PhD student Sophia Mair wins prestigious DOC fellowship – a strong boost for her scientific career. Currently she is conducting her VASCage research in Canada.
VASCage PhD student Sophia Mair is awarded a Doctoral Fellowship of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (DOC) that now further supports her research for the next two years. In her research, she is looking for new ways to treat calcifying aortic valve disease. More specifically, she wants to find the trigger that causes heart valve cells to turn into bone-forming cells. This inflammatory process leads to calcification of the aortic valves and, without surgical treatment, eventually to death. Sophia Mair's research is supervised by Dr Can Gollmann-Tepeköylü and Prof Johannes Holfeld at the Medical University of Innsbruck.
VASCage PhD student Sophia Mair is awarded a Doctoral Fellowship of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (DOC) that now further supports her research for the next two years. In her research, she is looking for new ways to treat calcifying aortic valve disease. More specifically, she wants to find the trigger that causes heart valve cells to turn into bone-forming cells. This inflammatory process leads to calcification of the aortic valves and, without surgical treatment, eventually to death. Sophia Mair's research is supervised by Dr Can Gollmann-Tepeköylü and Prof Johannes Holfeld at the Medical University of Innsbruck.
PRESS RELEASE
VASCage project ACTpatient: Mild stroke – difficult life afterwards
Surprising results are delivered by a scientific pilot project, which was carried out by stroke patients themselves: What the medical classification only defines as a "light" stroke is perceived by many patients as a quite severe limitation in their daily life.
As part of the VASCage research project ACTpatient, stroke patients and their relatives designed questionnaires on the topics of aftercare and clinical research. They then provided these to 75 other patients. These were people who had suffered a stroke a year ago and whose condition was assessed as good, i.e. only slightly limited, according to the usual medical classification. The results of the survey are now available. They show that many of those affected and their families feel a heavy burden.
VASCage project ACTpatient: Mild stroke – difficult life afterwards
Surprising results are delivered by a scientific pilot project, which was carried out by stroke patients themselves: What the medical classification only defines as a "light" stroke is perceived by many patients as a quite severe limitation in their daily life.
As part of the VASCage research project ACTpatient, stroke patients and their relatives designed questionnaires on the topics of aftercare and clinical research. They then provided these to 75 other patients. These were people who had suffered a stroke a year ago and whose condition was assessed as good, i.e. only slightly limited, according to the usual medical classification. The results of the survey are now available. They show that many of those affected and their families feel a heavy burden.
Impressions from ESOC – VASCage was present with sessions, talks and posters. Lancet Neurology paper announced
European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC) is Europe’s leading forum, and indeed a leading forum worldwide, for advances in research and clinical care of patients with cerebrovascular diseases. It took place in Munic from 24 May to 26 May and was a great success. VASCage researchers presented their newest results and were excited to get in contact with leading stroke experts. We were especially proud on VAScage scientist Annemieke ter Telgte who contributed to a Lancet Neurolgy paper on neuroimating standards for research into small vessel disease. The publication was officially announced during ESOC!
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(23)00131-X/fulltext
European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC) is Europe’s leading forum, and indeed a leading forum worldwide, for advances in research and clinical care of patients with cerebrovascular diseases. It took place in Munic from 24 May to 26 May and was a great success. VASCage researchers presented their newest results and were excited to get in contact with leading stroke experts. We were especially proud on VAScage scientist Annemieke ter Telgte who contributed to a Lancet Neurolgy paper on neuroimating standards for research into small vessel disease. The publication was officially announced during ESOC!
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(23)00131-X/fulltext
Important VASCage publication in Lancet Group journal EBioMedicine on pulse wave velocity measurement as cardiovascular risk predictor
Arterial stiffening is paramount to vascular ageing and is associated with atherosclerosis, vascular calcification and inflammation. A worldwide team around Raimund Pechlaner from Medical University Innsbruck, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Stefan Kiechl and Sophia Kiechl from VASCage determined new reference values for pulse wave velocity measurement (PWV) as cardiovascular risk predictor. Measurements of brachial-ankle or carotid-femoral PWV (baPWV or cfPWV) in 509,743 generally healthy participants from 34 countries were included. The study provides global and regional age- and sex-dependent distributions and reference values of baPWV and cfPWV, which may aid increased clinical use of PWV as a measure of vascular ageing, predictor of hypertensive end-organ damage, cardiovascular disease, and death.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(23)00184-6/fulltext
Arterial stiffening is paramount to vascular ageing and is associated with atherosclerosis, vascular calcification and inflammation. A worldwide team around Raimund Pechlaner from Medical University Innsbruck, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Stefan Kiechl and Sophia Kiechl from VASCage determined new reference values for pulse wave velocity measurement (PWV) as cardiovascular risk predictor. Measurements of brachial-ankle or carotid-femoral PWV (baPWV or cfPWV) in 509,743 generally healthy participants from 34 countries were included. The study provides global and regional age- and sex-dependent distributions and reference values of baPWV and cfPWV, which may aid increased clinical use of PWV as a measure of vascular ageing, predictor of hypertensive end-organ damage, cardiovascular disease, and death.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(23)00184-6/fulltext
VASCage Clinical Trials is ISO certified!
