Michael Schöll Group
Short description
Michael Schöll, PhD, is a Professor in molecular medicine with focus on neuroimaging and a member of the Young Academy of Sweden.
About Michael Schöll group
Neurodegenerative diseases are notoriously difficult to diagnose early and there is still no cure available for dementia disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Biomarkers derived from imaging modalities such as positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as well as biomarkers based on the analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or blood, have become immensely important especially for the early identification of individuals who are likely to develop a neurodegenerative disorder, since an established notion is that potentially successful treatments should be deployed as early as possible in the disease process.
This early identification of neuropathological processes using adequate biomarkers currently not only supports reliable clinical diagnoses but also serves the recruitment of suitable candidates for clinical treatment trials, and renders possible the application of these biomarkers as outcome measures in treatment trials.
In particular the recent development of methods to map the accumulation of conformationally faulty forms of proteins and the subsequent synaptic impairment in vivo using PET has profoundly changed the way these processes can be identified at an early, presymptomatic disease stage. The Schöll group is using the most recent developments in molecular imaging by means of PET in combination with other neuroimaging- and fluid-based biomarkers, as well as neuropsychological profiling to develop holistic, validated, and usable tools for such an early identification.
Collaborations
The establishment of the Schöll group was strongly coupled with the recent inauguration of the Imaging- and Intervention Center (Bild- och Interventionscentrum – BoIC) at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital, which for the first time offers resources for research involving molecular imaging modalities in West Sweden.
The group has furthermore established extensive national collaborations with researchers and clinicians at the University of Gothenburg / The Sahlgrenska University Hospital, and with researchers at Lund University, the Karolinska Institute, and Umeå University. Internationally, the group collaborates actively, amongst others, with researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, University College London, Stanford University, and McGill University
Contact Information
Michael Schöll
michael.scholl@neuro.gu.se
Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry
Sahlgrenska University Hospital
Blå stråket 15, 3rd floor
Gothenburg, Sweden
Visiting Addresses:
Sahlgrenska University Hospital
Memory Clinic
Wallinsgatan 6
431 41 Mölndal
The REAL AD study is a longitudinal study that aims to advance early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease with a simple blood test and lay the logistical groundwork for widespread use of AD biomarkers in primary care. The study seeks participants aged 50 to 80 in Västra Götaland, encouraging individuals to sign up or share the opportunity.
To begin, the participants complete mandatory health questionnaires and optimal dementia-related questionnaires digitally via the HOPE study platform. Second, they undertake cognitive assessments using the "neotivTrials" app or Cognitron website. Finally, participants make an appointment for a blood test at one of VGR Närhälsan's 106 health centres, which will be analysed with an exhaustive panel of markers in Blennow's lab at the University of Gothenburg. All participants will be invited back 18 months later for another round of remote testing and blood biomarker measurement, followed by cognitive testing alone at 27 and 36 months. To validate the blood tests, select participants will also undergo CSF or PET testing.
We are live!! The study was launched on April 22, 2024. Help us turn this study into a meaningful contribution to science and healthcare, spread the news and make sure to visit our website www.realad.se for regular updates.
CTAD 2024 in Madrid, October 29 – November 1
Michael and REAL AD traveled to Madrid for CTAD 2024! Michael had an oral presentation on the first preliminary results of REAL AD, titled 'REAL AD - Validation of a realistic screening approach for early Alzheimer's disease'. Interested? Then visit www.realad.se to stay updated!
Stamatia Karagianni joined CTAD 2024 in Madrid too! There she presented a poster on her work, titled 'Concordance between FDA/EMA-approved Visual Interpretation of [18F] Flortaucipir PET Images and the CenTauR Scale'. Great start Stamatia!
REAL AD Launch
We have gone live as of April 22, 2024!!!
After over two years of planning, we celebrated with a beautiful cake the launch of our most important study to date, REAL AD!
