A warm welcome to our Early Stage Researchers!
It’s been a busy summer for AGePOP, as over the last few months five Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) joined their hosts and started working on their research projects. Curious to learn more about them? We take this opportunity to introduce them and their projects below.
Henriette Hummler (ESR 1) joined AGePOP in May 2021. Hosted by Roche in Switzerland, and with a planned secondment at the University of Greifswald in Germany, her research focuses on analysing the best type and size of oral drug formulations for the older population. She will help developing in vitro tools to simulate swallowability difficulties in geriatric patients and older people and collect data as a basis for drug formulation improvements.
Theodora Tzakri (ESR 2) started her project on gastric motility in older people in July 2021 at the University of Greifswald in Germany. She evaluates the transit time of oral medications and gastric emptying related to the age and diseases of different groups of older patients. As part of her project, Theodora will also create a mobile test kit for the measurement of salivary caffeine concentrations. A secondment at Roche, Switzerland, will complement her research.
Adam Asteriadis (ESR 5) is working at National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in Greece since June 2021, where he is analysing gastro-intestinal contents to identify differences between healthy adults and those with diseases typical in geriatric patients. Supported by secondments at the Red Cross Hospital of Athens, Greece, and UCB, Belgium, the aim of his research is to define methodologies to evaluate the performance of orally administered drug products to patients with diabetes, Alzheimer’s/Dementia or Parkinson’s disease.
Dorota Sarwinska (ESR 6) joined the network in July 2021, based at the University of Greifswald, Germany. Her research project examines how geriatric patients take their oral drug formulations with respect to food and fluids, while also documenting possible manipulations of the drugs, such as the crushing of pills. Through recurrent hospital visits at the University Hospital Greifswald, she monitors the real-life dosing conditions of patients. Her work will be complemented by a secondment at AstraZeneca, Sweden, where she will use the collected data for biorelevant in vitro models.
Donnia Robins (ESR 10) aims to use PBB/PBPK software tools to predict how oral medication will be absorbed by the advanced age population. By further developing current models and improving them for geriatric patients, she will build and test a risk calculator for side effects, which can be used for improved drug development. Donnia started her project with Merck, Germany, in August 2021 and will travel to the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece, for a secondment towards the end of her project.
Browse through our ESRs’ profiles to learn more about their background and ambitions within AGePOP. In the months to come, more ESRs will start their exciting journey with AGePOP. Stay tuned as we welcome them on board and introduce them to you!