PD Dr. Andreas Weinhäusel
Associate Professor & Deputy Head of AIT - Molecular Diagnostics
Andreas Weinhäusel’s scientific career has been driven by one fundamental ambition: detecting disease earlier and less invasively. Drawing on his extensive expertise in human molecular genetics, protein and enzyme technology and bioinformatics, he has dedicated his work to turning molecular insights into diagnostic tools that address real clinical and societal needs.
Education & Early Career
Initially starting out in biotechnology at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) in Vienna, he soon shifted his focus to human genetics. At the Children’s Cancer Research Institute St. Anna Children’s Hospital, he developed and implemented molecular genetic testing for hereditary syndromes and diseases, building up diagnostics for around 30 different conditions. He was among the first in Austria to introduce DNA sequencing into routine diagnostic testing, establishing screening for hereditary thyroid cancer and multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN1 and MEN2) together with the study group SMENA. His early implementation of DNA methylation testing led to a simplified fragile X assay that offered an alternative to laborious Southern blotting and was adopted into testing recommendations. Alongside routine mutation testing, he conducted research on imprinting disorders and leukemias.
AIT: Research & Patents
Joining AIT in 2004 marked a turning point in Weinhäusel’s career. His focus shifted to highly multiplexed epigenetic testing using DNA microarray technology, and the potential of DNA methylation markers for cancer diagnostics soon became evident. Alongside this work, his team pioneered protein-microarray technology for autoantibody profiling, adding further patents for cancer and systemic disease diagnostics. This line of research alone resulted in several of his 11 filed patents. Today, AIT – Molecular Diagnostics leverages the tools and workflows – from multi-omics discovery to minimally invasive diagnostics – developed under his two-decade tenure to deepen the understanding of molecular pathology and enhance early diagnostics – with a particular emphasis on cancer and other systemic diseases.
International Collaborations & Projects
The epigenetic and autoantibody research lines have been carried forward in collaboration with international partners: autoantibody biomarker discovery for colorectal and lung cancer with ABCODIA (UK) and Cancer Research UK, and the confirmation and validation of DNA methylation markers in plasma cfDNA with Universal DX (US/Spain). The latter contributed to the development of Signal-C, a liquid biopsy test for early colorectal cancer detection currently in clinical validation for FDA approval. Further collaborations with Wayne State University (US), Queensland University of Technology (Australia) and the diagnostics company INSOL (South Korea) have focused on minimally invasive diagnostics for breast cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and head and neck cancer. All in all, he has secured more than 50 contract research projects and built numerous academic partnerships across the globe. In addition, he has led six nationally funded research projects and served as work-package leader in four EU-funded projects, including RESOLVE, EurHealthAgeing, ULTRAPLACAD and ERANET-INSAID.
Teaching & Mentoring
Alongside his research, sharing his knowledge with the scientific community has been a constant throughout Andreas Weinhäusel’s career. He has supervised many PhD, Master’s and Bachelor’s theses at BOKU and mentors young scientists in the AIT biomarker research group. But his engagement also extends to the wider scientific community: he initiated the Austrian Biomarker Symposium in 2012, served on the organizing committees of its second and third editions in 2016 and 2020, and was part of the organizing committee of the ÖGMBT Annual Meeting 2019. Beyond that, he has given over 120 presentations, including more than 50 at international conferences and over 10 invited addresses.
