‘Meet the Team’ – Dr. Aniko Fejes

Aniko earned her PhD at the Medical University of Vienna while co-founding The Brainstorms Scientific to create an interaction-platform between the stakeholders of neurotechnology & AI. Thereafter, she worked on impact-focused digital innovation projects supporting patients as well as healthcare professionals. She is the Collaboration Lead of EIT Health Austria since March 2023.

Q: What did you do before you joined EIT Health?
AF: I´m originally coming from traditional academia – I studied biology and medical biotechnology in Hungary and then did my PhD at the Medical University of Vienna. Towards the end of my studies, the urge to break out from this classical track and combine it with the application of solutions that directly impact people´s lives became stronger and stronger. Hence, I co-founded a start-up and later started working on digital innovation projects at Novartis.

Q: In your opinion, what is one of the best health innovations in history?
AF: I believe it´s yet to come! We have made incredible scientific and medical progress in the last centuries; we are living longer and healthier lives thanks to antibiotics, vaccinations, and medical imaging, just to mention a few. Combining this with new, upcoming technologies – with the pace it´s evolving right now – means we will reach levels hard to imagine. I´m really excited for a future of tackling sustainable longevity starting right with prevention!

Q: What would you say are the top qualities of a successful entrepreneur?
AF: Flexible resilience. In my own experience, this combination is crucial for progress – and from progress comes success [She winks]. If you are resilient, but too strong-headed and can´t pivot at the right time, you will get stuck. If you can´t push through certain hurdles to bring your project to life, the initial motivation will quickly evaporate. The two together does the trick.

Q: What advice would you give to Partners/Start-ups and other interested parties seeking to engage in the next innovation call?
AF: A very simple first piece of advice: before submitting your project, please reach out to me or the respective Collaboration/Ecosystem Lead in your country!  We are here to support you in your submission process and can give you valuable guidance right from the start! Don´t miss this chance to further improve your proposal.

Q: Speaking of reaching out: Where can our readers meet you next?
AF: I would be happy to connect in person during the European Health Forum Gastein. I have the honour of being selected as one of this year’s Young Forum Gastein Scholars. I´ll be in Bad Hofgastein from the 25^th until the 29^th of September to attend and contribute to sessions. Feel free to reach out via email or a LinkedIn message for an exchange!

Q: On a different note: what book would you recommend that you have read in the last year?
AF: I´m a big fan of Hans Rosling and his Factfulness. I read the book years ago and had to do so once again a couple of years down the road. It´s not a new bestseller, but I can´t emphasize more how valuable it is to read for all! The main topic is about global trends and our own biases regarding them: how we think that the world is just getting worse, how we stereotype people and groups, and sometimes get things out of proportion when it´s about estimating progress. It will surely change the way you look at the world and even your own micro-environment if you apply this new lens of “factfulness” in your life!

Follow us on LinkedIn for more interviews and most up-to-date information. Do you want to build a European project consortium or do you have questions about EIT Health’s Flagship Call? Contact Aniko at aniko.fejes@eithealth.eu right away.