Prof. Dr. med. Susanne Wegener
Area of Research
Description of Research Interest
Thrombolysis and thrombectomy are effective treatments in acute ischemic stroke. However, the benefit of therapy is variable, and hampered by reperfusion failure (dysfunction of the microcirculation despite removal of the obstrcting clots). Reasons for reperfusion failure are capillary stalls by activated inflammatory cells. Using rodent stroke models (MCAO/thrombin injection) and multimodal Imaging (MRI, Laser Speckle, 2-photon microscopy) we are studying mechanisms of reperfusion failure (www.zcvrlab.uzh.ch). Our clinical projects are centered around AI-tools (agents) for better stratification of acute stroke treatments and secondary preventive therapies. We incorporate multimodal (clinical, imaging, serum biomarkers) data and use CNNs and foundation models. Furthermore, we aim to discover novel blood biomarkers in stroke patients, to facilitate therapeutic decisions. Neuroimaging is an important part of our research. In the European multicenter consortium MAGIC, we collect imaging and clinical datasets of patients with stroke, to improve and valudate our models. Factors such as sex and gender are incoporated in our research. Recently, we concieved the DARTS trial, which will be a multicenter, placebo controlled, randomized trial to test a treatment against reperfusion failure in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Another clinical focus is on headache. We strive to improve care of our patients, inclusing projects to improve communication (DIZH/ DHDH).
Special Expertise
Stroke/ ischemia
Artificial Intelligence (stroke outcome prediction)
Neuroimaging
Blood biomarkers (focus on inflammasome activiation)
In vivo stroke models
Headache
Shareable Platforms, Services, Equipment & Infrastructure
- Stroke patient imaging and clinical data within the MAGIC concsortium The Multicentre Acute ischemic stroke imaGIng and Clinical data (MAGIC) repository: rationale and blueprint - PubMed
- animal models of stroke and in vivo imaging in collaboration with our partners at the ZNZ
Member of Collaborative/interdisciplinary Research Consortia
- TRISP/ EVATRISP (European Stroke consortium)
- Biostroke consortium
- MAGIC consortium
- DIZH/ DHDH (Decoding Headache in Digital Helvetia)