For regular updates, please visit: www.realad.se
Alzheimer’s Rally, Amsterdam
Michael went the extra mile, literally! He drove his vintage car from Gothenburg to Amsterdam to join his colleagues at the annual Alzheimer's rally held on April 19, 2024. In addition to the charm of the vintage cars, this event is renowned for its philanthropic impact, as it raises funds for the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam through donations from the participants.
REAL AD Kick-off
On March 12, 2024, over 50 people gathered at Sahlgrenska Academy to mark the start of our new research study, REAL AD, with the vision to find Alzheimer's disease (AD) sooner! The study will look into a realistic screening approach for preclinical AD using blood-based biomarkers and remote cognitive testing, with West Sweden serving as a model region. We look forward to celebrating more future milestones together!
For more information, please visit: www.realad.se
“Old Servants” Symposium at the Nobel Forum, Karolinska Institutet
Michael was invited to speak about the challenges of implementing new immunotherapies in the "Alzheimer world" on January 18-19, 2024! The meeting was opened by Her Majesty Queen Silvia. He gave a talk on the clinical implementation of Alzheimer's disease biomarkers and participated in a panel discussion with distinguished scientists such as Philip Scheltens, Miia Kivipelto, Sebastian Palmqvist, and Anders Wimo on the readiness of primary care and memory clinics.
First visit to Korea as a National Korean BrainPool Fellow
Michael visited Korea as a BrainPool Fellow from December 3 to 13, 2023. During his visit, he shared his expertise on the clinical implementation of Alzheimer's disease biomarkers at Yonsei University, the Institute of Basic Science at Incheon and Siemens Medical Centre.
Michael was recently recruited to the South Korean Brain Pool program, where he will collaborate with his host, Professor Justin Lee, who heads the Center for Cognition and Sociality at the Institute of Basic Science (IBS), to validate advanced imaging techniques to enhance our understanding of synaptic integrity in neurodegenerative diseases.
A 10-day scientific visit to China
Michael, along with colleagues Kaj Blennow and Nicolai Franzmeier, were invited to share their expertise on biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. During their visit to China from October 6 to 15, 2023, Michael spoke at Fudan University in Shanghai, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, and the Sino-German Meeting for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Hainan about the clinical applications of imaging and non-imaging biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease.
The International Congress on Neurodegenerative Diseases in Malaga
The scientific congress which seeks to bridge society with research advancements in combating neurodegenerative diseases, was held on September 19-22, to coincide and celebrate International Alzheimer’s Disease Day. Michael was invited as a speaker and delivered a presentation titled "Bridging the gap - bringing (blood-based) biomarkers into the clinic", and Michel chaired the “New ways of imaging dementia in the era of disease-modifying drugs” session. They also had the opportunity to meet H.M. Queen Sofía, who presided over the congress.
Michael promoted to Full Professor
We are extremely proud to announce that Michael got promoted to Full Professor of Molecular Medicine at the Univerisity of Gothenburg.
Nicolai Franzmeier, PhD
E-mail
Nicolai Franzmeier is a Junior Research Group Leader at the Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research at the LMU University Hospital in Munich. His research uses multimodal PET and MRI-based neuroimaging to develop mechanistic models of Alzheimer’s disease progression, with a particular focus on tau pathology. He joined the Schöll group as a Senior Research Associate in 2022 to co-supervise research projects on tau-PET and fluid biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease.
Michel Grothe, PhD
Michel Grothe is a senior researcher at the Movement Disorders Group of the Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), Spain, who is specialized in multimodal PET/MRI neuroimaging techniques for studying neurodegenerative disease pathology in-vivo. He joined the Schöll group in 2019 as a senior research associate to supervise research projects focused on novel analytic techniques for studying cortical pathologic patterns in multimodal imaging data, with a particular focus on the integration of regional information form amyloid- and tau-sensitive PET scans.