After many months of hard work and a rigourous evaluation and auditing process, we are very happy to announce that VASCage Clinical Trials has been successfully ISO 9001 certified. Quality Austria has issued an IQNET
After many months of hard work and a rigourous evaluation and auditing process, we are very happy to announce that VASCage Clinical Trials has been successfully ISO 9001 certified. Quality Austria has issued an IQNET
“Momentum is the hallmark of VASCage“
We celebrated the start of the next funding period
The quote of Prof. Tilmann Märk, former rector of the University of Innsbruck, very well characterised the spirit of our recent event „VASCage moves on“. We celebrated the start of our second funding period with our scientific and company partners and stakeholders in the life science sector. As a representative of Tyrol Landesrätin Dr. Cornelia Hagele emphasised that in the face of demographic change VASCage research on improving the healthy life span is enourmously important.
Our keynote speaker Prof. Wilfried Lang told the impressive success story of stroke in Austria and highlighted the necessity of clinical trials. This is exactly where VASCage is focusing with its growing Clinical Trials division.
We celebrated the start of the next funding period
The quote of Prof. Tilmann Märk, former rector of the University of Innsbruck, very well characterised the spirit of our recent event „VASCage moves on“. We celebrated the start of our second funding period with our scientific and company partners and stakeholders in the life science sector. As a representative of Tyrol Landesrätin Dr. Cornelia Hagele emphasised that in the face of demographic change VASCage research on improving the healthy life span is enourmously important.
Our keynote speaker Prof. Wilfried Lang told the impressive success story of stroke in Austria and highlighted the necessity of clinical trials. This is exactly where VASCage is focusing with its growing Clinical Trials division.
PRESS RELEASE
Further 18 million euros for research on vascular ageing and stroke
The VASCage research centre in Innsbruck has received research funding for another four years. An international jury has analysed the past successes and future plans and unanimously recommended further funding. The quality of the research projects was rated as outstanding.
Link to press release (in German)
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VASCage is funded within the COMET programme by the Federal Ministries
Further 18 million euros for research on vascular ageing and stroke
The VASCage research centre in Innsbruck has received research funding for another four years. An international jury has analysed the past successes and future plans and unanimously recommended further funding. The quality of the research projects was rated as outstanding.
Link to press release (in German)
Download press picture 1
Download press picture 2
VASCage is funded within the COMET programme by the Federal Ministries
VASCage publication in high-ranking journal „Artificial Intelligence in Medicine“: deep learning for MRI brain image analysis
MRI brain image analysis is of great significance for brain disease diagnosis, progression assessment, and monitoring of neurological conditions. Segmentation is a crucial process to determine volume, boundaries and morphology of specific brain structures in medical imaging. Manual segmentation however is time-consuming, laborious, and subjective, which significantly amplifies the need for automated processes. Now VASCage researcher Nadja Gruber, Malik Galijasevic (Medical University of Innsbruck, Dept. of Neuroradiology) and co-authors present an efficient deep learning approach for the automated segmentation of brain tissue in the high-ranking journal „Artificial Intelligence in Medicine“.
MRI brain image analysis is of great significance for brain disease diagnosis, progression assessment, and monitoring of neurological conditions. Segmentation is a crucial process to determine volume, boundaries and morphology of specific brain structures in medical imaging. Manual segmentation however is time-consuming, laborious, and subjective, which significantly amplifies the need for automated processes. Now VASCage researcher Nadja Gruber, Malik Galijasevic (Medical University of Innsbruck, Dept. of Neuroradiology) and co-authors present an efficient deep learning approach for the automated segmentation of brain tissue in the high-ranking journal „Artificial Intelligence in Medicine“.
