Beata Mierzwa receives “Kirsten Peter Rabitsch Award” 2016

This year’s “Kirsten Peter Rabitsch Award” was presented to Beata Mierzwa, a PhD student in the lab of Daniel Gerlich at IMBA.

28 year old Beata Mierzwa studied molecular biology in Vienna and Zürich before joining Daniel Gerlich’s lab at IMBA. In April 2016, she completed her thesis which explored the properties of the endosomal sorting complex required for the transport (ESCRT) machinery and its role in cytokinetic abscission. Besides unravelling the mysteries of the cell division machinery, Beata is also a passionate science artist and seeks to convey research findings in her own creative way. Her scientific artworks have been selected not only for conference posters but will also illustrate the next cover of the EMBO journal.

The award is named after Kirsten Peter Rabitsch, a former PhD Student in Kim Nasmyth’s lab at the IMP. He was a promising scientist and had just completed his doctorate when he died tragically in Bolivia in 2006. Stefan Ameres, who presented the award, pointed out that Kirsten was certainly a role model for young researchers like himself.

The prize is worth 2000 Euros and is sponsored jointly by the IMP and Kirsten’s parents Hermann Rabitsch and Joana Krizanits. It is awarded each year during the IMP-IMBA Recess and goes to the PhD Student who has excelled in his or her research in the previous year.

About the Rabitsch Award
Full directory of Rabitsch Award laureates