During an acute stroke, millions of neurons are lost within a short period of time. Effective treatment options remain limited. Recanalization of an occluded blood vessel is currently possible only in a minority of cases. A major reason for the lack of therapeutic alternatives is that the biological processes underlying stroke are still insufficiently understood.

Steffen Tiedt aims to address this gap through the SURPASS project (Super high-frequency multi-omics and ultrasensitive point-of-care testing towards a molecular classification of acute stroke). He will analyze blood samples collected from patients during the critical first 48 hours after stroke, using unprecedented temporal and molecular resolution. The goal is to identify biomarkers that reflect the progression of brain injury and subsequent recovery.

By integrating molecular data with neuroimaging and clinical characteristics, the project aims to identify distinct biological trajectories of stroke and establish a molecular classification of the disease. The resulting findings will subsequently be validated in clinical studies, and highly sensitive diagnostic tests will be developed for clinical practice. These tests are intended to enable continuous monitoring of the progression of brain injury.