Dr. Dipl.-Ing. Moritz Weigl

Moritz was born and grew up in Amstetten, a small town in the Mostviertel region of Lower Austria. He received his PhD in Biotechnology from BOKU University (Austria) where he investigated the role of microRNAs in aging and explored circulating microRNAs as potential biomarkers of cellular senescence. His doctoral research involved rotations through the laboratories of Johannes Grillari (LBI Trauma, Vienna), Matthias Hackl (TAmiRNA GmbH, Vienna), and James L. Kirkland (Mayo Clinic, Rochester).

After completing his PhD, Moritz joined the Ventura lab at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC, NY) as a postdoctoral fellow, supported by an FWF Erwin Schrödinger Fellowship. There, he developed novel transgenic tools to study microRNA activity in vivo. In the Ogrodnik lab, he uses these tools to investigate how microRNA-mediated post-transcriptional regulation contributes to skin homeostasis and the rapid cellular adaptations that occur during wound healing.

Outside of the lab Moritz enjoys hiking, playing tennis, going to concerts and apart from science he is interested in literature and history.