Alexis Moscoso Rial, PhD
Alexis Moscoso is a Senior Researcher at the Molecular Neuroimaging laboratory led by Michael Schöll. He joined Michael Schöll’s lab in 2020 as a post-doctoral fellow. His research has a strong focus on neuroimaging biomarkers, as well as fluid biomarkers, for the diagnosis and prediction of Alzheimer’s disease. His primary objective is to continue conducting biomarker research that is useful and applicable in Alzheimer’s disease therapeutic trials and clinical practice.
Miguel A. Labrador-Espinosa, PhD
Miguel A. Labrador-Espinosa is a postdoctoral researcher at the Molecular Neuroimaging Laboratory led by Michael Schöll. He has a strong background in biomedical engineering and neuroscience and specialises in the use of advanced multimodal PET/MRI neuroimaging techniques for the in vivo study of neurodegenerative diseases. His research focuses on the investigation of multimodal neuroimaging-based biomarkers involved in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease that allow the early detection and quantification of the pathophysiological neurodegenerative mechanisms occurring in patients.
Ellen Singleton, PhD
Ellen Singleton is a postdoctoral researcher with the REAL AD team. She holds a background in Clinical Neuropsychology and completed her PhD at the Amsterdam University Medical Center, focusing on the neurobiological, neuropsychological, and biometric mechanisms of a rare, atypical form of Alzheimer’s disease known as the behavioral variant. During her postdoctoral work at Lund University, Ellen investigated the prognostic value of tau PET in comparison to other imaging markers for predicting long-term cognitive outcomes. She also explored the factors contributing to disease heterogeneity in longitudinal tau PET patterns within the broader Alzheimer’s disease population. In her current postdoctoral role, Ellen will support the integration of blood-based biomarkers alongside digital cognitive testing within the Gothenburg region of the Swedish health care system.
Vidya Somashekarappa, PhD
Vidya is an upcoming Post doctoral researcher at the Molecular Neuroimaging laboratory led by Michael Schöll. Her research will focus on developing state-of-the-art deep learning techniques for imaging within the context of neurodegenerative diseases in collaboration with Meera. Vidya has a doctorate in Computational Linguistics where she mainly worked with computer vision, natural language processing and human-robot interaction at CLASP, University of Gothenburg. She has experience in object detection, gaze recognition and tracking. She holds a master's degree in Cognitive Neuroscience where she worked on projects that leveraged transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), fMRI and tDCS to study linguistic representation of the brain that could aid in therapeutic interventions for patients with aphasia.
Meera Srikrishna, PhD
After successfully completing her PhD under the guidance of Dr. Michael Schöll, Meera continues to be part of the group as a postdoctoral researcher. Her research combines the application of image analysis and deep learning in the automated quantification of neurodegeneration. Currently, she is studying deep-learning-based techniques to derive biomarkers from neuroimaging modalities, especially computed tomography (CT). She works with a team of expert researchers, clinicians and other engineers on the clinical validation of AI-based diagnostic support solutions in brain atrophy assessment. She pursued her Masters degree in biomedical engineering and worked for the National Brain Research Centre, India between in 2015-17.
Laura Stankeviciute, PhD
Laura joined the group as a Postdoctoral Researcher working for the REAL AD. She completed her PhD in Neuroscience at the BarcelonaBeta Brain Research Center and Harvard Medical School. Her research centres on the role of sleep in preclinical AD, employing a multi-modal approach that integrates advanced neuroimaging, fluid biomarkers, and cognitive assessments to understand how sleep disturbances contribute to AD pathology. Laura’s work is also directed towards investigating sex differences in sleep and AD, exploring potential biological mechanisms —such as hormonal fluctuations— that may alter sleep patterns and interact with Alzheimer’s biomarkers to affect disease progression. She has a strong interest in health technology, particularly in digital biomarkers and wearable devices for early diagnostics and continuous monitoring to capture subtle changes in sleep and assess their impact on AD biomarkers and cognitive performance.
