Young researcher Maximilian Moshammer is a medical doctor and, alongside his research work at COREMED, the Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Precision Medicine, is training to become a specialist in plastic surgery. He was awarded first place at this year’s Sigmund Freud Private University (SFU) Research Prize, organised in cooperation with the Austrian Society for Plastic Surgery (ÖGPRÄC). With his work, ‘The Effects of Burn Injuries on Bone Metabolism’, Moshammer is making an important contribution to the further development of modern treatment methods. His research demonstrates how evidence-based approaches can help to improve therapeutic procedures and provide patients with more targeted care.
3 questions for Maximilian Moshammer
What is your research about? I am investigating the short- and long-term consequences of burns. This involves both the immediate effects on the body and the long-term consequences. It is now known that extensive burns can trigger a long-lasting immune response. The immune system remains activated for an extended period. At the same time, the metabolism is permanently elevated. This means that the body consumes more energy than under normal conditions. This chronic strain has consequences for those affected. This is precisely where our research comes in.
What is the bigger picture, or why is this important? Burns are among the most severe forms of trauma the human body can suffer. Thanks to modern intensive care medicine, even patients with the most severe burns can now be treated – patients who, just a few decades ago, would have had virtually no chance of survival. As a result, the focus is increasingly shifting to post-treatment care. We know that patients with severe burns lose muscle and, above all, bone mass due to an elevated metabolism over many years, and consequently face an increased risk of fractures. The aim of our research is to translate these findings into clinical practice in order to improve the long-term prognosis and quality of life for these patients.
How did you come to choose this career? At JOANNEUM RESEARCH COREMED, the skin is at the heart of many research projects. At the same time, I began my specialist training in plastic surgery at Graz University Hospital. Wound healing and the treatment of burns are key areas there. Combining clinical work with research was therefore a natural choice for me. I am particularly motivated by the opportunity to scientifically investigate questions arising from everyday clinical practice and then integrate the findings back into patient care.
