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Dr. Franziska Schneider-Warme from the Medical Center - University of Freiburg is awarded the newly created prize of the German Cardiological Society for research into cardiac arrhythmias

Dr. Franziska Schneider-Warme, group leader at the Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg, was presented with the first Medical Scientist Award at the German Society of Cardiology (DGK) Heart Days in Hamburg at the end of September. The prize is endowed with 100,000 euros and supports her project "STOP-VT- Exploring Strategiesfor OptogeneticTermination of VentricularTachyarrhythmia", which is researching new treatment approaches to combat life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias. The team uses the method of optogenetics, which allows the electrical activity of the heart to be precisely controlled with light.

"This award is a great recognition for my team and our joint work," says Schneider-Warme. "It gives us the opportunity to develop new ways to treat dangerous cardiac arrhythmias without damaging the heart tissue."

Research into new ways to combat cardiac arrhythmias

Cardiac arrhythmias occur when the electrical signals that control the heartbeat become unbalanced. Particularly dangerous are disturbances in the heart chambers, so-called ventricular tachyarrhythmias, which can lead to cardiac arrest. In the STOP-VT project, the research team is using light pulses to investigate how such malfunctions can be specifically stopped. In future, these findings should form the basis for gentler, more precise therapies and thus improve the treatment of patients with severe cardiac arrhythmias.