TREL Secondment Experiences
The aim of the TREL project is to improve the survival of children with malignant tumors in Lithuania by actively initiating scientific activities and sharing the knowledge with more experienced partners.
The specific challenge addressed by the TREL project is insufficient networking activities between Lithuanian researchers involved in the management of childhood cancer and European leading research centres. By twinning with 8 internationally-leading research institutions from across Europe, VULSK hopes to improve its scientific, technical and innovation capacities in translational and clinical research.
As part of the project activities, several researchers undertook a secondment period in order to increase knowledge sharing. Three of them have shared their experiences:
Thomas Lindner, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Germany visited VULSK
Thomas visited the paediatric radiology department at VULSK, in order to help revise and set brain MRI scanning protocols according to RAPNO guidelines, and to set sequences for tractography and perfusion. Thomas was able to teach the VULSK radiology technologist how to perform tractography and perfusion and answered all questions regarding postprocessing of these advanced techniques.
Irina Adomaitiene, Radiologist, VULSK, said that the easy understandable communication in the difficult field of the MRI scanning process was very much appreciated and that her and her team were very glad to be a part of this project and bring better diagnostic procedures to their patients.
Jurgita Songailiene, VULSK, visited RighsHospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Jurgita, laboratory medicine physician at the Centre for Medical Genetics of VULSK, visited the RighsHospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark, where she discussed practical issues related to TDM of busulfan (Bu), including TDM strategy and planning, patient preparation, blood sampling technique, blood sample treatment prior analysis, laboratory analysis of Bu, statistical analysis of Bu pharmacokinetics, and next dose adjustment calculations.
Jurgita hopes to improve the implementation of Bu TDM at VULSK, where the laboratory will adopt AUC calculation and next dose adjustment spreadsheets created and used in RighsHospitalet Bonkolab. Hamonized Bu TDM will allow VULSK clinicians to analyze and compare clinical outcomes in Lithuanian and Dutch patients undergoing BuTDM, which will hopefully lead to improvement of survival of childhood solid tumours in Lithuania.
Vaidas Dirse, VULSK visited CCRI, Vienna, Austria
Vaidas is a Medical Biologist at VULSK. He visited the St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute in Vienna. Through participating in the laboratory processes and communicating with the laboratory staff, Vaidas gained experience which could be introduced into VULSK’s laboratory practices. Of his secondment, Vaidas said that the possibility to participate in such as secondment as part of the TREL Project is extremely useful for young scientific researchers.