© IT:U
March 18, 2026
Fellow Kristin Reiche Appointed Professor of Digital Molecular Medicine at IT:U
Fellow Kristin Reiche, Head of the Department of Medical Bioinformatics at the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, was appointed Professor of Digital Molecular Medicine at the Interdisciplinary Transformation University (IT:U) on February 1, 2026. In her new position, Reiche is working to overcome the barriers of digitalization in molecular medicine and transform medical bioinformatics.
As a founding professor at IT:U, Reiche will contribute her expertise in application-oriented research with a focus on molecular medicine, particularly immuno-oncology and infectious pathology. Molecular medicine uses data derived from advanced diagnostic tools to diagnose and understand disease. Although these data types are widely used in research, there are substantial barriers to implementing molecular medicine in health applications. Therefore, Reiche's research groups aim to overcome these barriers by:
- evaluating treatment responses to adoptive cellular immunotherapies by bridging computer science and the molecular biological assessment of cells, which helps clinicians determine earlier whether a treatment is working and allows them to tailor care, and
- integrating molecular and cell biological data into the development of adoptive cellular immunotherapies. Therefore, the Digital Molecular Medicine Research Group develops data processing frameworks tailored to the needs of this novel class of therapies.
The Interdisciplinary Transformation University (IT:U), which is currently being established and has its campus in Linz, Austria, was founded in July 2022. It is one of the first European universities dedicated entirely to the digital transformation of science, business, and society. Its project-based, integrative approach equips students across disciplines with the digital expertise needed to address global challenges. The university’s focus lies at the intersection of disciplinary knowledge and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies.
About Kristin Reiche
Professor Reiche studied computer science and medical informatics in Leipzig and Liverpool. Before joining Fraunhofer IZI, she worked at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and the Institute for Clinical Immunology at the University of Leipzig’s Medical Faculty. In her current position, she coordinates the Horizon Europe Projekt CERTAINTY, in which an international consortium is developing a virtual twin to improve the personalization of cancer immunotherapies.
[Excerps from the Frauenhofer IZI and IT:U press release; Dr. Kristin Reiche appointed Professor of Digital Molecular Medicine at IT:U and Inaugural Lecture – Advancing Health Through Data]