Curriculum Vitae
Career & Previous Positions
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Vienna – Molecular Diagnostics Unit, Center for Health & Bioresources
- 2019 – Present: Commercially registered Business Manager for chemical analytics and Business Developer, Molecular Diagnostics Unit
- 2017 – 2018: Acting Co-Head, Molecular Diagnostics Unit
- 2010 – Present: Deputy Head, Molecular Diagnostics Unit
- 2010 – Present: Thematic Coordinator, Biomarker and Assay Development Group
- 2009 – Present: Senior Scientist, following a successful internal assessment within the AIT scientific career path
- 2004 – 2009: Scientist, Molecular Diagnostics Unit, with a focus on highly multiplexed epigenetic testing using DNA microarray technology
Children’s Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), St. Anna Children’s Hospital, Vienna
- 1995 – 2004: Staff Scientist, Human Molecular Genetics
Vienna Lab, Med. Diagnostika GmbH, Vienna
- 1995 – 1996: Freelancer, Product Development and Quality Control
University of Würzburg – Institute of Physiological Chemistry
- 1994: Guest Scientist
Teaching & Lecturing
- Adjunct Associate Professor of Molecular Biology (2010 – Present), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU)
- Lecturer, „Genome Structure and Analysis“ (2009 – Present) course for Master’s and PhD students; University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU)
- Lecturer, “Human Genetics” (2025 – Present) course for medicine students, DPU Danube Private University
Education
- Diploma in Biotechnology (1992), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna – Dipl.-Ing.; thesis on vector construction and genetically engineered plants for protection against plant viral diseases
- PhD in Biotechnology (1995), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna – Dr. nat. techn., graduated with honors; thesis in enzyme technology (enzyme production, purification, characterization and technological use of glucan-phosphorylases for alpha-glucose-1-phosphate production)
- Habilitation in Molecular Biology (2010), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna – Privatdozent
Certifications
- 2002: Specialist Human Geneticist (Austrian Society of Human Genetics, ÖGH)
- 2015: Clinical Laboratory Geneticist (CLG), Professional Branch Human Genetics (European Board of Medical Genetics (EBMG))
Honors & Awards
- Poster Award, European Society of Human Genetics Conference (2012), for „Exploring the methylome of thyroid cancer at single C resolution: From screening to clinical diagnostics“
- Austrian Science Award for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (2004) (Österreichischer Wissenschaftspreis für Kinder- und Jugendheilkunde), for work on direct PCR amplification of the CSTB dodecamer repeat expansion in Unverricht-Lundborg myoclonus epilepsy
- Poster Award, Austrian Society of Hematology and Oncology (1999), for „Clinical Impact of Molecular Genetic Screening for RET Germ-line Mutations in Patients with Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma“
- Austrian Biotechnology Award (1992), Co-recipient with the research team for „Regeneration of transgenic plants of Prunus armeniaca, carrying the envelope-protein gene of Sharka virus“
Publications & Scientific Reviewing
- Author of more than 130 peer-reviewed publications; cited 4,767 times, h-index 35 (as of 09/2026, Google Scholar)
- Reviewer for more than 20 scientific journals, including publications by NPG, PLOS and MDPI as well as CEBP, Carcinogenesis and The Lancet; manuscript reviews for journals such as Cancer Research, Cancer Letters, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Epigenomics, Nature Communications, Scientific Reports, etc.
- Editorial board member of Genomics, Proteomics & Bioinformatics, Advances in Modern Oncology Research (from 2015) and World Journal of Methodology (from 2013); discontinued in 2017/2019 due to increasing managerial responsibilities at AIT
- Project reviewer for national and international funding agencies: ZIT/WWFF (FEMPOWER Call 2004), Czech Science Foundation (2009), Latvian Council of Sciences (2013), OeNB Jubiläumsfonds (2011, 2015), INSERM (2013, 2015), WAW (since 2019) and the EU ERC Advanced Grant Call (2019)
Patents
IP based on DNA methylation testing and biomarkers
- Fragile X Syndrome Diagnostics (2001): WO/2001/040507
- Methylation Assay (2009/2010): EP 09450020.4; WO2010086389 A1
- Lung Cancer Methylation Markers (2010): WO2010086388 A1
- DNA methylation biomarkers for identification of colorectal cancer (2013/2015): EP2886659.4; WO2015091979 A1
- Diagnosis of Lung Cancer (2014): EP14194732
IP based on Autoantibody profiling and sero-testing
- Colon cancer diagnostic method and means (2012): EP12184694
- Lung cancer diagnostic method and means (2013): EP 2 806 274 A1; granted as US 10156570 (2018) and EP3004887 (2019)
- Breast cancer tumor autoantibody biomarkers (2013): EP 13186847.3
- Prostate cancer diagnostic method and means (2016): EP16158770
- Method of detecting colitis ulcerosa (2017): EP17172184
- Lung cancer diagnostic method and means, divisional application SLC9A3R2 (2018): EP18185502
The People Behind AIT Molecular Diagnostics
With more than 20 years of experience, our interdisciplinary team combines expertise in molecular biology, bioinformatics, biotechnology, cell models, sensor technology and engineering to develop diagnostic solutions from scientific concept to application-ready implementation.