Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Medicine MEVISInstitute News
Prof. Dr. Matthias Günther presenting the Fraunhofer MEVIS perspective on TACTIX
From vision to mission: Cooperations and focus areas of TACTIX project
The EU-funded project TACTIX was kicked off successfully by a joint workshop held in Istanbul at Bogaziçi University (BOUN) on June 4 and 5. Approximately 40 members and students from the Faculty for Biomedical Engineering attended the official project kickoff, followed by the first meeting of the project's General Assembly to plan the next three years of work packages.
TACTIX stands for Twinning Approach for Computational MRI Technology and Innovation Excellence in Türkiye. The project aims to enhance the scientific excellence and innovation capacity of BOUN in the field of computational magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) specifically for Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The project coordinator BOUN will closely collaborate with Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Medicine MEVIS (Fraunhofer MEVIS) and the Amsterdam University Medical Center (AUMC), Netherlands.
Key objectives of the TACTIX project are to develop a new MRI biomarker for MS using the blood-brain barrier arterial spin labelling (BBB-ASL) MRI technique, establish an MRI research and development (R&D) program at BOUN, provide mentorship and training for researchers, enhance transfer of scientific knowledge, and ultimately improve the quality of life for MS patients.
TACTIX is set to significantly enhance the impact of research in Computational MRI and establish BOUN as a Center of Excellence. Specifically, the project seeks to increase the number of PhD graduates in Computational MR in Türkiye, promote innovation, and strengthen relationships between research, education, and industry. In the long term, TACTIX is intended to expand career opportunities and better integrate higher education into the research and innovation sector.
Fraunhofer MEVIS will provide mentorship in project management and research, while also facilitating knowledge transfer in computational MRI. Additionally, Fraunhofer MEVIS contributes to the MRI R&D program by developing training initiatives and assisting in the optimization of the BBB-ASL MRI technique and the creation of new MRI biomarkers for MS.
TACTIX is part of the EU Twinning Program for institutional cooperation (grant no. 101159624). The projects bring together public sector expertise from EU Member States with beneficiary countries to achieve concrete, mandatory operational results through peer-to-peer activities. TACTIX is funded with about 1.5 million EUR and lasts three years.