Andreas Villunger

Andreas Villunger is a Professor at the Medical University of Innsbruck, leading the Division of Developmental Immunology at the Biocenter. He joined CeMM as an Adjunct Principal Investigator in 2018 to develop PIDDosome inhibitors. His work bridges cell death signaling, DNA damage response, and cell cycle regulation in health and disease.

Research Focus:

• Role of BH3-only proteins in lymphocyte transformation and cancer therapy
• Cell cycle-cell death crosstalk, particularly mitotic cell death and post-mitotic fate
• PIDDosome's role in p53 activation for centrosome abnormalities
• Polyploidization mechanisms in liver development and regeneration

Article Trends: Recent publications emphasize centrosome surveillance, mitotic stress responses, and therapeutic targets in cancer. Key themes include apoptosis, genomic instability, and p53 regulation.

Scientific Awards:

• FWF START Prize (2003)

Advising & Grants: Funded by FWF International Programme and European Research Council (ERC). Mentors trainees including Predoctoral Fellows and Postdoctoral Fellows at CeMM and MedUni Innsbruck.

Labs & Collaborations: Leads labs at both CeMM and MedUni Innsbruck Biocenter. Collaborates with teams at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Georg Winter Lab, and institutions in Austria and Australia.