Start for CombiDiag: ten international doctoral students recruited for interdisciplinary research consortium
Herlev, Denmark - Memory lapses, orientation problems and language difficulties can be signs of the onset of Alzheimer's dementia (AD). AD is not yet curable, but its progression can be slowed down with medication and supportive measures. A European doctoral recruitment program, called CombiDiag (Combined Early Diagnosis of Dementia), has been launched in order to detect AD at an early stage, develop prevention strategies, and discover new drugs.
The University Medicine Rostock has taken over the consortium leadership under the direction of Prof. Dr. Stefan Teipel, Alzheimer's researcher at the Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie doctoral network funded by the European Commission. "Dementia is a serious disease of old age and a challenge for our society, which is why it is included in the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and the EU's Horizon Europe program," explains Teipel.
Ten young scientists from different countries have been selected for CombiDiag to conduct joint research at locations in Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, Spain and the UK. They will develop an AI- and data-supported diagnostic protocol to identify early stages of Alzheimer's.
The program will establish a comprehensive network and launch a study to collect multiple biomarkers, including body fluid markers from urine, blood, and saliva, and digital markers for language, motor function and sleep. In response to this pressing challenge, Nordic Bioscience, as a member of the CombiDiag consortium, is committed to advancing early detection methods and therapeutic strategies for AD.
The new generation of researchers will receive intensive training in this interdisciplinary field. During the three-year doctoral program, they will undergo a training program consisting of local and network-wide courses, events and summer schools and take part in an intensive exchange with the consortium partners. Nine academic and eight non-academic institutions in Europe, the USA, Canada and China are involved in the program. "CombiDiag thus brings together world-leading academic and industrial experts to develop the doctoral students' scientific skills as well as their creative and economic thinking," adds Teipel.
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About NORDIC BIOSCIENCE
Nordic Bioscience is a Danish biomarker company headquartered in Herlev, Denmark. Nordic Bioscience is engaged in biomarker development using our unique neoepitope technology. We combine our expertise in biomarker development with preclinical and clinical research. This enables us to develop biomarkers that provide fast and objective decision-making for compound selection and development in clinical trials as well as provide value for patients in a diagnostic setting.