Stamatia Karagianni, MSc
Stamatia is a PhD student in Michael Schöll's group, focusing on the development and optimization of techniques in neuroimaging, brain networks, and precision medicine for the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Before starting her PhD, Stamatia completed her Master’s thesis in the same lab, investigating the predictive accuracy of different PET modalities across cognitive domains. She holds a research Master’s degree in Cognitive Neuropsychology from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. She conducted her research internship at the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, exploring plasma biomarkers and cognitive performance in centenarians as part of the Dutch 100+ study. In parallel, she worked as a research assistant at the Spinoza Center for Neuroimaging.
Stamatia holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Athens.
Fredrik Öhman
Fredrik Öhman is a PhD student in Michael Schöll's research group and the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy. Fredrik will use neuropsychology, neuroimaging and neurochemical biomarkers to validate newly developed methods for detecting cognitive impairment in early stage dementia disorders.
Besides Fredrik’s research work, he is a clinical psychologist at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital memory clinic.
Iris Bosch, MSc
Iris is working as a project leader for the Real AD study. She has a research master’s degree in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from the University of Amsterdam and is particularly interested in the application of AD biomarker findings to clinical practice, as well as connecting science to society.
She graduated with a joint project from the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam and the Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine (Amsterdam UMC), where she investigated the predictive value of tau PET and relative cerebral blood flow for atrophy in Alzheimer’s disease.
Maria Dottori
Maria Dottori works as a research coordinator at Region Västra Götaland (VGR), Research, Education, Development & Innovation (REDI), Primary Health Care, Sweden. She is a licensed physiotherapist with extensive experience of clinical research within larger regional and national research studies in healthcare since 2011.
Maria is part of the VGR project management team for the REAL AD study.
Frida Lenér
Frida Lenér is a licensed pharmacist who works as a research coordinator at the Centre for REDI primary health care Fyrbodal, region västra Götaland (VGR).
She is part of the VGR project management team for REAL AD and will also join Michael Schöll's research group and the institute of Neuroscience and physiology for PhD studies in the second semester 2024.
Kajsa Quitz
Kajsa Quitz is a business developer at Närhälsan, where she has worked for over a decade. Kajsa is the project leader at REAL-AD Närhälsan. She together with ”labbråd” organise logistics to ensure all the Närhälsans health care centers are able to take the blood samples for the study.
Eva Bringman
Eva Bringman is a registered nurse with long experience of clinical research in both healthcare and pharmaceutical industry. She has been working as research coordinator in the field of dementia research at the Department of Neuroscience and Physiology for several years. Joined the Schöll group January 2018.
Ann-Sophie Hilkert, MSc
Ann-Sophie Hilkert is a researcher specialized in artificial intelligence and machine learning applications in healthcare diagnostics. She holds a Master’s degree in Physics from Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg, Germany, where she delved into neuromorphic computing - a field inspired by the neural architecture of the brain. This foundation gave her unique insights into how computational systems could mimic human brain functions, setting her up for a future in advanced AI technologies.
She has joined Michael Schöll’s research group as a research associate in 2024. In this role, she manages technical aspects such as the study database and oversees webservice maintenance. Her research focuses on developing deep learning-based techniques to derive biomarkers from neuroimaging modalities, advancing methods to better understand and diagnose neurological conditions.
Oleksiy Itsenko, PhD
Oleksiy is principal radiochemist and QP at the Sahlgrenska PET radiopharmacy. Among his key interests are fast labelling reactions and process development. Oleksiy received his PhD in 11C radiochemistry working in the research group of professor Bengt Långström. His experience includes the production of PET tracers for preclinical and clinical use as well as industrial product prototyping.
