Reward for our specialist

A laureate cited 30,000 times!

Six scientists working at Tyrolean universities and institutions were among the most cited and thus most influential in the world last year. Among them is Andreas Bernkop-Schnürch (58) from the Institute of Pharmacy at the University of Innsbruck.

Yesterday, the Tyrolean provincial government decided to award this year’s provincial prize for science to the Carinthian-born scientist. Bernkop-Schnürch conducts research at the Institute of Pharmacy and is considered a pioneer in the field of bionanotechnology. Part of his research is, among other things, the improved absorption of active ingredients of various drugs in the human body.

His linking of academic research with the practical application of research results in the pharmaceutical industry – also in the context of his entrepreneurial activities – is particularly emphasized. In Innsbruck, the scientist, who comes from a well-known Carinthian family of pharmacists, and his wife Astrid, with whom he has three children, have founded two companies. Until two years ago, the award winner also ran the traditional Bären Apotheke pharmacy in the town center of St. Veit an der Glan.

Andreas Bernkop-Schnürch studied pharmacy in Vienna and received his doctorate in 1994. Nine years later, he followed the call of the University of Innsbruck to the chair of pharmaceutical technology. From 2016 to 2018, he was also a member of the scientific committee of the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) of the European Union in Brussels. The IMI is an initiative to increase the competitiveness
of pharmaceutical research institutions in the EU.

Bernkop-Schnürch’s scientific achievements are outstanding, he acted as author of more than 500 original scientific papers and as editor or co-author of several books. His publications have been cited 30,000 times.

(TT, pn)