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Sylvia Brunner studied biology at Vienna University, specialising in genetics. She took her doctorate at the Institute for Microbiology. After her PhD she joined the group of Ernst Wagner at the Institute for Medical Biochemistry, where she worked on the optimisation of non-viral gene transfer in tumour models and the development and characterisation of efficient vectors for somatic gene therapy. Subsequently, she was involved in the development of adjuvants for vaccines at the biotech company Intercell. In 2003, she moved to AFFiRiS AG, where she is Head of the research group for the development of vaccines against atherosclerosis. Together with her team, Sylvia Brunner won the first prize in the “FemPower Vienna 2004” competition launched by the Centre for Innovation and Technology (ZIT), receiving an award of EUR 206,500 for the project Identification and Pre-clinical Development of an Atherosclerosis Vaccine.
Markus Mandler did his PhD-Thesis at Boehringer Ingelheim´s Institute of Molecular Pathology in Vienna and received his PhD from the University of Vienna in 2003. As a molecular biologist by training he has extensive experience in academic research and biotechnology industry. His work leads to numerous publications in high impact journals as well as to the authorship of several patents and patent applications. Dr. Mandler joined AFFiRiS in March 2004 and currently heads the Neurodegeneration department of AFFiRiS AG. He is responsible for the preclinical development and evaluation of immunotherapies for the treatment of Neurogenerative diseases. His main focus is currently set on the development of new vaccination strategies to treat Alzheimer´s disease and Parkinson´s disease, the two most common forms of Neurodegenerative disorders in humans.
Achim Schneeberger, CMO, was setting up the Clinical Research and Development Division and leads it since 2006. He brings to this role considerable immunological core competences, and is in charge of the clinical development of the AFFiRiS vaccination programmes. He obtained his medical training at the universities of Tübingen and Bordeaux II. His scientific work has included research at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Washington University in St. Louis, and at the Medical University of Vienna, department of immunology, allergy and infectious diseases. Prof. Schneeberger’s scientific work in the field of clinical research into immune therapy (melanoma vaccines, CpG oligonucleotides) has given rise to many scientific publications.
Günther Staffler completed his degree in biochemistry and immunology at the University of Vienna. Apart from his research work at the Institute for Immunology he has been lecturer at the University of Vienna (1997-2001). After a postdoctoral stay at InterCell AG (between 2001 and 2003) Dr. Staffler joined the biotech company Biovertis AG where he was first responsible in establishing the program for identification of essential genes in different pathogenic organisms. Besides setting up the microbiology department he became also responsible for the preclinical development at Biovertis AG. Since March 2007 Dr. Staffler is working at AFFiRiS AG where he is responsible for the discovery group. During his research career Dr. Staffler has authored many publications in international journals and was awarded the “Förderungspreis” of the Austrian Society of Chemistry in 1996 and the “Ursula und Fritz Melcher’s Preis” of the Austrian Society of Immunology in 2003.
Wolfgang Zauner studied chemical engineering at the Vienna University of Technology, where he also gained his doctorate. Following several periods of research in Austria and abroad, he spent a period of seven years working for InterCell AG, for the last three years of which he headed the Pharmaceutical Development department and was also jointly responsible for the development of a new adjuvant system. Since mid-2006, he has been part of the AFFiRiS AG team, where he is responsible for analytical assay development and quality management.
