Some people believe they are telekinetic - having the power to move objects with thought. This conclusion is usually reached after the excitement of watching too many "X-Files" episodes or similar sci-fi series. But sooner or later, those little sci-fi dreams of humans burst when they encounter reality - and the abilities of normal humans. However, this kind of science fiction gets closer to fact with the Brain-Computer Interface technology of Dr. Gerwin Schalk, a research scientist at the Wadsworth Center in Albany, New York.
The Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) is a technological innovation that allows direct communication from the brain to a device. It works through the electrical impulses that underlie the power of thought and concentration. Once a person is connected to the device - via wearing a hat similar to a swimming cap spiked with electrodes - the electrodes pick up the signals generated during brain activity.
The BCI is able to read the signals, and to translate them into commands in order to perform an external activity at a computer, for example, typing a word or moving a cursor. But using the BCI isn't as simple as just putting on your thinking cap. It can take weeks or even months to train the brain to give off the right signals for commands.
BCI development is not a trivial pursuit. Schalk's research provides the communication platform for people who have lost the physical ability to communicate on their own, for example, people who are paralyzed and suffer severe motor disabilities such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease. This is the primary target group for Schalk's research at the Wadsworth Center, where Schalk is the chief promoter and project director of "BCI2000."
“Surfaces are how objects communicate with the outside world. If you form a surface you cut atomic bonds, and the atoms then don't know what to do. It is really hard to predict sometimes: A seemingly very simple volume of a material can change quite a bit on the surface,” Ulrike Diebold, professor and chair of the surface science group at Tulane University in New Orleans, explains what makes surfaces such fascinating and yet tricky entities. Wolfgang Pauli, famous Austrian-born physicist notorious for his cynical remarks, offered a less subtle assessment of surfaces: “God made solids, but surfaces were the work of the devil!”
Metal oxides surfaces – truly versatile materials
The scope of Tulane’s surface science group ranges from basic research, with the goal of understanding fundamental processes of surfaces, to very applied research.
Diebold is one of the leading experts in the investigation of metal oxide surfaces. The most widely studied of these – titanium dioxide (TiO2), a remarkable material with a vast number of applications – has remained the core of Diebold's repertoire from the early days of her career. “I’ll make a bet that you’ve already had it in your mouth today,” Diebold takes me by surprise, and explains that TiO2’s ability to reflect light particularly well makes it a widespread ingredient of everything that should be bright white – toothpastes for instance.
Imagine walking through the labyrinthine streets of Vienna's 1st district, where music seems to be everywhere. Peeking into an old baroque building, you see a grand piano sitting in the lobby. Everything is quiet. Suddenly, a passionate piano performance is filling the air; but there is no pianist, only the keys and pedals of the piano are moving up and down, as if played by ghostly hands.
What sounds like fiction now might soon become reality - music played by machines, not in a mechanical, emotionless manner but with the same passion and expression as one of our greatest pianists.
The way to do this is to create Artificial Intelligence performances in the style of a certain pianist. Since the make-or-break of a score depends on human performance, the big question to solve is what actually makes the artistic performance of certain pianists so extraordinary.
Werner Goebl
The young Austrian musicologist Werner Goebl is one of the scientists who wants to find out more about the unique, musical expressivity of the human being, the phenomenon of Expressive Music Performance. His research in the field of piano music focuses on the interface between music and artificial intelligence: What does a pianist do when he performs a piece? Are there certain rules that govern these performances? In short, how can we scientifically explain the musical performances of pianists?
According to a study ordered by the Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology (bmvit), about 3,000 Austrians holding an MD or PhD are currently working in the US, quite a number as researchers. This “drain-value” is rather low compared to other European countries, but it’s the quality rather than the quantity that carries weight. A large number of these scientists do research at renowned US institutions where there’s high pressure competition – thus, they are among the best.