Anniina Snellman, PhD
E-mail
Anniina Snellman is a postdoctoral researcher working with molecular neuroimaging and fluid biomarker development for neurodegenerative diseases. She obtained her PhD from the University of Turku (Finland), where her work at the Preclinical Imaging Laboratory of Turku PET Centre was focused on PET tracer development and validation using microPET and mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease. Anniina currently holds an Academy of Finland postdoctoral fellowship and works jointly at the Neurochemistry Laboratory of the University of Gothenburg and Neurological Research Group at Turku PET Centre.
Biomarkers for Neurodegenerative Diseases - 20-24 May, 2024
The collaboration between the University of Gothenburg, University College London, and BarcelonaBeta Brain Research Center continues this year with the latest course edition, providing unparalleled expertise to over 50 participants from around the world, fostering new research collaborations and expanding knowledge in the various domains of biomarkers research.
Course website link: biomarker-course.org
AD/PD 2024 - 5-9 March, 2024
The International Conference on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases and Related Neurological Disorders (AD/PD) was held this year in Lisbon, Portugal. Michael, Alexis, Meera, Miguel and Prithvi represented the group and engaged in stimulating scientific discussions pertaining to advances in disease mechanisms, prevention, and therapy.
Julbord aka Christmas dinner - December 13, 2023
All the group members came together for a festive feast of joy, laughter, and delectable delights that captures the spirit of the season.
Swedish NeuroPET symposium - October 2-3, 2023
This year’s NeuroPET meeting was organized in Lund, Sweden. NeuroPET is an annual meeting where PET researchers from all over Sweden gather to present and discuss their research and potential collaborations. Alexis and Fiona who attended the meeting had two inspiring days with their presentations attracting a lot of interest.
AAIC 2023 – July 16-20, 2023
This year’s edition of the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) took place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We were thrilled to be able to attend the conference and come together with researchers from all over the world to advance dementia science.
Our lab was also invited to share our latest work through oral and poster presentations during the main conference, as well as the Alzheimer’s Imaging Consortium (AIC) pre-conference.
During the conference, Michel also got awarded with a "de Leon Prize in Neuroimaging". This award recognizes scientists for publishing “best papers” in the field of neuroimaging of neurodegenerative processes.
Lab retreat 2023 – May 30-31, 2023
For this year’s lab retreat, we traveled to Gullmarsstrand, a conference hotel right on the Swedish west coast. We also had the pleasure of hosting distinguished external collaborators, Dr. Nico Franzmeier, Dr. Anna Dewenter, and Anna Steward from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (Munich), and Dr. Michel Grothe, Dr. Jesús Silva Rodríguez, and Miguel Labrador-Espinosa from Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS, Spain).
The retreat had a strong focus on identifying new research projects and collaborations between all three research groups attending the retreat: the Neuroimaging section of the Movement Disorders Group at IBiS led by Michel Grothe, The Franzmeier lab led by Nico Franzmeier, and our research group led by Michael Schöll.
Altogether we had great sessions where we got to learn more about each other's expertise, presented existing datasets within each group, and formulated new collaborations. The rest of the retreat was filled with team-building games, socializing over delicious meals, and one of Sweden’s most beloved ways to relax – visiting a spa. We had two wonderful days!
6th Workshop on Biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases - May 15-19, 2023
This year's edition of the Biomarker course (UCL/UGOT) was hosted by, and organized in collaboration with, the Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center. The course is a unique opportunity to delve into biomarkers and explore new frontiers of research, and was attended by 60 doctoral students from 11 different countries.
Click here to watch a Catalan news item about the biomarker course, including an interview with Michael.
AD/PD 2023 - March 28-April 1, 2023
This year’s edition of the International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases and related neurological disorders (AD/PD) was held in our home town, Gothenburg. It was a great pleasure to welcome fellow researchers from around the world to Gothenburg, to discuss latest findings and to strengthen current, as well as establish new collaborations.
All in all, it was a very interesting, inspiring, and fun AD/PD edition! "Välkommen åter".
