From June 1 to September 30, 2026, Olha Strilbytska, a researcher at the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, spent four months at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Traumatology in Vienna, Austria. Her visit was supported by the FEBS Ukrainian Short-Term Fellowships programme, which gave her the opportunity to join the Tissue Damage Responses in Regeneration and Aging laboratory led by Mikołaj Ogrodnik. The team studies how cells and tissues respond to injury, how these responses are connected with cellular ageing and regeneration, and why tissue repair changes with age. A particular focus of the laboratory is pRPS6, a marker of tissue response to injury that can help visualize areas involved in the healing process.
During her stay, Olha Strilbytska took part in experimental studies on ageing and tissue injury and gained hands-on experience with immunofluorescence, microscopy, and quantitative analysis of histological images. Working alongside an international research team also provided an opportunity to learn about current approaches to studying ageing, tissue regeneration, and wound healing.
The fellowship also included scientific seminars, laboratory meetings, and discussions of ongoing research projects. These activities provided valuable opportunities to exchange ideas with researchers from different fields and to become part of the scientific community in Vienna.
An important outcome of the visit was the start of a new Ukrainian-Austrian research collaboration. During the fellowship, the partners prepared and submitted a joint grant proposal for a research project planned for 2027-2028.
The FEBS Ukrainian Short-Term Fellowships programme was launched in 2022 to support Ukrainian scientists by providing opportunities for research visits to laboratories in FEBS member countries. The programme helps researchers gain new practical experience, learn new methods, and build international scientific collaborations.
Although the four-month visit has now come to an end, the collaboration continues. The new research connections, experience gained in Vienna, and plans for joint projects open new opportunities for further cooperation between Ukrainian and Austrian scientists.