Professor Guenther Bonn, speaking at the Austrian Science Talks 2006
That’s one reason why, since 2004, the bmvit has invited Austrian scientists in the US and Canada to annual gatherings on the east and west coasts, within the framework of brainpower austria. “We want to show that Austria is attractive as a research location. And we will have succeeded if those Austrians who did not plan on returning to Austria at first bring in their know-how through cooperations and visiting programs,” says Ingolf Schädler, deputy director general of the department for innovation at the bmvit, the department which is responsible for brainpower austria. What’s special about the events, taking place this year on October 13 in Los Angeles and October 20 in New York City, is that Austria approaches the scientists living in North America to inform them about developments in Austria and act as a voice for their concerns regarding Austria.
bridges vol. 15, September 2007 / News from the Network
The OST network of Austrian scientists & scholars abroad was established by the Office of Science & Technology (OST) at the Austrian Embassy in Washington, DC, and focuses on the outreach of government-related agencies to Austrian scientists in North America. Its main objective has been to support the scientific community with information and specific advice wherever necessary and requested.
Encouraged by the OST, an independent association - ASciNA (Austrian Scientists and Scholars in North America) - was founded in 2002 with local chapters being established throughout the US and Canada. For further information about ASciNA please visit www.ascina.at
OST Network
On September 14, a meeting at the NIH provided scientists from the ASciNA Chapter Greater Washington, DC, with an introduction to the new Austrian Science Attaché, Philipp Marxgut, who briefly reported on his visions and plans for cooperation between the Office of Science & Technoloy and ASciNA.
OST Director Philipp Marxgut (right) meeting with the greater Washington DC ASciNA chapter
The meeting also featured a presentation by ASciNA president Dr. Eva Schernhammer on the topic, "The dark side of bright light: Night work and cancer risk." In her talk she introduced the guests to one facet of her studies, which examines the correlation between light exposure during night work and increased cancer risk - both related to the levels of melatonin production in the human body.
A dinner at a nearby Bethesda restaurant completed the interesting evening, and gave the scientists an opportunity to discuss this topic further and get to know the new science attaché one-on-one.
Andrea Kdolsky
On September 23 and 24, a delegation accompanying the Austrian Federal Minister of Health Dr. Andrea Kdolsky visited Washington, DC. On this occasion, a dinner reception was held on the 23rd at the Austrian Ambassador's residence, where the minister also met with scientists working in the health and health management field from the Greater DC area.
On the afternoon of September 24th, the minister visited the National Institutes of Health (NIH) campus in Bethesda, Maryland. The NIH is the biggest supporter and producer of biomedical research in the US. After a tour of the campus, Minister Kdolsky met with several Austrian scientists doing research at the NIH Clinical Research Center (CRC) and also visited one of their the laboratories.
Alfred Gusenbauer surrounded by Austrian scientists
On September 27, 2007, during his visit to the United States, the Austrian Federal Chancellor Dr. Alfred Gusenbauer met with over 50 Austrian scientists in Langdell Library at Harvard Law School. He took the opportunity to give an overview of the Austrian government's priorities in the field of R&D and to exchange views on the subject in a lively discussion with the Austrian scientific diaspora.
Dr. Gusenbauer pointed out that Austria remains committed to reaching the targeted 3 percent of the GDP for R&D expenditures by 2010. He also reaffirmed Austria's intention to provide students and young graduates with better career prospects at universities and research institutions.
A considerable part of the discussion focused on the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), an up-and-coming elite graduate-level institute. Chancellor Gusenbauer emphasized that the development of ISTA is headed in a good direction with Mr. Haim Harari as chairman of the Executive Committee. ISTA would be financed through additional funds, and will not cause a budget reduction for Austria's universities.
Martin Nowak, from Harvard University, pointed out that ISTA is a great opportunity for Austria and that to his knowledge there is currently no other example of setting up such an institution in Europe. To his question about the commitment of the Austrian government to ISTA after the initial phase of 10 years, the chancellor replied that the idea is not to close it down but to develop it further if it has proven successful. In his opinion, the focus of ISTA is not necessarily limited to natural science, but humanities may also play a role in ISTA. On the European level, Dr. Gusenbauer said he will support the creation of a network of elite universities, of which an Austrian institution could be a part.
Austrian Federal Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer
The chancellor listened attentively to proposals from the Austrian scientists on how to make Austria an attractive place for young researchers. An appealing postdoc program that outlines a long-term career perspective could be a magnet for the best brains. A scientist currently working in Boston thanked the chancellor for Austria's support in granting him a scholarship. This enabled him to cross the Atlantic and start an academic career in the US.
