Academic Contributions
This page highlights selected academic activities and contributions, including research funding, publications, and involvement in teaching and international research programmes.
Awards, Grants & Recognition
July 2026
Editor’s Pick – IASP Pain Research Forum
C-Reactive Protein and Incident Chronic Pain in Older Adults
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
Rech L., Garnier J. et al.
C-Reactive Protein and Incident Chronic Pain in Older Adults: Comorbidity-Driven Risk Profiles and Implications for Preventive Screening.
The Journal of Pain. 2026;106376.
Co-first author · Editor’s Pick – IASP Pain Research Forum
Dapergola E. et al.
Cytomegalovirus latency exacerbates cardiac inflammation and tissue remodeling after myocardial infarction.
Circulation Research. Online ahead 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.125.327799
La Gouge K. et al.
A distinct cell receptor signature associates with cardiac outcome in myocardial infarction patients.
Cardiovascular Research. 2026;cvag162.
Rech L.
From Automated ECG Interpretation to Multimodal AI: The Evolution of Artificial Intelligence in Cardiovascular Medicine.
Medical Sciences. 2026;14(4):434.
Narrative Review.
Gopinath A. et al.
Indobufen-Based Dual Antiplatelet Therapy After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.
Journal of International Medical Research. 2026;54(9)
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.
Brain Sciences. 2025;15(2):106.
Co-first author.
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.
Gierlinger G. et al.
A neonatal heterotopic rat heart transplantation model for the study of endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition.
Journal of Visualized Experiments. 2023;(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.
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research. 2023;9(4).
Co-first author.
Rech L. et al.
Small molecule STING inhibition improves myocardial infarction remodeling.
Life Sciences. 2022;291:120263.
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.
Biomedicines. 2022;10(7):1648.
Co-first authorship
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;18:2606–2628.
Rech L., Rainer PP.
The innate immune cGAS-STING pathway in cardiovascular disease – A mini review.
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. 2021;8:715903.
Abdellatif M. et al.
Nicotinamide for treatment of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.
Science Translational Medicine. 2021;13(580):eabd7064.
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.
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.
Book Chapter
Rech L.
Heart Failure beyond the Heart: Neuroimmune Cytokine Signalling in Cardiac Remodelling and Systemic Disease Progression.
In: Cytokines – From Basic Science Mechanisms to Clinical Applications. IntechOpen; 2026.
doi: 10.5772/intechopen.10116898
Current Manuscripts
BMC Medicine · In revision
Rech L. et al.
Heart Failure in Transgender Individuals: Methodological Gaps in Assessing Heart Failure Risk in Transgender Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Archives of Public Health · In peer review
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
GeroScience With editor
Rech L.
Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 and Longitudinal Mobility Trajectories in Older Adults With and Without Obesity.
Ageing Reserch Reviews · With editor
Rech L.
The Neurohealth Lifespan Trajectory: Neuroimmune Ageing, Environmental Modifiers, and Precision Prevention.
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research · In editorial review
Uzeda T., Rech L.
Beyond I²: Why Conceptual Comparability Matters in Meta-Analysis.
Letter to the Editor
AI & Society · In peer review
Rech L.
From the Cosmos to the Clinic: Toward a Differentiated Epistemology of Trust in Artificial Intelligence.
European Heart Journal Submitted
Eraqi M., Rech L., et al.
Long-Term Mortality After TAVR Versus SAVR in Low-Risk Patients: A Time-Stratified Meta-Analysis of Randomized and Propensity-Matched Studies.
Co-first authors
Teaching and Mentorship
Teaching Assistant / Mentor | 2024 - 2025
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)
Research Code & Reproducibility
Coming
soon