(Salzburg, Vienna, 2 July 2025) Matthias Koschutnik, assistant physician at the Clinical Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine II, MedUni Vienna, has been awarded the prestigious President's Scholarship at this year's annual conference of the Austrian Society of Cardiology (ÖKG) in Salzburg. The funding supports an innovative research project at the intersection of cardiac imaging and structural heart disease, which is being carried out in cooperation with the internationally leading Barts Heart Centre at University College London.
The project, entitled "Artificial intelligence-based risk stratification and mid-term outcomes in severe aortic stenosis: insights from cardiac magnetic resonance imaging", focuses on the association between functional parameters of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and mid-term outcomes in patients with severe aortic stenosis. A clinically validated deep learning algorithm developed in the United Kingdom will be used – an innovative step towards real-time analysis in routine clinical practice.
The data is based on an existing cohort of approximately 1,500 patients from university centres across Europe and Asia who underwent CMR prior to valve surgery. The aim is to develop AI-supported risk stratification using two-year follow-up data. In light of the ongoing debate around the optimal timing for aortic valve replacement, the study results may be incorporated into future clinical decision-making processes and guidelines.
The scientific work is being carried out in close collaboration with Thomas A. Treibel's research group at Barts Heart Centre, one of the largest and renowned CMR centres in Europe. Thanks to the support of the ÖKG President's Scholarship, Matthias Koschutnik will have the opportunity to carry out this project across locations in Vienna and London and make a significant contribution to the advancement of personalised cardiology.
About the person
Matthias Koschutnik studied medicine at the Medical University of Vienna from 2012 to 2018. As part of his training, he spent several periods abroad at renowned institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, Heidelberg University, and the University of Sydney. Since 2015, he has been a research associate at the Division of Cardiology at the Department of Medicine II (working group: Julia Mascherbauer/Philipp E. Bartko). His research focuses on the intersection between cardiac imaging and interventional procedures for the treatment of valvular heart disease. His work has been published several times in leading cardiology journals and has received awards at national and international conferences. Since April 2021, he has been training to become a specialist in cardiology.