NorthWest Biotherapeutics Inc (NWBO)

[Lykiri]

A respected Swiss Dr. who would like to collaborate with Linda Liau.

At the cutting edge of neurosurgery – A conversation with Dr Kienzler. September 1, 2018

We met with Dr Jenny Kienzler – who recently won the first prize from the Swiss Neurosurgical Society – to talk about some hot topics in neurosurgery. Dr Kienzler is a Swiss neurosurgeon based at the Kantonsspital Aarau. She was selected as research fellow at the Brain Tumor Center at the Department of Neurosurgery, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.

Brainwork: We hear you’re planning to move to LA in the near future! Will you be continuing this work there? What other research plans have you got?

Dr Kienzler: My project at UCLA is a 2-year fellowship with the broad aim of improving treatment of brain metastases, so it is not related to the ICP measurement device.

In essence, the clinical part of my work will involve the delineation of the best possible timepoint to perform radiosurgery, and how the timing of radiosurgery should be matched with the timing of immunotherapy. There is evidence that radiosurgery can activate the immune system, resulting in favourable outcomes after combining it with immunotherapy, so we would like to investigate this phenomenon. The laboratory-based part of my work will complement the clinical findings, as we will extract the immune and genetic profiles of various types of brain metastases and their primary tumours.

Brainwork: Are you moving to LA specifically for this work? What motivates you to move across the Atlantic?

Dr Kienzler: I will move specifically for this work – and I have done a lot of background research in deciding to go for this project. I wanted to work in an internationally renowned centre to specialize in Neuro-oncology and Stereotactic Radiosurgery. Meeting Dr. Linda Liau – the Chair of Neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA – last year at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) annual meeting was key to my decision. I was inspired by her and wanted to work with her, and the scope of her research matched very well with my interests.

My plan is to ultimately build my own research group in Switzerland whilst continuing to perform surgery. With respect to this goal, it is important to completely immerse myself in research for a time, to learn further techniques, and to broaden my horizons with new research questions. At UCLA, there are vast opportunities for collaboration between departments, so it is in many ways the right place for this type of project.

Brainwork: What advice would you give to someone else considering a similar move?

Dr Kienzler: I would say prepare yourself well in advance, and do plenty of background research on the type of project you are undertaking and the place you are going to. I have been preparing for this move for about three years.

https://www.brainwork.md/at-the-cutting-edge-of-neurosurgery-a-conversation-with-dr-kienzler/