Health Sciences

Many people suffer from spinal defects, which are often associated with degenerative diseases. The causes are still largely unknown. To change this, Empa researchers from the Center for X-Ray Analytics are investigating a stabilizing ligament in the spine in collaboration with Balgrist University Hospital in Zurich. The project could recently be launched thanks to a number of private donations.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed ultra-flexible brain probes that accurately record brain activity without causing tissue damage. This opens up new avenues for the treatment of a range of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. 

Pharmaceutical researchers often find new pharmaceutically active substances only by sifting through large collections of chemical compounds. Chemists at ETH Zurich have now made critical progress on a specific process for generating and searching these collections.

Medical imaging technology – such as MRI, ultrasound and X-ray – is gaining in power and precision, especially in the wake of recent breakthroughs in artificial intelligence. Several EPFL research groups are contributing to this progress and actively shaping the future in this area.

Not all pain is the same. Depending on the cause, it requires different therapies. A team led by ETH Zurich has now developed a method that enables physicians to better distinguish between physical and psychosocial pain.