Another proposal put forward was to alter the recruitment tradition at universities. In Austria, the recruitment for a position that becomes available normally starts when the incumbent is retiring or leaving. In the US, however, universities are constantly and actively headhunting for the best scholars and offering them competitive packages.
The open discussion was followed by many bilateral talks and photo opportunities with Dr. Gusenbauer, who kindly agreed to be available for discussions of this nature with Austrian scientists in the coming years.
ASciNA Activities
Eva Schernhammer
Words from the ASciNA President, Eva Schernhammer
As ASciNA continues to grow, we seek to enhance the opportunities and services we provide for our junior members. In addition to the numerous local events offered by the individual chapters, we are now gearing up to put a mentoring system in place which will link each new junior member of ASciNA with a more senior member in the US in order to facilitate their transition and help make culturally sensitive career decisions. As part of these efforts, we are also planning to introduce a new ASciNA award and hope to make the first announcement and call for applications later this fall. We encourage all scientists who have not yet done so, to sign up on our web page at www.ascina.at and link up with their local chapter chairs to learn more about our services and activities.
ASciNA Pacific North
Contact: Julius Halaschek-Wiener at pacific.north(at)ascina.at
The ASciNA Chapter Pacific North met in mid-July at the British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver. Dieter Fink presented a seminar about his interesting work with transgenic and knockout mice. He is designing and cloning sophisticated vectors to enhance target specificity, multigene-insertions, and screening of genetically modified mice. As always, the evening closed with drinks in a local bar.
The highlight of the summer was the 2nd annual ASciNA Vancouver hiking and overnight camping trip organized again by Hannes Muellegger. Seven adults and Clara, a 6-month-old baby, hiked up to the Helm Creek campground in Garibaldi Provincial Park, just south of Whistler, BC. Some of us also climbed two peaks, Black Tusk and Helm Peak. We had everything from warm, sunny periods to snow storms - a real BC adventure!
Our next meeting is scheduled for October 26: a social night at the Austria-Vancouver Club, where Schnitzel and Goesser Bier are served. Doors at the club (and the kitchen) open at 6 p.m. (Austria Vancouver Club, 5851 Westminster Highway, Richmond, BC).
ASciNA Chapter Boston Contact: Klaus Podar at greater.boston(at)ascina.at
The ASciNA Chapter Greater Boston is continuously growing with now more than 80 members. We continue to meet the 2nd Thursday of each month for lay scientific talks presented by fellow scholars as well as by senior scientists at varying locations in Metro Boston: Most recently Dr. Wolfgang Notsch spoke on new insights in the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. Traditionally focused on biomedical topics, our recent presenters cover such diverse fields as marine biology, media science, law, physics and sports, and stimulate lively interdisciplinary discussions.
In September, Dr. Martin Nowak (Program of Evolutionary Dynamics/Harvard University) hosted a discussion evening with the Austrian Minister of Family and Health, Dr. Andrea Kdolsky. Excitingly, on September 27th we also had the opportunity to meet with the Austrian Chancellor Dr. Alfred Gusenbauer at Langdell Library/Harvard Law School (for more details, see report above).
Moves & Milestones
bridges vol. 15, Sept 2007 / News from the Network: Austrian Researchers Abroad
In its "moves & milestones" section, bridges presents career steps and other outstanding events in the professional lives of Austrian scientists and scholars in the US and Canada.
Gregor Weihs received the Canada Research Chair in Quantum Photonics.
Weihs is associate professor at the Institute for Quantum Computing and the Department of Physics at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, in Canada.
Previously, he was assistant professor at the University of Vienna in Anton Zeilinger's group and at Stanford in Yoshi Yamamoto's group. Weihs earned his Ph.D. at the University of Vienna and graduated "Sub Auspiciis Praesidentis Rei Publicae Austriae" (with special honors by the president of the Austrian republic).
was recently elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS; http://www.gatech.edu/news-room/release.php?id=1198 ) and has accepted a chaired W3-Professorship heading the Institute for Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry at the University of Ulm, Germany.
Mizaikoff currently holds a position as tenured associate professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, US, heading the Applied Sensors Laboratory and the Focused Ion Beam Center at the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
received the National Medal of Technology from President George W. Bush in the White House on July 27. The National Medal of Technology honors America’s leading innovators.
