Samuel Meier-Menches studied at EPF Lausanne and ETH Zurich and obtained his doctorate in 2013 from the University of Vienna, within the research group of Bernhard Keppler. His doctoral thesis on new strategies for the development of metal-based anticancer drugs was awarded the Doc.Award of the City of Vienna. Since then, he has conducted research at the intersection of chemistry and medicine in the groups of Christopher Gerner at the Faculty of Chemistry, at Cardiff University with Angela Casini, and at the Medical University of Vienna’s Institute of Cancer Research. In recent years, he has established and led his own research group.
In 2021, he was appointed to one of ten newly created tenure-track positions following a university-wide competitive selection process. These professorships aim to strengthen key research areas at the University of Vienna, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and establish innovative research fields with strong future potential. Samuel Meier-Menches' professorship, alongside projects such as the Joint Metabolome Facility, enhances collaboration between the University of Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna.
His research is conducted in a highly interdisciplinary environment combining analytical and synthetic chemistry with biology and medicine. Using post-genomic methods, he aims to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of drug action – ranging from preclinical in vitro cell models to the analysis of clinical patient samples. Particular focus is placed on identifying new molecular targets and mechanisms of action for cancer therapy, with an additional emphasis on drug exposure. [1-4] The analytical focus lies in variance control across comparative studies to maximize data quality and information content. [5]
Additionally, Samuel Meier-Menches is collaborating with Christopher Gerner's research group on developing a non-invasive method to determine clinically relevant metabolic parameters from fingertip sweat. [6] The range of potential applications for this procedure is broad and includes personalised monitoring of breast cancer patients throughout their treatment. [7] In 2022, he received the City of Vienna's Early Career Award in Mathematics, Informatics, Natural Sciences, and Technology in recognition of his work.
Through his research, Samuel Meier-Menches is making a significant contribution to opening up new paths towards more precise and personalised medicine, thereby demonstrating the great potential of chemical research in addressing urgent medical challenges. He intends to continue along this path in the years to come.
- Ohne Schweiß kein Preis: Fingerschweiß als Schlüssel zur Präzisionsmedizin bei Brustkrebs (Medienportal der Universität Wien, 31. Januar 2025, in German)
Literatur
[1] L. Skos, Y. Borutzki, C. Gerner and S. M. Meier-Menches, Methods to identify protein targets of metal-based drugs, Curr. Opin. Chem. Biol., 2023, 73.
[2] Z. Outla, G. Oyman-Eyrilmez, K. Korelova, M. Prechova, L. Frick, L. Sarnova, P. Bisht, P. Novotna, J. Kosla, P. Bortel, et al., Plectin-mediated cytoskeletal crosstalk as a target for inhibition of hepatocellular carcinoma growth and metastasis, eLife, 2025, 13, 102205.
[3] L. Skos, C. Schmidt, S. R. Thomas, M. Park, V. Geiger, D. Wenisch, R. Bonsignore, G. Del Favero, T. Mohr, A. Bileck, C. Gerner, A. Casini and S. M. Meier-Menches, Gold-templated covalent targeting of the CysSec-dyad of thioredoxin reductase 1 in cancer cells, Cell Rep. Phys. Sci., 2024, 5, 102072.
[4] B. Neuditschko, A. P. King, Z. Huang, L. Janker, A. Bileck, Y. Borutzki, S. C. Marker, C. Gerner, J. J. Wilson and S. M. Meier‐Menches, An anticancer rhenium tricarbonyl targets Fe−S cluster biogenesis in ovarian cancer cells, Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., 2022, 61, e202209136.
[5] P. Bortel, G. Hagn, L. Skos, A. Bileck, V. Paulitschke, P. Paulitschke, L. Gleiter, T. Mohr, C. Gerner and S. M. Meier-Menches, Memory effects of prior subculture may impact the quality of multiomic perturbation profiles, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2024, 121, e2313851121.
[6] J. Brunmair, M. Gotsmy, L. Niederstaetter, B. Neuditschko, A. Bileck, A. Slany, M. L. Feuerstein, C. Langbauer, L. Janker, J. Zanghellini, S. M. Meier-Menches and C. Gerner, Finger sweat analysis enables short interval metabolic biomonitoring in humans, Nat. Commun., 2021, 12, 5993.
[7] M. Bolliger, D. Wasinger, J. Brunmair, G. Hagn, M. Wolf, K. Preindl, B. Reiter, A. Bileck, C. Gerner, F. Fitzal and S. M. Meier-Menches, Mass spectrometry-based analysis of eccrine sweat supports predictive, preventive and personalised medicine in a cohort of breast cancer patients in Austria, EPMA J., 2025, 16, 165-182.