VASCage at ESOC2022: Epidemiology, Manifestions and Prognosis of acute covert brain infarctions
During an ischemic stroke a patient suffers from acute neurological symptoms due to an infarct in the brain. From time to time, however, clinicians encounter small brain infarcts on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan that are very recent but did not cause any clear clinical symptoms.
In her presentation at ESOC in Lyon on 5 May 2022, VASCage researcher Annemieke ter Telgte discussed the epidemiology, clinical manifestations and prognosis of such acute covert brain infarcts. Data suggest that the prevalence of acute covert brain infarcts is increased at late adulthood and in persons with cerebral small vessel disease.
During an ischemic stroke a patient suffers from acute neurological symptoms due to an infarct in the brain. From time to time, however, clinicians encounter small brain infarcts on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan that are very recent but did not cause any clear clinical symptoms.
In her presentation at ESOC in Lyon on 5 May 2022, VASCage researcher Annemieke ter Telgte discussed the epidemiology, clinical manifestations and prognosis of such acute covert brain infarcts. Data suggest that the prevalence of acute covert brain infarcts is increased at late adulthood and in persons with cerebral small vessel disease.
PRESS RELEASE: Stroke patients play an active role in shaping the research process. ACTpatient video now online.
In Austria, about 25,000 people suffer a stroke every year. But in Austria, the people affected are usually not actively involved in the planning and implementation of clinical studies. VASCage wants to change that. In the project ACTpatient, people with stroke and their relatives actively participate in the research process from the very beginning.
ACTpatient video (c) OIS
Link to press release (in German)
Download press picture 1 ©VASCage
Download press picture 2 ©VASCage
In Austria, about 25,000 people suffer a stroke every year. But in Austria, the people affected are usually not actively involved in the planning and implementation of clinical studies. VASCage wants to change that. In the project ACTpatient, people with stroke and their relatives actively participate in the research process from the very beginning.
ACTpatient video (c) OIS
Link to press release (in German)
Download press picture 1 ©VASCage
Download press picture 2 ©VASCage
VASCage and Stroke Research Partnering Event - how nice to have met you all in person!
VASCage would like to thank all participants of our Partnering Event, which took place on 5 April in Innsbruck. We really enjoyed welcoming around 80 guests from industry and academia. The variety of short project pitches stimulated many discussions. Concrete project ideas were discussed during networking. Highlight of the programme was the keynote lecture by Prof. Heinrich Mattle "Migraine, Stroke and PFO". After the long Covid break, the personal
VASCage would like to thank all participants of our Partnering Event, which took place on 5 April in Innsbruck. We really enjoyed welcoming around 80 guests from industry and academia. The variety of short project pitches stimulated many discussions. Concrete project ideas were discussed during networking. Highlight of the programme was the keynote lecture by Prof. Heinrich Mattle "Migraine, Stroke and PFO". After the long Covid break, the personal
Vascular and Stroke Research Partnering Event - You have a new project idea for the next COMET funding period? Grab your chance!
Some slots for project pitches are still open! Join us at
Vascular and Stroke Research Partnering Event
Date: Tuesday, 5 April 2022
Time: 1 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Agenda: https://vascular-and-stroke-research-partnering.b2match.io/agenda
Venue: Villa Blanka, Weiherburggasse 8, Innsbruck, Austria
Information and Login: https://vascular-and-stroke-research-partnering.b2match.io/
Some slots for project pitches are still open! Join us at
Vascular and Stroke Research Partnering Event
Date: Tuesday, 5 April 2022
Time: 1 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Agenda: https://vascular-and-stroke-research-partnering.b2match.io/agenda
Venue: Villa Blanka, Weiherburggasse 8, Innsbruck, Austria
Information and Login: https://vascular-and-stroke-research-partnering.b2match.io/
Brain Awareness Week - Interview with Stefan Kiechl, CSO at VASCage and Head of Dep. Neurology at Med.Univ.Innsbruck
It's brain awareness week, the global campaign to foster public enthusiasm and support for brain science! VASCage runs a series of interviews with some of our researchers.
-WHAT FASCINATES YOU ABOUT THE BRAIN?
The brain is the most complex organ of human beings.
-HOW DOES YOUR RESEARCH CONTRIBUTE TO A BETTER
It's brain awareness week, the global campaign to foster public enthusiasm and support for brain science! VASCage runs a series of interviews with some of our researchers.
-WHAT FASCINATES YOU ABOUT THE BRAIN?
The brain is the most complex organ of human beings.