Kogelnik has spent 46 years at Bell Laboratories in Holmdel, New Jersey, where he was the director of both the Electronics Research Laboratory and the Photonics Research Laboratory.
has left Notre Dame University to join the faculty of Indiana University Bloomington as associate professor in the Cognitive Science Program where he will continue his work on cognitive science and robotics.
At Notre Dame University, he was the director of the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Laboratory. Scheutz earned a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Vienna in 1995 and a joint Ph.D. in Cognitive Science and Computer Science from Indiana University at Bloomington in 1999.
was appointed assistant professor in the Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, Fogelman College of Business and Economics at the University of Memphis, in August 2007.
She completed her Ph.D. in business administration with a concentration in management science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in May 2007. Wakolbinger is a recipient of a 2006 Graduate Student Fellowship for Outstanding Students from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. In 2006 she was awarded the Judith Liebman Award from INFORMS (The Institute of Operations Research and the Management Sciences).
has accepted a tenure-track position in the economics department of the University of Maryland after receiving his Ph.D. (with distinction) from Columbia University. His current fields of interest are international finance, macroeconomics, public finance, and econometrics.
In his dissertation, he focused on the causes and consequences of dollar-denominated debts in emerging markets and their role in financial crises. Other current research topics include the effects of taxation in contestable democracies where tax policies change over time, and the correction of household surveys for the biases created by unit non-response.
was awarded the 2007 Dunkin’ Donuts Rising Star Award. The prize, which carries a cash award of $100,000, recognizes his many contributions to recent advances in understanding the pathophysiology and deriving new treatment strategies in multiple myeloma, a still-incurable hematologic malignancy.
Klaus Podar has served on the faculty board of Harvard Medical School/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute since 2004. In addition, he has been chapter head of ASciNA Boston since March 2007.
received the Developing Scholar Award from the Medical University of South Carolina. This annual award is given to junior faculty for outstanding achievements in all aspects of an early academic career.
In addition, he received the Mitchell I. Rubin research award, given annually by the Department of Pediatrics at MUSC in recognition of research achievements.
He has been assistant professor at the Medical University of South Carolina in the Division of Pediatric Cardiology since 2004, and is adjunct faculty in the Department of Bioengineering at Clemson University.
joined Bavarian Nordic in Munich in August 2007 to work on clinical development programs for new vaccines.
In 2004 he joined Jerini AG in Berlin and worked until June 2007 as medical director on the Clinical Development team. Prior to this appointment, Boehm spent eight years as a postdoctoral fellow, first at the Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) in Vienna, and then at the Children's Hospital at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
Sabine Fruehstueck
published a new book, Uneasy Warriors – Gender, Memory, and Popular Culture in the Japanese Army (University of California Press, August 2007).
She is professor of Modern Japanese Cultural Studies and director of the East Asia Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the author of Colonizing Sex: Sexology and Social Control in Modern Japan (UC Press, 2003).
recently finished his new book, Designing for Designers. The book is coauthored by Jack L. Nasar, Ohio State University, and Tom Fisher, University of Minnesota. More information on the book can be found at:
http://www.fairchildbooks.com/book.cms?bookId=193
Wolfgang Preiser left the University of Cincinnati as professor emeritus and will soon join the faculty of Arizona State University. He holds a Ph.D. from Penn State, master’s degrees in architecture from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the Technical University of Karlsruhe, Germany, as well as the First State Exam from the Technical University in Vienna, Austria.
has published a new book, Gender and Democracy in Cuba. In this in-depth view of Cuban gender politics and democracy, Luciak considers the role that women played in the Cuban revolution. More information on the book can be found at:
http://www.upf.com/book.asp?id=LUCIAS06
Ilja A. Luciak is professor and chair of the Department of Political Science at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He earned a J.D. at the University of Vienna, Austria, and a Ph.D. at the University of Iowa.
organized the 3rd International Gottfried von Haberler Conference hosted by ECAEF, The European Center of Austrian Economics Foundation, in cooperation with Hochschule Liechtenstein and with the support of multiple local and international sponsors.
Kurt R. Leube is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and is internationally recognized as a leading authority in the tradition of the Austrian School of Economics.
