The Life Sciences PhD Award Austria 2026 in the category Basic Science was awarded to Spencer D. Balay for doctoral research conducted at the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) at the Vienna BioCenter. He explored one of the fundamental questions in sensory biology: how do animals perceive the Earth's magnetic field? Balay developed a technically sophisticated approach to map whole-brain activity in pigeons, identifying for the first time specialised inner-ear hair cells and neural circuits that facilitate light-independent electromagnetic induction.
In the category Applied Research, Trinh Phan-Canh from the Max Perutz Labs - also located on the Vienna BioCenter campus - was honoured. His doctoral thesis provides crucial insights into combating the multidrug-resistant hospital pathogen Candida auris. This yeast survives tenaciously on human skin and is frequently resistant to standard antifungal agents. Phan-Canh discovered a central enzymatic signalling pathway through which the fungus utilises carbon dioxide for energy metabolism. The targeted inhibition of this mechanism opens up promising prospects for novel therapeutics and the prevention of life-threatening outbreaks in hospitals.
The award is presented by the Austrian Association of Molecular Life Sciences and Biotechnology (ÖGMBT).
Read the full ÖGMBT Press release here