Nina Keusgen appointed as the new administrative director of the CORI Institute

The newly established CORI Institute for Metabolic Research at the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) continues to grow: Nina Keusgen has been appointed as its administrative director. She will head the Graz-based institute from 1 October 2026, alongside Scientific Director Giulio Superti-Furga.

Keusgen emerged as the leading candidate from a field of more than a hundred applicants following a comprehensive, competitive selection process. She has extensive leadership experience in academic administration and also possesses relevant specialist training that aligns with CORI’s profile. Most recently, Keusgen worked as a science manager at RWTH Aachen University in Germany. She completed her degree in biology at the Technical University of Darmstadt and RWTH Aachen University. She will now bring her many years of expertise in strategy, management and organisation – including in the areas of finance and human resources – to bear during the crucial start-up phase of the new ÖAW institute.

Nina Keusgen says: “Establishing a new institute is an exciting challenge, and my move to Graz was a decision I made quickly. Our shared goal of establishing a world-class international research institute means, above all, creating a culture that fosters excellence and talent. On this point, Giulio Superti-Furga and I are in complete agreement.”

Giulio Superti-Furga adds: “I am looking forward to partnering with Nina Keusgen in leading the institute. We would like to thank the ÖAW Executive Board for establishing the Cori as a limited liability company (GmbH), so that we can now move forward swiftly and efficiently with our partners in Graz. We have big plans.”

CORI Institute

The CORI Institute was established through a unique partnership between the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), the University of Graz, the Medical University of Graz and Graz University of Technology. CORI aims to become Europe’s leading interdisciplinary centre for metabolism research: Metabolic processes in cells are investigated systematically, experimentally and through molecular biology, and modelled using mathematical methods – with the aim of specifically intervening in these processes, modifying them and developing new therapeutic and technological solutions. The institute is named after the Austrian-American biochemists Gerty and Carl Cori, who are regarded as icons of metabolic research and were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1947.

Source: ÖAW, 1 October 2026