Leube is guest professor in a number of European and Latin American universities. He is the director and founder of the Friedrich A. von Hayek Institute, Vienna (Austria) and editor-in-chief of The International Library of Austrian Economics.
To find out more on the 3rd International Gottfried von Haberler Conference, please visit:
http://www.ecaef.li/
Thomas Teo
organized the International Society for Theoretical Psychology conference with over 260 delegates from 35 countries, which met in June 2007.
He is an associate professor in the History and Theory of Psychology Program at York University in Toronto, Canada. In 2007 he was also awarded SSHRC’s (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada) highly competitive Standard Research Grant (2007-2009) for his research on the History and Theory of Epistemological Violence in Race Psychology.
will sponsor an HIV symposium this winter, along with Satya Dandekar, chair of the UC Davis Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology. The symposium will include his key collaborators from City of Hope, the Scripps Institute, and the University of Pennsylvania, focusing on novel treatments of HIV using cellular therapies, in particular, gene therapy for HIV in hematopoietic stem cells.
Bauer is professor of medicine and cell biology at the University of California at Davis. He directs the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) laboratory on the UC Davis Health System campus in Sacramento. Before that, he was the laboratory director of the GMP Facility, Division of Oncology, at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Bauer earned his M.D. at Vienna University Medical School.
Some people believe they are telekinetic - having the power to move objects with thought. This conclusion is usually reached after the excitement of watching too many "X-Files" episodes or similar sci-fi series. But sooner or later, those little sci-fi dreams of humans burst when they encounter reality - and the abilities of normal humans. However, this kind of science fiction gets closer to fact with the Brain-Computer Interface technology of Dr. Gerwin Schalk, a research scientist at the Wadsworth Center in Albany, New York. 
The ASciNA Chapter Pacific North met in mid-July at the British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver. Dieter Fink presented a seminar about his interesting work with transgenic and knockout mice. He is designing and cloning sophisticated vectors to enhance target specificity, multigene-insertions, and screening of genetically modified mice. As always, the evening closed with drinks in a local bar. 
received the Canada Research Chair in Quantum Photonics. 
was recently elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS; 
received the National Medal of Technology from President George W. Bush in the White House on July 27. The National Medal of Technology honors America’s leading innovators.
has left Notre Dame University to join the faculty of Indiana University Bloomington as associate professor in the Cognitive Science Program where he will continue his work on cognitive science and robotics.
was appointed assistant professor in the Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, Fogelman College of Business and Economics at the University of Memphis, in August 2007.
has accepted a tenure-track position in the economics department of the University of Maryland after receiving his Ph.D. (with distinction) from Columbia University. His current fields of interest are international finance, macroeconomics, public finance, and econometrics.
was awarded the 2007 Dunkin’ Donuts Rising Star Award. The prize, which carries a cash award of $100,000, recognizes his many contributions to recent advances in understanding the pathophysiology and deriving new treatment strategies in multiple myeloma, a still-incurable hematologic malignancy. 
received the Developing Scholar Award from the Medical University of South Carolina. This annual award is given to junior faculty for outstanding achievements in all aspects of an early academic career.
joined Bavarian Nordic in Munich in August 2007 to work on clinical development programs for new vaccines. 
published a new book, Uneasy Warriors – Gender, Memory, and Popular Culture in the Japanese Army (University of California Press, August 2007).
recently finished his new book, Designing for Designers. The book is coauthored by Jack L. Nasar, Ohio State University, and Tom Fisher, University of Minnesota. More information on the book can be found at: 
has published a new book, Gender and Democracy in Cuba. In this in-depth view of Cuban gender politics and democracy, Luciak considers the role that women played in the Cuban revolution. More information on the book can be found at:
organized the 3rd International Gottfried von Haberler Conference hosted by ECAEF, The European Center of Austrian Economics Foundation, in cooperation with Hochschule Liechtenstein and with the support of multiple local and international sponsors. 
organized the International Society for Theoretical Psychology conference with over 260 delegates from 35 countries, which met in June 2007.
will sponsor an HIV symposium this winter, along with Satya Dandekar, chair of the UC Davis Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology. The symposium will include his key collaborators from City of Hope, the Scripps Institute, and the University of Pennsylvania, focusing on novel treatments of HIV using cellular therapies, in particular, gene therapy for HIV in hematopoietic stem cells.