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Through its strategic focus area Personalized Health and Related Technologies (PHRT), in collaboration with Swiss hospitals, the ETH Domain has been promoting the integration of ETH technologies into clinical practice for the benefit of patients since 2017.

Expressing his enthusiasm for the newly funded projects, Prof. Dr. Bernd Wollscheid, Chairman of the review panel, stated: “By supporting these three projects spearheaded by Empa and PSI, PHRT enables innovative technologies developed within ETH Domain institutions to be evaluated with clinical partners on human samples. Successful translation of such projects today and further testing in clinical trials are the basis for new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies benefiting patients tomorrow.”

These groundbreaking studies, funded by PHRT, exemplify the ETH Domain’s commitment to, together with its clinical partners, drive the future of healthcare. By leveraging ETH technologies and algorithms, these PHRT projects aim to enhance clinical decision-making and therapeutics, benefiting patients in Switzerland and worldwide.

The project proposed by Prof. Dr. Inge Herrmann from Empa in collaboration with the Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallen and the Cleveland Clinic (USA) aims at developing a monitoring system to analyze the surgical drain fluid after digestive surgery. Based on colorimetric sensors, the results of this project will help in preventing complications after surgery and support a more efficient health care for patients undergoing digestive surgery.

The project proposed by Dr. Serena Psoroulas at PSI, in collaboration with the University Hospital of Geneva, will test a new form of radiotherapy, called flash proton therapy, in a preclinical model of an aggressive form of brain cancer mainly affecting children. The results of these studies should open the door for the first clinical trial implementing this therapeutic approach in children suffering from this type of cancer.

The project led by Prof. Dr. Marco Stampanoni of PSI, in collaboration with the University Hospital of Zurich, aims at developing a computer tomography imaging technique based on X-ray phase contrast for mammography. This new technique allows a more detailed assessment of the soft tissues compared to classical X-ray imaging. This study will improve the capacity of diagnosing breast cancer.

About PHRT: The Personalized Health and Related Technologies (PHRT) is a strategic focus area of the ETH Domain, running from 2017 to 2024 and dedicated to advancing personalized healthcare through the integration of cutting-edge technologies, research collaborations, and innovative clinical trials. PHRT aims to bridge the gap between academia and clinical practice, driving the development and implementation of transformative healthcare projects.

About ETH Domain: the ETH Domain encompasses the six Swiss research institutions: ETH Zurich (ETHZ), EPF Lausanne (EPFL), Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), Empa, Eawag and the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL).  ETHZ, EPFL, PSI and Empa are the partners of the strategic focus area PHRT.

For media inquiries and more information, please contact:
Lukas Blumer, communications specialist, +41 44 632 42 77, lukasblumer@ethz.ch