-HOW DOES YOUR RESEARCH CONTRIBUTE TO A BETTER
Brain Awareness Week - VASCage interview series - Interview with Benjamin Dejakum, PhD Student at VASCage
It's brain awareness week, the global campaign to foster public enthusiasm and support for brain science! VASCage runs a series of interviews with some of our researchers.
-WHAT FASCINATES YOU ABOUT THE BRAIN?
The capability to process such a lot of inputs and the plasticity to perform at a high level even if a part of the brain fails.
It's brain awareness week, the global campaign to foster public enthusiasm and support for brain science! VASCage runs a series of interviews with some of our researchers.
-WHAT FASCINATES YOU ABOUT THE BRAIN?
The capability to process such a lot of inputs and the plasticity to perform at a high level even if a part of the brain fails.
Brain Awareness Week - VASCage interview series - Interview with Silvia Komarek, PhD Student at VASCage
It's brain awareness week, the global campaign to foster public enthusiasm and support for brain science! VASCage runs a series of interviews with some of our researchers.
-WHAT FASCINATES YOU ABOUT THE BRAIN?
Everything a person feels or does is processed through the central nervous system. Each part of the brain holds specific functions and deficits in the brain functions can mostly be localized through
It's brain awareness week, the global campaign to foster public enthusiasm and support for brain science! VASCage runs a series of interviews with some of our researchers.
-WHAT FASCINATES YOU ABOUT THE BRAIN?
Everything a person feels or does is processed through the central nervous system. Each part of the brain holds specific functions and deficits in the brain functions can mostly be localized through
Brain Awareness Week - VASCage interview series - Interview with Michael Knoflach, neurologist at VASCage and Med. Univ. Innsbruck
It's brain awareness week, the global campaign to foster public enthusiasm and support for brain science! VASCage runs a series of interviews with some of our researchers.
-WHAT FASCINATES YOU ABOUT THE BRAIN?
The brain is a very delicate and complex organ that we might never understand in its whole function. Even though a small damage can cause severe deficits, the brain plasticity and ability to reorganize
It's brain awareness week, the global campaign to foster public enthusiasm and support for brain science! VASCage runs a series of interviews with some of our researchers.
-WHAT FASCINATES YOU ABOUT THE BRAIN?
The brain is a very delicate and complex organ that we might never understand in its whole function. Even though a small damage can cause severe deficits, the brain plasticity and ability to reorganize
Brain Awareness Week - VASCage interview series - Interview with Annemieke ter Telgte, postdoc at VASCage
It's brain awareness week, the global campaign to foster public enthusiasm and support for brain science! VASCage runs a series of interviews with some of our researchers.
-WHAT FASCINATES YOU ABOUT THE BRAIN?
The brain is a highly complex organ, and we are only at the start of unravelling how the brain works. It fascinates me how billions of nerve cells and non-neuronal cells act together and bring forth
It's brain awareness week, the global campaign to foster public enthusiasm and support for brain science! VASCage runs a series of interviews with some of our researchers.
-WHAT FASCINATES YOU ABOUT THE BRAIN?
The brain is a highly complex organ, and we are only at the start of unravelling how the brain works. It fascinates me how billions of nerve cells and non-neuronal cells act together and bring forth
VASCage scientist Sophia Kiechl with publication success: underestimated vascular risk factors in young people
Epidemiological clinical studies on vascular health are an important field of activity for VASCage. In her research, early-career scientist Sophia Kiechl has successfully focussed on adolescents and has contributed to several publications. The recent paper „Diagnostic Yield of a Systematic Vascular Health Screening Approach in Adolescents at Schools“ in the Journal of Adolescent Health has attracted particular attention. Kiechl is the first author in a team of the Department of Neurology at the Medical Univ. of Innsbruck.
Epidemiological clinical studies on vascular health are an important field of activity for VASCage. In her research, early-career scientist Sophia Kiechl has successfully focussed on adolescents and has contributed to several publications. The recent paper „Diagnostic Yield of a Systematic Vascular Health Screening Approach in Adolescents at Schools“ in the Journal of Adolescent Health has attracted particular attention. Kiechl is the first author in a team of the Department of Neurology at the Medical Univ. of Innsbruck.
