Josef Penninger is the Director of IMBA, a research initiative of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) to promote excellence in molecular biology and genetic research. He currently is a full Professor of Immunology and Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto, Professor of Genetics at the University of Vienna and Honorary Professor of the Chinese Academy of Sciences/Peking Union Medical College.

He has published more than 200 scientific articles, including reports on master genes in osteoporosis, pain, autoimmune and heart diseases, and the circadian clock. He was named by various entities as one of the 10 most promising scientists in all fields of science, one of the 10 most interesting people in America, he made the list of the 10 most cited scientists in the world two years in a row, and named as the Austrian Scientist of the Year and was recently elected to the German Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina. He has a degree in Medicine, studied Art History, and worked for many years in Toronto, Canada.

“We live in a global society and international and multi disciplinary approaches are essential to tackle the many problems of this world. As a basic scientist, it is a particular honour to be included into this select group of political, cultural, and economic leaders. Not in competition, but only together we will able to make a real difference to build a better future for the next generations.“