Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Markus Hengstschläger was born in 1968 in Linz, Austria.
At age 22, he finished his masters program, specializing in genetics. He became a university assistant at the Institute for Molecular Biology at the Vienna Biology Center and gave his first lecture. At 24, he received a doctorate degree in genetics. After receiving the Erwin Schrödinger scholarship from the Ministry of Science in Vienna, he participated in research at Yale University, USA. In 1995, he founded his own scientific team. He assumed leadership of the Prenatal Medical Genetics Laboratory at the University Women’s Clinic in Vienna. At 29, he became an extraordinary professor at the Medical University of Vienna. Hengstschläger completed his education and became an expert in human genetics. In 2004, he was nominated University Professor of Medical Genetics at the Medical University in Vienna. Since 2005, he has managed the Department of Medical Genetics at the University Women’s Clinic at the Medical University in Vienna-AKH (Allgemeines Krankenhaus - general hospital). As of 2005, he also heads the Department of Medical Genetics at the Wunschbaby Center in the 13th district of Vienna.
At only 38 years old, he has received multiple awards, published his findings in top international journals, and is a member on the Editorial Board for several international journals. He is also a member of the Pope’s Academy for Life in the Vatican (Pontificia Academia Pro Vita), Austrian Commission for Genetic Technologies for the Ministry of Health, and the Vienna Advisory Board for Bio- and Medical Ethics. Furthermore, he is the author of multiple monographs: “The Unborn Human Life and Modern Biomedicine” (Das ungeborene menschliche Leben und die moderne Biomedizin), Maudrich Edition 2001 and “Diseased Genes – Chances and Risks from Genetic Testing” (Kranke Gene – Chancen und Risiken von Gentests), Facultas Edition 2003. In 2005, his high school textbook was released: “Biomedicine: The Genetics of Man” (Biomedizin: Die Genetik des Menschen) by the Austrian publishing house, öbv&hpt. In 2006, he published a bestseller “The Power of the Gene” (Die Macht der Gene), Ecowin Edition. His team deals with the fundamental science and routine diagnostics in the field of medical genetics. Works of Hengstschläger’s team were an international sensation: genetic developments in trans-sexuality, brain tumors, tuberous sclerosis and breast cancer. Another international sensation was the discovery of stem cells in human amniotic fluid, which could possibly replace human embryo research in the future. Hengstschläger is still developing prenatal (unborn) and postnatal genetic diagnostics. Since 2005, he has been working on polar bodies genetic diagnostics from a single egg before implantation (Preimplantation Diagnostics). This, the most complicated genetic diagnostic method, is only being practiced in a select few European centers.