WCMTM Yearly Event - March 21, 2023
On the 21st of March, our lab attended the Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine (WCMTM) yearly event. Different WCMTM researchers presented their work and, with the theme of this years event being 'knitting networks for life science', examples and views on good collaborations within life sciences were shared. Michael also presented our latest study called 'REAL-AD', investigating a realistic screening approach for preclinical Alzheimer's disease. All in all, it was a day filled with interesting talks and inspiring network opportunities!
NeuroPET meeting 2022 – 4-5 October, 2022
At the beginning of October, our research group traveled to Stockholm to attended NeuroPET 2022, the annual meeting for neuroPET research in Sweden. It was a great pleasure to come together with fellow researchers from all over Sweden, representing the Universities of Gothenburg, Linköping, Lund, Stockholm, Umeå and Uppsala.
Over the course of two days, we discussed latest findings, current work and future goals. We had a great time together and are looking forward to what the future will hold for neuroPET research in Sweden!
The Wallenberg Centre yearly kick-off – 19-20 September, 2022
Being part of The Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine (WCMTM), our research group got invited to the yearly kick-off event. The event took place at Aspenäs Herrgård and here we got together with all other WCMTM research groups to connect and establish potential collaborations. We had a great time meeting everyone.
Highlights of previous years
2022 - Lab retreat 2022
For this year’s lab retreat, we traveled to Falkenberg Strandbad, a spa hotel on the Swedish west coast. All lab members and external guests presented their research interests, current work, as well as future plans. Altogether it was a great session to get to know each other better, spark ideas for future research and identify potential collaborations.
The second day was all about mission and vision. During the first part, we talked about what we do as a group, our mission, and what we are striving to achieve. It turned out to be a very meaningful and inspiring conversation and we re-defined the group’s mission and vision. During the second part we zoomed in on our personal profiles and visions and how these could be aligned in a two-way manner with the mission and vision of the group. The retreat was concluded with a team-building game and lunch. We had two wonderful days!
Other group activities this year: Charity run for the Swedish Brain Foundation, AD/PD 2022, summer barbecue, AAIC 2022, the Wallenberg Centre yearly kick-off, NeuroPET meeting 2022 in Stockholm, and our yearly Christmas dinner.
2021 - Summer barbecue
After a long year of working from home, the research group finally had a chance to get together to celebrate this year’s accomplishments with some burgers and beers. The sun was shining, we had a great time, and are now ready to face the rest of the year with renewed energy!
Other group activities this year: Lab dinner, NeuroPET meeting in Umeå, Christmas dinner and PhD course "Biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases" organized in collaboration with UCL Dementia Research Centre.
2020 - Christmas Dinner
Every year just before the Christmas holidays, our team enjoys a Julbord, a typical Swedish Christmas buffet. This year the traditional Molecular Neuroimaging Julbord was held virtually.
2019 - Molecular Neuroimaging Lab Retreat
Our annual lab retreat was facilitated at Marstrands Havshotell on the 25th-26th of November. We had the pleasure of hosting distinguished external collaborators from universities and research institutions around the world. Our guest list included Dr. David Berron from University of Lund, Sweden, Dr. Andréa Lessa Benedet from McGill Univeristy, Canada, Alexis Moscoso from University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, as well as Dr. Anne Maass and Dr. Michel Grothe from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE).
Other group activities this year: Christmas dinner at Chalmersska Huset
Dissertations
Meera Shrikrishna, 2022
Deriving biomarkers from computed tomography using deep learning
Antoinette O'Connor, 2021
Familial Alzheimer’s disease: preclinical disease and pathophysiology biomarkers
Axel Tjörnstrand, 2020
Pituitary tumors - epidemiology and the diagnostic value of 68 Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT
Jennifer Alvén, 2020
Combining Shape and Learning for Medical Image Analysis-Robust, Scalable and Generalizable Registration and Segmentation
For a full list of Michael Schöll’s publications, please refer to Google Scholar:
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=hEHgZxMAAAAJ&hl=de
