Academic Contributions
This page highlights selected academic activities and contributions, including research funding, publications, and involvement in teaching and international research programmes.
Grants and Funds
August 2022
Funding of the City of Graz, Austria - Project: Targeted inhibition of the innate immune pathway cGAS-STING to improve ischemic cardiac remodelling in females
December 2021
USA Scholarships of the MAX KADE Foundation - Austrian Academy of Sciences
November 2021
The Marshall Plan Scholarships - Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation
June 2019
ESC Grant for the Basic Science Summer School - Nice, France
Peer-reviewed Publications
Diaz-Gil D. et al.
Preclinical Assessment of Atorvastatin for Treatment of Endocardial Fibroelastosis.
JACC: Basic to Translational Science. 2025;9(10):101282.
Rech L., Vivanco R. et al.
MAGNITUDE: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – A randomized sham-controlled phase II trial protocol (co-first authors).
Brain Sciences. 2025;15(2):106.
Gierlinger G. et al.
A neonatal heterotopic rat heart transplantation model for the study of endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition.
Journal of Visualized Experiments. (197):e65426.
Vivanco R., Rech L. et al.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Treatment-Resistant Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: A Mini-Review (co-first authors).
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research. 9(4).
Matzer I., Voglhuber J. et al.
β-Adrenergic Receptor Stimulation Maintains the NCX-CaMKII Axis and Prevents Overactivation of IL6R Signaling in Cardiomyocytes upon Increased Workload (co-first authors).
Biomedicines. 2022;10(7):1648.
Mabotuwana N. et al.
Paracrine factors released by mesenchymal stem cells and their effects in cardiovascular disease: A systematic review of pre-clinical studies.
Stem Cell Reviews and Reports. 2022.
Hardy S. et al.
Extracellular matrix protein 1 as a critical mediator of inflammation-induced fibrosis after myocardial infarction.
JACC: Basic to Translational Science. 2023;8(12):1539-1554.
Rech L. et al.
Small molecule STING inhibition improves myocardial infarction remodeling.
Life Sciences. 2022;291:120263.
Rech L., Rainer PP.
The innate immune cGAS-STING pathway in cardiovascular disease – A mini review.
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. 2021;8:715903.
Spray L. et al.
The fractalkine receptor CX3CR1 links lymphocyte kinetics in CMV-seropositive patients and acute myocardial infarction with adverse left ventricular remodeling.
Frontiers in Immunology. 2021;12:605857.
Abdellatif M. et al.
Nicotinamide for treatment of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.
Science Translational Medicine. 2021;13(580):eabd7064.
Prasch J. et al.
Myeloperoxidase-Derived 2-Chlorohexadecanal is Generated in Mouse Heart during Endotoxemia and Induces Modification of Distinct Cardiomyocyte Protein Subsets In Vitro.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2020;21:9235.
Manuscripts Under Review / In Revision
Rech L. et al.: Heart Failure in Transgender Individuals: Methodological Gaps in Assessing Heart Failure Risk in Transgender Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Under Review at Circulation: Population Health and Outcomes
Uzeda T. et Rech L.: Beyond I²: Why Conceptual Comparability Matters in Meta-Analysis Under Review at Principles and Practice in Clinical Research Journal (Letter to the Editor)
Rech L.*, Canteri A.* et al.: Evaluation of Behavioral and Psychosocial Mediators in the Obesity–Chronic Pain Pathway: Evidence for Alternative Mechanisms (*Co-First Authors) Under Review at Journal of Multimorbidity and Comorbidity
Dapergola E. et al: Cytomegalovirus latency exacerbates cardiac inflammation and tissue remodeling after myocardial infarction (Preprint available under medRxiv) Under Review at Circulation Research
La Gouge K. et al.: A distinct cell receptor signature associates with cardiac outcome in myocardial infarction patients; (Preprint available under medRxiv) Under revision at Cardiovascular Research
Mabotuwana N. et al.: Quantitative proteomic profiling of human mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow and cardiac tissue identifies unique paracrine factors that may promote cardiac repair Under Revision at Molecular and Cellular Proteomics
Teaching and Mentorship
Teaching Assistant / Mentor | 2024 - present
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research (PPCR)
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Recipient of the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award (2024, 2025).
Mentoring international postgraduate clinicians and researchers in study design, epidemiology, and statistical analysis. Supporting the development and critical evaluation of clinical research within the PPCR programme.
Lecturer in Medical Ethics | 2019-2021
Medical University of Graz
Delivered required lectures in medical ethics for medical students and facilitated interdisciplinary discussions on ethical decision-making in clinical practice and biomedical research.
Speech on the award of the Max Kade Fellowship by the Austrian Academy of Sciences (speech in German)