Platform for brain research using UHF MRI, histology, and AI

The Carinthian University of Applied Sciences and the Medical University of Vienna have established a cooperation, supported by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, in order to sustainably interlink basic university research and applied brain research. In the course of this project, seven PhD positions will be opened to develop new methods in the field of ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging, histology, and artificial intelligence. The research aims to make developments and standards in the treatment of brain tumors and demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis. An innovative research platform is being established to pool scientific knowledge. It combines scientific expertise and equipment at the cutting edge of technology from three departments of the Medical University of Vienna - the department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, the department of Neurology, and the department of Neurosurgery - and the University of Applied Sciences Carinthia - department of Engineering & IT and Medical Engineering and Analytics. The goal of this cooperative doctoral program is, among other things, the establishment of new clinically relevant biomarkers in neurological diseases through the development of innovative MR imaging techniques. These technologies will be used in the future as analysis and visualization tools with high clinical impact. The collaboration between the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences and the Medical University of Vienna should also lead to the training of the next generation of scientists, developers, and physicians who can jointly use these technologies in clinical routine. An example of this would be the optimization of neurosurgical planning for a better determination of the type of tumor, its environment, and the simulation of the intervention with the help of virtual reality. In order to meet the highest international standards, the PhD program includes at least one stay abroad per PhD student with international research partners. Seven internationally renowned cooperation partners from academia (e.g. Harvard and MIT) and industry (e.g. ICOMETRIX) have agreed to host our candidates. In addition to the positive effects for all stakeholders involved in this project, this interdisciplinary and cooperative PhD program will also significantly increase the amount of medical research in Carinthia by incorporating the latest findings from the largest medical research institution in Austria.