PhD Programme in Precision and Personalised Medicine

The PhD programme in Precision and Personalised Medicine at the Danube Private University (DPU) is dedicated to advancing human health by bridging laboratory research and clinical application. It was accredited by the Austrian Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation (AQ Austria) in September 2025, and Ph.D. candidates of the first selection round start their studies in 2026.

Our English-language, full-time doctoral program (180 ECTS) prepares future scientists at the interface of biomedical research, clinical medicine, and technological innovation. Research activities include analyzing health determinants using integrated data approaches, developing AI-based models and medical technologies, and translating them into clinical practice. Close collaboration with three university hospitals in Lower Austria and international partners ensures that scientific discoveries lead to tangible improvements in patient care.

PhD candidates conduct research in a wide range of thematic areas, including:

• AI-supported diagnostics and digital medicine
• Biosensing, wearables, and molecular analytics
• Oncology, neuroscience, and cardiovascular research
• Micro-/nanomaterials and environmental medicine
• Computational pathology and medical imaging

• Public health, data science, and medical communication

   

The programme combines a structured doctoral education with an individual research project embedded within a research group, as well as personalized supervision by national and international collaboration partners.

Our PhD programme offers:

• A truly interdisciplinary curriculum, spanning genomics, biomedical engineering, AI in healthcare, biosensing, and regulatory science.
• A combination of life sciences with one or more of the following: AI, bioinformatics, biomedical engineering, and regulatory science. 
• An own research project embedded in a research group, with the option to be based at one of the two research locations in Wiener Neustadt or Krems, Lower Austria. 
• Entrepreneurial perspectives within a strong bench-to-bedside approach. 
• Close integration with clinicians from affiliated hospitals to ensure research remains clinically relevant.
• Access to specialized research clusters that link disease-focused clinical studies with cutting-edge cross-disciplinary technologies.
• An innovative co-mentorship model with co-supervisors from other DPU groups or partner academic or clinical institutes, enhanced by international collaborations.

PhD students are not required to pay tuition fees and receive a fellowship including a salary in accordance with the FWF funding rates, as well as an additional research budget.

In addition, the program includes mobility and conference funding, access to international research networks, and support for innovation and the transfer of scientific results into practical application.

We welcome applicants from all scientific, medical, and engineering disciplines who are passionate about advancing healthcare through innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and translational research. Admission is highly competitive and based on academic excellence, research potential, and alignment with program vision.

The start of the next application round will be announced soon. Details about the different research groups of the PhD programme can be downloaded here. 

For further details, get in contact with Tanja Straß:

tanja.strass@dp-uni.ac.at