First XISTA Translational Fellow Appointed with Support from the Wicklow Foundation
The Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and its innovation ecosystem XISTA jointly announce that Eugenia Iofinova has been appointed as the first Translational Fellow supported by the Wicklow Foundation. The Wicklow Foundation has been founded by Daniel V. Tierney, a US-American philanthropist. This fellowship strengthens the pathway that links ISTA’s foundational research with XISTA’s expertise in guiding scientific ideas toward real world applications.
Eugenia, also known as Jen, is a PhD researcher in the group of Dan Alistarh at ISTA. Her work focuses on machine learning methods that remain efficient, fair, and privacy preserving even in constrained environments. She develops approaches that allow users to generate text in their own authentic voice while keeping all sensitive data on their device. This addresses a central challenge in modern AI: enabling personalized and trustworthy tools without compromising privacy.
The support of the Wicklow Foundation enhances the joint mission of ISTA and XISTA to create societal, economic, and technological impact through strong scientific research.
The foundation highlights this potential:
“By supporting the Fellowship Program of XISTA, we are confident that new scientific applications will emerge to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time.”
During the fellowship, Jen will work closely with the XISTA team to explore the translational path of her research and to assess its potential use cases. XISTA Managing Director Markus Wanko emphasizes the importance of this step:
“Jen’s work shows how strong scientific ideas can grow into practical solutions. Her approach to private and personal AI addresses a real need and demonstrates how research at ISTA can shape products that matter.”
The XISTA Translational Fellowship supports researchers as they evaluate the scientific, technical, and strategic foundations for possible future ventures. In the past, XISTA’s translational activities have already led to successful spin-outs, including companies like Neurolentech and Syntropic Medical.
Jen Iofinova’s selection marks another milestone in the seamless connection between ISTA’s research environment and XISTA’s innovation activities. It reflects our shared commitment to advancing projects with societal relevance, economic potential, and strong technological depth, and to supporting founders as they move from breakthrough research toward real-world impact.
Learn more about past XISTA Fellowships and the Wicklow Foundation’s contribution to the program here.
