The Team

Along with the implementation and development of machine learning algorithms, Tatiana focused on acquiring a deeper understanding of specific features and hidden patterns of real data. In Martin's team, Tatiana is studying the reliability of probes methylation signals under the influence of technical and biological factors and finding solutions to help overcome the negative effect of such factors on the performance and accuracy of analysis on this data type.

After working on Myeloproliferative Neoplasms and JAK-STAT signaling at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, during her Master’s, she joined the laboratory of Prof. Martin Widschwendter at the University of Innsbruck in June 2021. So far, she has been able to obtain thorough knowledge in the field of molecular medicine, mainly covering oncogenic cell transformation, and to focus on state-of-the-art techniques, such as CRISPR/Cas9-dependent gene-editing, mouse experiments or histological analyses. At EUTOPS, however, her PhD studies particularly explore the establishment of epigenetic assays which will potentially help to better understand, diagnose and treat highly aggressive, gynecological malignancies in clinical settings.

After spending a few years in the research sector at the Medical University of Innsbruck, Katharina has been working at the Tirol Kliniken since 2018, initially in the routine department and, since June 2024, at the EUTOPS Institute.

Her primary interests lie in translational research, aiming to bridge the gap between basic research and its clinical applications. With her background in biomedical engineering and extensive experience in data analysis, she is committed to advancing research to benefit patients and driving innovations in the field. With more than a decade of research experience in the medical device industry, she brings broad expertise to her role. She currently coordinates and supports clinical studies as part of Martin's team.

In her role, she was responsible for practice management, organizational leadership, patient management, and laboratory tasks. Since Sabrina appreciates challenges and learning new things, she is currently expanding her specialist knowledge through the part-time studies in Business & Management for Professionals at MCI, with a focus on controlling, supply chains and strategy.
She is looking forward to being part of the EUTOPS Institute and to working in a great, collegial and successful team.

In 2022, she obtained the ÖÄK diploma in nutritional medicine, which sparked her interest in preventive medicine. Sarah is very happy to now be working as a study doctor in the EUTOPS team.

As a general practitioner, she has a strong interest in preventive medicine and is excited to join the EUTOPS team as a study physician.

Several months of trekking trips shaped her view of the connections between nutrition, performance and well-being. After many years of working in the geriatric field, she decided to join the EUTOPS team and is looking forward to working with an international and professional team.

Her subsequent studies as a nurse at the FH Gesundheit enabled her to pursue a meaningful and caring profession. Tamara sees nursing as a profession with great social responsibility, health promotion, and prevention being particularly important to her. She is very pleased to be able to make an important contribution to the promotion of social health in a highly qualified, interdisciplinary team.

Until 2007 she worked as a nurse at the BKH Schwaz, where she completed special training in nursing anaesthesia in 2006. Sissy then moved to the private clinic in Zillertal and worked until 2021 as a nursing supervisor and area manager among other roles in the recovery room and anaesthesia at the "Sportclinic Zillertal GmbH". She successfully completed "Basal Intermediate Nursing Management" at the GPZ in Innsbruck in 2016. In addition to her experience as a nurse, she successfully completed training as a "Pharmaceutical Commercial Assistant" at Wifi Tyrol in 2021 and gained practical experience in September 2022 at the Paracelsus Pharmacy in Mils. Her great passion is herbs - in 2022 she completed training as a certified herb grower in Bolzano.

She is very much looking forward to her new task as a research nurse working in the interdisciplinary team and thus making a meaningful contribution to health promotion.

In the summer of 2022, Verena was able to successfully complete her studies to become a dietologist at the University of Applied Sciences for Health in Innsbruck. Verena is now happy to be part of the EUTOPS Institute and thus part of an interdisciplinary team. She is motivated to contribute her knowledge as a dietician and pleased that she can make a contribution to the health prevention of the population.

After earning her degree, she began working as a clinical dietitian in a Berlin hospital, where she gained experience caring for oncology and bariatric surgery patients, among others. Since July 2024 she has been part of the EUTOPS Institute and together with her colleagues she is aiming to make a valuable contribution to prevention research.

She was appointed as Consultant Gynaecological Oncologist at the University College London Hospital, the gynaecological cancer centre for the North London Cancer Network, in January 2002. She discontinued NHS Clinical work in August 2022 but retained her UCL contract where she is an honorary associate professor.

She obtained her Medical Degree from the University College Hospital London where she was distinguished with a certificate of merit in surgery. As part of her training in obstetrics and gynaecology, Miss Olaitan worked in many of London's leading Hospitals. She underwent sub specialty training in gynaecological oncology at St Michael's Hospital, Bristol.

She is an accredited minimally invasive laparoscopic and robotic surgeon and offers women the minimally invasive approach where appropriate. She is also accredited in colposcopy.

• Council member British Gynaecological Cancer Society
• Member of British Society Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, International Gynaecological Cancer Society.
• Honorary Senior Lecturer, with over 100 peer reviewed publications, and book chapters
• Past Clinical Lead for Gynaecological cancer & Chair of the North London Gynaecological cancer Network
• Spokesperson for the Public Health England to promote cervical cancer screening– numerous media appearances: live & recorded TV, radio & journals
• Led a pilot study looking at the feasibility and acceptability of low cost screening for cervical cancer in women in Lagos Nigeria. The screening program was made possible by a grant from the UCL Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women's Health.
• Invited speaker local, national & international conferences
• Numerous prizes and awards for research and clinical achievements
• Visiting Professor Dalhousie University, Halifax Canada November – December 2017
• RCOG appointed Sims Black Visiting Professor 2019

She has undergone clinical training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and aims to subspecialize in Gynaecological Oncology. Her area of interest is global women’s health, particularly in cervical cancer prevention in low- and middle-income countries. She has participated in several activities internationally to further this objective. Her PhD is investigating epigenetic means of cervical cancer screening in understudied African populations.

Prior to her medical degree, she completed a BSc in Physiology at the University of Edinburgh. Her final year laboratory project investigated factors that affect the expression of a receptor within the renal tubular collecting system. 
 

As a senior specialist registrar working in North Central & East London he has previously had experience working in cancer tertiary centres (Royal Surrey County Hospital, University College Hospital London) with a specialist interest in Robotics and minimal access surgery. He is undertaking his postgraduate PhD studies with Professor Widschwendter investigating the role of the immune system, specifically natural killer cell activity, in BRCA1 mutation carriers in order to understand potential mechanisms for ovarian carcinogenesis at the fimbrial fallopian tube. He is an advocate for women’s health and has supported initiatives aimed at increasing awareness for HPV and cervical cancer.  

During his PhD, Twana studied tumour microenvironments focusing on non-immune-intercellular surveillance mechanisms. His previous work involved generating 2D and 3D cell culture models, gene editing, drug discovery, and developing high throughput live cell imaging tools. Twana is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Women's and Children's Health at the Karolinska Institutet. He joined Martin Widschwendter and Kristina Gemzell Danielsson‘s team in September 2021.  Currently, he is developing a high throughput 3D organoid-normal breast model to study cancer prevention in women. This study will open new avenues to implement possible therapeutic interventions helping women at risk of developing breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancers.