ERC Starting Grant
Award year: 2026
Category: Scholarship / Grant
Type: ERC Starting Grant
Awarding organization: Europäischer Forschungsrat (ERC)
Patients suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus often develop chronic ulcers that do not heal, particularly on their legs. “The aim is to build a robot and AI-assisted platform that maps the blood supply and oxygen kinetics in soft tissue using optical and optoacoustic methods,” says PD Dr. Dr. Angelos Karlas. Robot-assisted imaging is designed to examine various tissue layers – from the skin to the muscle – using standardized methods, providing information about microvessels, blood flow, and oxygen supply. This data is evaluated using artificial intelligence in order to better predict the risk of diabetic ulcers and how well they will heal in patients with diabetes. “In the future, we could develop a system – similar to CT or MRI – that allows various areas of the body to be examined and enables screening for diabetes even before non-healing ulcers appear,” explains Karlas. In addition, the platform could also be used for other cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.