The Annual Academic Ceremony for 2024 will take place on Friday the 17th of May 2024 at the University of Augsburg. Attendees can expect a varied and colourful programme that provides an insight into the diverse and dynamic work taking place at the university.

Since the beginning of April, an interdisciplinary Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) has been researching the first molecular steps that led to the development of life on Earth. The large-scale project based at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universit?t in Munich (LMU) in cooperation with the Technical University of Munich (TUM) is funded to the tune of €2 million by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The Institute of Physics at the University of Augsburg is also involved through a sub-project.

When companies represent themselves as being more environmentally friendly than they actually are it damages society. Until now, it has been difficult to estimate the extent of greenwashing. Now, two researchers from the Centre for Climate Resilience at the University of Augsburg have developed a conceptual framework for a greenwashing risk indicator, which can be used to uncover cases of greenwashing more quickly. Their article has been published in the journal ¡°Review of Managerial Science.¡±

Researchers at Augsburg University Medicine have discovered a possible early detection method of the rare Borna virus. Their results have been published in the highly renowned medical journal ¡°The Lancet.¡± In humans the virus triggers inflammation in the brain which is almost always deadly and is transmitted to humans by shrews.?

Studies have long suggested a link between autoimmune diseases and cancer. Researchers at the Chair of Epidemiology at the University of Augsburg conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the link and determined that patients with rheumatoid arthritis have a slightly lower risk for certain female-specific cancers while patients with psoriasis have a slightly higher risk. The study has been published in the ¡°Journal of Autoimmunity.¡±

On March 11, 2024, the inauguration of the expanded safety laboratory in Augsburg marked a milestone within the EU-funded "PerForM-REACT" project, aimed at enhancing pandemic preparedness. Equipped with high-tech infrastructure, this facility enables advanced research capabilities. A collaborative effort between Helmholtz Munich and the University Hospital Augsburg, the project not only boosters the efficacy of pandemic prevention but also fosters interdisciplinary cooperation in health research.