Fresenius Kabi AG

11/29/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/29/2021 03:05

Innovative €250,000 Parenteral Nutrition Research Grant Awarded by Fresenius Kabi

Fresenius Kabi was delighted to announce the winner of their innovative JUMPstart education program and research grant on September 10, 2021. JUMPstart is an initiative that aims to nurture research in the field of parenteral nutrition through the mentoring, education and networking of clinicians and researchers. The grant is awarded to help to advance novel, community-led research in parenteral nutrition, to make a difference for critically ill patients.

This year's winner is Professor Stefan Schaller M.D. of Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany, for his proposal entitled "Improved muscle metabolism by combination of muscle activation and protein substitution." This cutting-edge study aims to explore the effect of protein substitution before and after early, goal-directed mobilization in the acute phase of critical illness. The announcement was made at the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) Congress.

During the virtual awards ceremony, Professor Schaller said: "After working on this research proposal for a long time, me and my research team are thrilled to be able to now conduct the study, and I am very thankful to the generous grant from Fresenius Kabi. I am very optimistic that this trial will have an impact on nutrition therapy in critical care."

Professor Schaller took part in the program alongside 18 other participants from around the world, including representation from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, New Zealand, and North and South America. After four training sessions, participants presented their research proposals to an independent international scientific committee, which consisted of five field-leading experts: Professor Mette Berger, Switzerland; Professor Olav Rooyackers, Sweden; Professor Tim Friede, Germany; Professor Robert Martindale, USA; and Professor Ho-Seong Han, South Korea. The committee was impressed by the high-quality level of all proposals, and this made picking a winner extremely challenging.

Dr. Jos Simons, Executive Vice President at Fresenius Kabi, commented: "We are absolutely delighted to be able to award this research grant to Professor Schaller. Both the scientific committee and Fresenius Kabi were astounded by his proposal and the positive impact it will have on clinical practice. We are very excited for Professor Schaller to start this clinical study."

This is the second JUMPstart research grant worth €250,000. The first program of 19 participants completed in 2019, with the grant awarded to dietician Lizl Veldsman, Tygerberg Academic Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.

With the JUMPstart education program and research grant, Fresenius Kabi supports the next generation of clinical experts who will contribute to advancement in nutrition therapy in critically ill patients.