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On the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we celebrate the remarkable female researchers and professionals contributing to the RES-Q+ project. We reached out to some of them to share insights into their roles, offering a glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes of the project. Their expertise spans neurology, data science, computer engineering, human-machine interaction, and patient care, all working toward a shared goal – improving stroke care and patient outcomes through innovative technology and research.
Catalina Martínez Costa, a computer engineer, lecturer, and researcher at the University of Murcia, Spain, has dedicated her career to medical informatics, particularly knowledge representation and data management. Her journey began in 2007 when she discovered her passion for integrating IT with medicine, which led her to pursue a master's degree and later a PhD. In RES-Q+, she focuses on developing a semantically rich data representation that allows clinical information to be consistently shared and correctly interpreted across different healthcare systems. By working with standardized reference terminologies, she ensures that medical data retains its meaning, ultimately supporting better data sharing, healthcare delivery, and medical research.
Lucie Tvrdá is a PhD researcher at the University of Glasgow and a key member of the Glasgow clinical team within the RES-Q+ project. Her work focuses on improving stroke care through technology and data-driven solutions. She has played an important role in shaping and testing the stroke virtual assistant (VA), a tool designed to support stroke survivors after discharge by tracking recovery and providing answers to stroke-related questions. She also contributes to developing a tool for extracting data from healthcare documents, helping train a language model that will automate this process, improve record-keeping, and reduce the workload of healthcare providers.
Katryna Cisek is a data scientist and senior researcher at Technological University Dublin (TUD) in the Artificial Intelligence in Digital Health and Medicine (AIDHM) group, led by professor John Kelleher, director of ADAPT, a world-leading SFI Research Centre for AI-driven Digital Content Technology. With expertise in artificial intelligence and bioinformatics, she focuses on creating AI-driven solutions for personalized medicine. In the RES-Q+ project, Katryna collaborates with Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and consortium partners particularly Health Management Institute (HMI), Aalborg University (AAU) and clinicians, to develop predictive models using RES-Q registry data to identify patients at risk of poor post-stroke outcomes and highlight modifiable factors for better recovery. Her work ensures these models’ accuracy across diverse stroke populations, helping to improve resource allocation and ultimately enhance stroke treatment and patient outcomes.
Veronika NÄ›mcová is responsible for managing the development of the patient virtual assistant (VA) within RES-Q+. Working closely with the contractor Revelia and collaborating with teams from Aalborg university and University of Glasgow she ensures that the design and functionality align with user needs. With a background in Human-Machine Interaction, Veronika has a deep passion for working with stroke survivors to create solutions that directly address their challenges. Her expertise in user-centered design helps make the virtual assistant an intuitive and effective tool for patients navigating post-stroke recovery.
Izabel Antova is a neurologist working in a neurocritical intensive care unit in Sofia, Bulgaria, and is currently completing her PhD on clinical, laboratory, and CT predictive markers in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage. In RES-Q+, Izabel’s role is to provide medical expertise, ensuring that clinical insights guide the project’s development. Her contributions help translate this knowledge into practical applications, making the project’s findings more relevant and impactful for stroke care.
Eva Bendová has been a study coordinator and study nurse for over eight years, combining medical expertise with a background in social sciences. She works closely with stroke survivors, understanding their long-term needs firsthand. In the RES-Q+ project, she coordinates the implementation of the patient virtual assistant (pVA) across STROCZECH sites, ensuring smooth integration. She also prepares submissions for Ethics Committee approval and manages study nurse training. Her role is key in facilitating the involvement of healthcare professionals, enhancing both patient care and research efficiency.
collaboration in medical and technical research. Through their work in fields such as neurology, AI, medical informatics, and user-centered design, they are driving innovation in stroke care. Their efforts not only advance scientific knowledge and improve patient outcomes globally but also serve as an inspiration for young girls and women to pursue careers in science.
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