Prof. Dr. Johanna Irrgeher

Johanna Irrgeher studied and earned her PhD in Engineering at BOKU University, Vienna; all with distinction. During her studies, she gained extensive international experience – including research stays at the National Research Council Canada, National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan, and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Following her doctorate, she spent several years abroad, including at the University of Calgary (Canada). She then joined the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht – now Hereon – where she established a laboratory for isotope analysis in marine research. After moving to the Montanuniversität Leoben in 2019, she focused on advancing analytical chemistry, completing her habilitation in 2020 and concluding her tenure-track position in 2023. Johanna Irrgeher has received numerous awards in recognition of her outstanding scientific achievements, including the Habilitation Award of the Austrian Chemical Society (GÖCH), several dissertation prizes, and the prestigious European Rising Star in Plasma Spectrochemistry Award (2017). Since 2014, she has been a member of the historic IUPAC Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights (founded in 1898), which determines the internationally accepted atomic weights of the elements. In 2022, she made history as the first woman ever to chair this commission. Her research centers on mass spectrometry and isotopic ratio analysis in environmental, medical, and material sciences. She is particularly passionate about developing innovative methods and data evaluation strategies that push the limits of analytical precision.