Siegfried Kasper receives Pioneer Award for groundbreaking psychiatric research!

Siegfried Kasper receives Pioneer Award for groundbreaking psychiatric research!

MedUni Vienna can report another major success in the world of neuropsychopharmacology. In the last few days Dr. Siegfried Kasper, the long-time head of the University Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, received the coveted “Pioneer Award” from the International College of Neuropsychopharmacology (CINP). This award honors his life's work and his significant contributions to the field of neuropsychopharmacology. The award ceremony took place on June 15, 2025 during the World Congress of Neuropsychopharmacology in Melbourne, Australia. MedUni Vienna reports that Kasper was honored for his extensive research into the biological causes of psychiatric illness and the corresponding treatment options.

Dr. Kasper, born in Salzburg in 1950, studied at the most prestigious universities, including Innsbruck, Freiburg and Heidelberg. He completed his specialist training and psychotherapeutic training at the Mannheim Clinic and the Training Institute for Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis in Heidelberg. A research stay at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in Bethesda, USA, and his position as senior physician at the Psychiatric University Hospital in Bonn significantly expanded his horizons of experience. In 1993 he was appointed full professor of psychiatry at the University of Vienna and retired in 2019.
The World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) highlights that Kasper also has an impressive number of over 800 publications, making him the most cited Austrian psychiatrist.

Awards and commitment

Over the course of his career, Dr. Kasper has received numerous awards. These include the Great Silver Medal of Honor for services to the Republic of Austria and the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art, 1st Class. He was awarded the Golden Medal of Honor for Services to the State of Vienna and also received the City of Vienna Prize for Medical Science in 2019. Most recently, he was awarded the WFSBP's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024.

His influence extends far beyond the borders of Austria. He was president of the WFSBP from 2005 to 2009 and has been honorary president since 2013. He was also a member of the CINP Executive Committee from 2012 to 2018 and held various important positions in several national and international professional societies.

Research priorities and future perspectives

The research of Dr. Kasper has particularly devoted himself to the biological basis of psychiatric disorders. There is a focus on depression, anxiety, psychoses and dementia. The Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) describes experimental neuropsychopharmacology as a future-oriented research area that deals with the study of medications such as antidepressants and antipsychotics. The aim is to shed light on the central rhythmicities in the nervous system and to search for new diagnostic procedures to improve treatment approaches.

Kasper remains active even after his retirement and conducts research at the Center for Brain Research at MedUni Vienna, particularly in the Department of Molecular Neurosciences, where he develops new approaches to the analysis and treatment of psychiatric diseases. His work requires a good knack for combining clinical neurophysiological research and animal studies, leading to a better understanding of the effects of neuropsychopharmaceuticals. The successes of his research could be of great importance not only for science, but also for affected patients.