Weiss Research Award: New Approaches for Safe Transfusions and Improved Pain Management

Major surgical procedures are often accompanied by significant blood loss. In such situations, patients require a blood transfusion to maintain oxygen transport in the body. Transfusions can consist of either donor blood in the form of red blood cell concentrates or the patient’s own blood collected and reprocessed during surgery, known as autologous or cell salvage blood. 

The 2026 Weiss Award has been awarded to Simon Woyke of the University Hospital for Anaesthesia and Intensive Care and the study team (including Barbara Sinner, Raffaella Fantin, Nicole Innerhofer, Christopher Rugg, Markus Luger, Norbert Mair, Thomas Haller, Herbert Oberacher, and Marco Amato) from the Medical University of Innsbruck for their research project, the HemOx Transfusion Trial. In this study, the researchers are investigating how effectively hemoglobin transports oxygen in these two transfusion methods. Donor blood undergoes metabolic changes over time, which affects the oxygen-binding properties of hemoglobin. The goal of this study, therefore, is to determine whether stored donor blood transports oxygen less effectively than freshly prepared autologous blood – and whether this could lead to improvements in clinical practice in the future.

“It is not yet fully understood how long it takes after a transfusion of donor blood for hemoglobin to regain full oxygen-carrying capacity. We want to map the dynamics of this process and analyze the potential advantages and disadvantages of both methods in comparison with reprocessed autologous blood,” explains principal investigator Simon Woyke.

The second research project to receive a Weiss Award focuses on chronic nerve pain. In the project PainSTRIKE: Insights into Human DRG via Multiomics, biologist and pharmacologist Manuela Schmidt from the University of Vienna (Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology) is investigating the molecular mechanisms of chronic pain directly within the human nervous system.

Chronic pain severely impacts the life of many patients, and effective treatment options are still limited. The PainSTRIKE project focuses on diabetic peripheral neuropathy, one of the most common forms of chronic nerve pain in people with diabetes. The research team is analyzing nerve nodes in the peripheral nervous system, known as dorsal root ganglia, which transmit pain signals from the body to the brain. Using modern multiomic methods, they are investigating proteins and molecular signaling pathways involved in the development of chronic pain.

A particular focus is on gender differences as well as the influence of opioid painkillers, which are frequently used to treat severe pain but can be associated with significant long-term risks.

“Much of the knowledge from pain research comes from animal studies. These are very important, but the extent to which their findings can be applied to humans is limited. Our goal is to better understand the biological basis of chronic pain directly within the human nervous system,” says principal investigator Manuela Schmidt.

The project is being carried out in international collaboration with pain researcher Theodore Price from the University of Texas at Dallas, USA. The data obtained will be made publicly available and is intended to help identify new approaches for more effective and safer pain therapies in the long term.

“The Weiss Award honors research projects that combine scientific excellence with immediate clinical relevance. Both Simon Woyke’s study and Manuela Schmidt’s project demonstrate how innovative research contributes to further improving medical treatments and gaining new insights into complex disease mechanisms. The FWF is proud to support this work in collaboration with the Weiss Science Foundation,” says Ursula Jakubek, Executive Vice-President of the FWF.

“The Weiss Science Foundation aims to provide long-term funding for innovative research in the field of anesthesia. The two selected projects address key issues in modern medicine – from improving transfusion medicine to gaining a better understanding of chronic pain. We are very pleased to be able to support these dedicated researchers on their scientific journey,” says Rudolf Bauer, Chair of the Dr. Gottfried and Dr. Vera Weiss Science Foundation.

Philanthropy for science and research 

Increasing numbers of private individuals and organizations are donating to charitable causes, allowing the FWF to support more outstanding researchers each year. Currently, the FWF funds research projects worth €2.5 million per year through private donations. In addition, the FWF was the first public research funding agency in Europe to establish a nonprofit foundation: the alpha+ Foundation. The alpha+ Foundation provides Austria’s researchers with additional opportunities in basic research through private grants.

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