especially excited about, is developing systems that serve as collaborative partners, working alongside human scientists. #AIForLifeScience #AITHYRA

The next big thing in AI for his field will be “modelling protein dynamics, not just static structures”, @moalquraishi.bsky.social from @columbiauniversity.bsky.social emphasises at #AITHYRA ‘s #AIForLifeScience Symposium

“Machine learning will have the capability to find patterns where we can’t see them with our own brains or our own eyes”, says @deboramarks.bsky.social from @harvard.edu at the #AIForLifeScience symposium of #AITHYRA

We are honored that Nobel laureate @francesarnold.bsky.social of @caltech.edu is giving the keynote lecture tonight at the #AIforLifeScience Symposium!

Eva Maria Holzleitner, Bundesministerin für Frauen, Wissenschaft und Forschung (BMFWF)

The first AITHYRA Symposium #AIinLifeScience at the House of Industry Vienna started with a very engaging and motivating video message from @eviholz.bsky.social Austrian Minister for Women, Science and Research.

Link to video: tinyurl.com/2je333cu

#AITHYRA is grateful for the trust placed in us!

Alex Tong = Engineering biology with generative ML

With great pleasure we announce that @alextong.bsky.social joined AITHYRA as Starting PI. He was mentored by Turing Award Laureate @yoshuabengio.bsky.social. Alex develops next-gen ML methods to model and engineer biological systems.

More info: www.oeaw.ac.at/aithyra/rese...
#AITHYRA #StartingPI

Xinyi Zhang = curious + adventurous + collaborative + nature-loving + pilot

With great pleasure we announce that XINYI ZHANG is one of the Starting PIs AI/LS who will join AITHYRA. Xinyi will develop machine learning models for cell and tissue biology: from multimodal integration to biomarkers and function.

More info: www.oeaw.ac.at/aithyra/rese...
#AITHYRA #StartingPI

Ismail Ceylan = curious - analytical - collaborative - precise – driven

With great pleasure we announce that İsmail İlkan Ceylan will join TU Wien as Faculty Member, and AITHYRA as Adjunct PI. Ismail will focus on developing trustworthy, interpretable, and scalable geometric deep learning methods.

More info: www.oeaw.ac.at/aithyra/rese...
#AITHYRA #AdjunctPI

🚀 European Alliance for proximity-induced drugs: Scientists from @goetheuni.bsky.social, @irbbarcelona.org, ‪@cemm.oeaw.ac.at‬ @aithyra.bsky.social, @dundee.ac.uk & EPFL call for a united effort to advance PROTACs, molecular glues & AI-driven degrader design.

Read more:
➡️ ️https://bit.ly/4mm7mvD

Wali Malik = builder + collaborative + integrator + blue sky ideas + optimizer; Photo credit: AITHYRA/Natascha Unkart

With great pleasure we announce that WALI MALIK is the Head of AI Driven Lab Robotics at AITHYRA. Wali has 17 yrs of experience in driving strategic lab automation, high throughput screening, and data solutions in biotech & pharma.

More info: www.oeaw.ac.at/aithyra/rese...

#AITHYRA #RoboticsLab

Jason Nomburg = Science-lover + enthusiastic + driven + sarcastic + positive @jnoms.bsky.social‬‬

Welcome JASON NOMBURG! With great pleasure we announce that Jason Nomburg is one of the Starting Principal Investigators LS who will join AITHYRA in October 2025. Jason wants to understand the function of proteins in the virome.
More information: www.oeaw.ac.at/aithyra/rese... #AITHYRA #StartingPI

Ariane Mora = impact-driven + climber + Australian + open-source enthusiast + collaborative

Welcome ARIANE MORA!
With great pleasure we announce that Ariane Mora is one of the Starting Principal Investigators AI/LS who will join AITHYRA in November 2025. Ariane combines molecular biology, AI, and software engineering. More information: www.oeaw.ac.at/aithyra/rese...
#AITHYRA #StartingPI

Group Picture of AITHYRA PI Candidate Symposium with members of the Viennese Scientific Community (c) Franzi Kreis

The call for the initial 4 AITHYRA Starting PIs in the field of AI/ML & LS, and the search for the Head of AI-driven Robotics Lab have been closed. We received 250+ applications & wish all candidates success in their future endeavors. Thank you! Soon we will present our new AITHYRA Faculty members.

AITHYRA at Marxbox, Vienna BioCenter (c) Anita Ender

RECRUITING & ONBOARDING SPECIALIST - AI/Life Sciences (f/m/d)

Join AITHYRA as a key driver of our talent strategy and employee experience.

APPLY NOW: aithyra.onlyfy.jobs/job/6c5poiee
Deadline: 20.9.2025

#AITHYRA #Admin #ScientificSupport

Michael Bronstein in Vienna, St. Stephen's Cathedral in the back (c) Natascha Unkart

Postdoctoral Position in Geometric Deep Learning & AI for Science (f/m/d)

Michael Bronstein, AITHYRA Director and Hon Prof TU Wien in collaboration with Ismail Ilkan Ceylan, expert in graph ML, invites to APPLY NOW: aithyra.onlyfy.jobs/job/ltt3a9j6
Deadline 31.8.2025

#AITHYRA #TUWien #PostDoc

Apply for the AITHYRA-CeMM International PhD Program!

15-20 fully funded PhD fellowships available in Vienna, AT
in AI/ML and Life Sciences

Deadline for applications:
10 September 2025 apply.cemm.at

We are excited to share with you the updated program of the Aithyra Symposium "AI for Life Science", 8-10 September 2025 in Vienna, now also featuring Nobel Laureate Frances H. Arnold as keynote speaker.

Registration is open under the following link
cemm.at/aithyra-symp...

Congratulations to ‪Michael Bronstein @mmbronstein.bsky.social‬, AITHYRA Scientific Director AI, for becoming Honorary Professor of the Technical University of Vienna! Photo credit: Tamara Nedic/TU Wien

Please save-the-date for the #AITHYRA Symposium “AI for Life Science”, which will take place in Vienna at the House of Industry from 8-10 September 2025. Great speakers, interesting framework programme and beautiful location. Registration will open mid May. More info: www.oeaw.ac.at/aithyra/news...

Happy AITHYRA Directors Anita Ender, Michael Bronstein and Georg Winter with an optimistic view into the future (c) Natascha Unkart.jpg

Thank you to many Starting PI candidates who showed their interest in joining #AITHYRA. We will need a few weeks to go over the applications with our hiring committee, but will come back to you asap. The PI hearing is planned to take place in Vienna, mid of June. 👐

We proudly present to you the #AITHYRA corporate identity, a mixture of logo, motion and sound design. Thanks to our Design Partner Studio Dumbar for a creative and joyful process, and the OeAW and BIS for giving us the confidence and trust to go new ways. More to come www.oeaw.ac.at/aithyra/news...

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