VASCage researchers find cardiometabolic microRNA biomarkers that may aid in COVID-19 severity and mortality prediction
The study was conducted by VASCage project leader Prof. Manuel Mayr and his team including first author and PhD student Dr. Clemens Gutmann, who studied and practiced medicine at the Medical University of Innsbruck before joining Prof. Mayr’s group at King’s College London. In collaboration with researchers from VASCage company partner TAmiRNA GmbH in Vienna they contribute with their recent findings to fight the pandemic. They have published their results in ‘Cardiovascular Research‘, the
The study was conducted by VASCage project leader Prof. Manuel Mayr and his team including first author and PhD student Dr. Clemens Gutmann, who studied and practiced medicine at the Medical University of Innsbruck before joining Prof. Mayr’s group at King’s College London. In collaboration with researchers from VASCage company partner TAmiRNA GmbH in Vienna they contribute with their recent findings to fight the pandemic. They have published their results in ‘Cardiovascular Research‘, the
PRESS RELEASE: Blood vessels already suffer in youth. New VASCage publication on cardiovascular risk factors in Journal JAHA
Risk factors for heart attack and stroke such as blood and liver fat levels lead to an increase in early pathological vascular wall changes in Tyrolean adolescents. This has been shown in a representative study of Tyrolean and South Tyrolean adolescents. A recent publication by the VASCage research center and the Medical University of Innsbruck concludes that preventive care would be important not only for high-risk adolescents.
Risk factors for heart attack and stroke such as blood and liver fat levels lead to an increase in early pathological vascular wall changes in Tyrolean adolescents. This has been shown in a representative study of Tyrolean and South Tyrolean adolescents. A recent publication by the VASCage research center and the Medical University of Innsbruck concludes that preventive care would be important not only for high-risk adolescents.
VASCage is research partner in the European ExerGetic project. The goal is to prevent falls in geriatric patients with a whole-body videogame-based training device
Fall prevention is of utmost importance not only in stroke rehabilitation. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) around 28-35% of people aged 65 years and older fall each year. Experiences of falls are considered as stressful events which can lead to drastic consequences in social interaction, daily activities, and quality of life.
Fall prevention is of utmost importance not only in stroke rehabilitation. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) around 28-35% of people aged 65 years and older fall each year. Experiences of falls are considered as stressful events which can lead to drastic consequences in social interaction, daily activities, and quality of life.
VASCage science outreach: Series of high school workshops on artificial intelligence in medicine and vascular research
VASCage regularly engages in activities to promote public awareness and understanding of science, especially for high school students and their teachers. Together with the Tyrolean science outreach association ‚klasse!forschung‘ VASCage initiated a workshop series inspiring young people to develop an interest in research.
Junior researcher Nadja Gruber is mathematician and specialist for
VASCage regularly engages in activities to promote public awareness and understanding of science, especially for high school students and their teachers. Together with the Tyrolean science outreach association ‚klasse!forschung‘ VASCage initiated a workshop series inspiring young people to develop an interest in research.
Junior researcher Nadja Gruber is mathematician and specialist for
VASCage Proteomics and RNA biomarker research contributes with a new publication to fight the pandemic
A ‘Nature Communications‘ paper on prognostic COVID-19 biomarkers for intensive care patients has been published.
COVID-19 poses an unprecedented challenge to health care systems globally. It is increasingly apparent that conventional prognostic scores for patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) are unsuitable for outcome prediction. Now VASCage project leader Manuel Mayr of King’s College London, and his team were able to make important contributions to address this clinicial need.
A ‘Nature Communications‘ paper on prognostic COVID-19 biomarkers for intensive care patients has been published.
COVID-19 poses an unprecedented challenge to health care systems globally. It is increasingly apparent that conventional prognostic scores for patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) are unsuitable for outcome prediction. Now VASCage project leader Manuel Mayr of King’s College London, and his team were able to make important contributions to address this clinicial need.
PRESS RELEASE: First signs of atherosclerosis in Tyrolean Youths? Largest clinical trial on vascular health in adolescents in Austria
EVA4YOU is an observational study enrolling students and apprentices aged between 14 and 19 years to determine predictors of the early steps of the formation of atherosclerosis. Examinations are conducted at schools and companies throughout Tyrol.
Link to press release (in German)
Download press picture 1 ©VASCage/M.Knoflach
Download press picture 2 ©VASCage/M.Knoflach
Link to the trial EVA4YOU
EVA4YOU is an observational study enrolling students and apprentices aged between 14 and 19 years to determine predictors of the early steps of the formation of atherosclerosis. Examinations are conducted at schools and companies throughout Tyrol.
Link to press release (in German)
Download press picture 1 ©VASCage/M.Knoflach
Download press picture 2 ©VASCage/M.Knoflach
Link to the trial EVA4YOU