Interview series: Marie Louise Enzendorfer

Meet Marie Louise Enzendorfer, a PhD student at the Medical University of Vienna and a member of the I-SCREEN project team. Her research focuses on optical coherence tomography (OCT)-based biomarkers for predicting the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Within I-SCREEN, she contributes to data and image analysis as well as project coordination and infrastructure development. Passionate about improving collaboration between clinics and community-based eye care, Marie is exploring how AI and telemedicine can transform AMD care and make early detection more accessible across Europe.

• Name: Marie Louise Enzendorfer
• Institution: Medical University of Vienna
• Position: PhD Student
• Field of research: Optical coherence tomography-based biomarkers for predicting the progression of age-related macular degeneration

What is your role in the I-SCREEN team at your institution?

As a PhD student working on the I-SCREEN project, my role includes supporting project coordination and infrastructure set up (WP5), data and OCT image analysis (WP4 and WP1).

What are you currently working on within the scope of I-SCREEN and what are your main goals and objectives in the project?

I am most interested in the cooperation between clinics and community-based eye care settings. Now with the first data being collected, I look forward to analysing this population in more detail. However, this is still the beginning, and we are currently still working on establishing an efficient referral system between community-based eye-care and specialised clinics across Europe. I aim to positively contribute to this with new ideas and by assisting communication between partners.

What are some of the most interesting findings or insights that you have gained or are expecting to gain from your research in I-SCREEN?

I would like to highlight some of the main insights that we hope to gain through I-SCREEN : 1) We hope to gain a better understanding of disease dynamics in the early stages and identify the strongest predictors for conversion to more advanced, vision-compromising AMD. 2) We are also investigating how telemedicine, and AI, can be implemented in community-based settings to support a shared-care approach. To our knowledge this is the first time this has been done in the context of AMD care, and I am very excited for the findings this will bring.

How do you see the future impact of I-SCREEN on the healthcare system?

In many countries, AMD remains underdiagnosed and thus treatment often starts too late. I-SCREEN presents a solution to this that will support better treatment outcomes across Europe.

What makes working on the I-SCREEN project special for you personally?

The internatíonal, collaborative approach in I-SCREEN makes it a unique project with a far-reaching impact. It is very exciting for me to be pursuing my PhD in a project like this.

Why do you think the I-SCREEN research is important/will make a difference?

The research we carry out in I-SCREEN will not only bring benefit to patients, but also provides the back-bone of a shared-care strategy which, if successful, can change the patient journey and reduce burdens on current healthcare systems across Europe.

• Right now, I’m reading …The Eyes of Gaza by Plestia Alaqad.
• One of my favourite things to do when not doing research is …spending my time outside in nature with friends and loved ones.
• If I could have any superpower, it would be … to fluently speak and understand all languages on Earth. It would be extremely cool to just effortlessly understand and be able to communicate to anyone I meet no matter where in the world.