Call | Open Positions

Supervisor: Prim. Assoc. Prof. PD Dr. Martin Aigner

Interdisciplinary collaboration between child and adolescent psychiatry and adult psychiatry can make a significant contribution to overcoming existing challenges and improving care and treatment outcomes for patients of all ages. The optimal solution could be a combination of both approaches: the establishment of specialized transition psychiatry teams within an interdisciplinary framework. Transferring the success of adult psychiatry to child and adolescent psychiatry requires careful adaption and further development of existing approaches. By combining preventive measures, individualized therapies, interdisciplinary collaboration and the use of modern technologies, the effectiveness and accessibility of treatment for children and adolescents can be significantly improved. A holistic approach that takes into account the specific developmental needs of this age group is crucial. The same applies to the second transition from adulthood to Palliative medicine.

This PhD project will be conducted independently of a working assignment with the KL or a University clinic.

Methods: Interdisciplinary collaboration research to bridge the gap between basic science and clinical implementation, between subjective and objective knowledge, including validated questionnaires, advanced statistical analysis, implementation of new therapy modules, public and patient involvement.

References: 

• Fischer-Grote L, Fössing V, Aigner M, Fehrmann E, Boeckle M. Effectiveness of Online and Remote Interventions for Mental Health in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults After the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JMIR Ment Health. 2024;11:e46637.
• Himmerich H, Lewis YD, Conti C, Mutwalli H, Karwautz A, Sjögren JM, Uribe Isaza MM, Tyszkiewicz-Nwafor M, Aigner M, McElroy SL, Treasure J, Kasper S; WFSBP Task Force on Eating Disorders. World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) guidelines update 2023 on the pharmacological treatment of eating disorders. World J Biol Psychiatry. 2023;24:1-64.
• Fellinger M, Knasmüller P, Kocsis-Bogar K, Wippel A, Fragner L, Mairhofer D, Hochgatterer P, Aigner M. Adverse childhood experiences as risk factors for recurrent admissions in young psychiatric inpatients. Front Psychiatry. 2022;13:988695

Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. PD Mag. Dr. Stefan Stieger

The increasing CO₂ concentration in our atmosphere is a hot topic in health, media, politics, and science. People often discuss the indirect impacts of increasing CO₂ on humans, such as global warming and rising sea levels, but they only rarely discuss how CO₂ directly affects our psychological functioning. A number of studies have in fact suggested that elevated CO₂ levels can affect our cognitive performance (e.g., the ability to concentrate, or make decisions). So far, however, the specific level at which CO₂ becomes detrimental is not yet clear. Moreover, there is a lack of evidence about the effects of CO₂ on vulnerable populations, different kinds of performance (e.g., reaction speed, motor control), and the role of other air contaminants such as volatile organic compounds (VOC). We therefore investigate the effects of natural indoor CO₂ and VOC concentrations (including possible interactions) in a very large sample of adolescents (N ~ 15,000 to 18,000). The adolescents in our study take a series of tests that measure, for example, their intelligence, spatial orientation, reaction time, and their arm, hand, and finger dexterity. While they are taking the tests, we measure the CO₂, VOC, temperature, and humidity. To reliably measure the room environment, we use several miniature computers and gas sensors per room. We analyze whether the CO₂ level in the room is related to how participants score on the tests. We also analyze whether certain environmental or personal characteristics make the effects of CO₂ stronger or weaker. Our results have the potential to expand discussions about the impact of rising CO₂ levels for humanity. 

This PhD project is linked to a PhD position at the Karl Landsteiner University (FWF funding).

Methods: advanced statistics; technical understanding of gas sensor measurements

References: 

• Stieger, S., & Wunderl, S. (2022). Associations between social media use and cognitive abilities: Results from a large-scale study of adolescents. Computers in Human Behavior, 135, 107358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107358

Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sascha Klee

Ion beam therapy enables individualized, highly precise, localized cancer treatment. These properties are particularly utilized in the treatment of carcinomas in the brain. However, treatment in this highly sensitive area also changes the morphological and structural properties of the central nervous system. The work will systematically investigate this, model possible effects and link them to other clinical parameters.

This PhD project will be conducted independently of a working assignment with the KL or a University clinic.

Methods: Image processing and image analyses in MR data sets, processing and analyzing big data, development and application of automatic, intelligent segmentation algorithms, multi-level models for linking clinical parameters, development of methods for optimizing treatment plans and their quality management

References:

• Lütgendorf-Caucig MC, Pelak M, Hug E, Flechl MIB, Surböck MB, Marosi MC, Klee S, et al. Prospective analysis of radiation-induced contrast enhancement (RICE) and health-related quality of life following proton therapy for CNS and skull base tumors. International Journal of Radiation Oncology* Biology* Physics. 2024.