Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology - Ass. Prof. Univ. Doz. Dr. Martin FUNOVICS

Interventional oncology: tumor ablation, chemoembolization
Vascular intervention: all types of endovascular therapies
Hepatobiliary intervention: TIPS, PTCD, stents
Branched and fenestrated aortic stent grafts
Therapy of aortic dissection
Experimental radiology: research laboratory, training in the PhD program "vascular biology"

Dr Funovics has successfully developed a receptor-specific contrast agent based on magnetic nano-particles for immunospecific MRT. During an 18-month research period at the Centre for Molecular Imaging Research at the Harvard Medical School in Boston, Dr. Funovics learned about the synthesis of several receptor-specific contrast agents for multimodal molecular imaging as well as the development and application of optical contrast agents, for which he was able to put his existing experiences in interventional radiology to good use. In addition to various publications, this research period also resulted in the awarding of a patent to Dr. Funovics for an innovative catheter-based imaging system in the near infrared region. Back in Vienna, Dr. Funovics passed on and applied the knowledge acquired in the USA in parallel with his fully clinical obligations following habilitation, and built up a basic research laboratory in the Department of Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology together with a number of research groups. After several years of research work, he has now succeeded in synthesising a nano-particle that can be imaged using several radiologic modalities; this nano-particle serves as the starting point for a large number of interdisciplinary research activities in collaboration with the Department of Nuclear Medicine and the Comprehensive Cancer Centre (CCC) at the Medical University of Vienna.