Helga Lichtenegger

Univ. Prof. Helga Lichtenegger is a distinguished faculty member at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), where she serves as Head of the Institute of Physics and Materials Science and Vice Chair of the Department of Materials Sciences and Process Engineering since 2013. Her academic journey spans prestigious institutions worldwide, including the University of California Santa Barbara and TU Wien.

Her research focuses on the intersection of materials science and biological systems, with particular expertise in nanomaterials, biophysics, and ultrastructure analysis. Using advanced synchrotron radiation techniques, her work bridges the gap between biological phenomena and materials engineering, with applications ranging from biomimetic materials to medical implants.

Professor Lichtenegger's publication record reveals a strong emphasis on characterizing biological and biomimetic materials at the nanoscale. Her recent work shows a clear trajectory toward biomedical applications of natural materials, particularly spider silk for nerve regeneration and magnesium-based implants for bone healing. She combines materials physics with biological applications through sophisticated imaging techniques, especially synchrotron-based X-ray methods.

• Hertha-Firnberg-Fellowship (FWF) 2003
• Young Investigator Award, Gordon Research Conference on Biomineralization 2002
• Erwin-Schrödinger-Fellowship (FWF) 2001

As head of the Institute of Physics and Materials Science, Professor Lichtenegger leads a research team that collaborates extensively with synchrotron facilities worldwide. Her work integrates experimental materials characterization with computational modeling, focusing on the structure-property relationships in both natural and engineered materials. She maintains active collaborations with medical researchers studying bone-implant interfaces and nerve regeneration.