Speaker: Dr Florian Sicklinger

Title: Echocardiography-Guided Induction of Permanent and Reversible Coronary Occlusion in Mice

Abstract:

Experimental mouse models of myocardial infarction (MI) are essential for cardiovascular research but are often limited by procedural invasiveness, inter-operator variability, and reduced translational relevance. Florian Sicklinger will discuss recent advances in echocardiography-guided MI induction, including the development of minimally invasive closed-chest techniques for both permanent coronary occlusion and transient ischemia/reperfusion. These approaches allow precise control of infarct size, enable real-time functional assessment, and minimize surgical trauma, enhancing both reproducibility and experimental refinement. By preserving physiological integrity, they provide a more accurate platform to study post-infarction immune responses and cardiac remodelling, closely mirroring processes observed in patients.

Biography:

Florian Sicklinger studied medicine at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. After completion of his MD, he began his specialist training in internal medicine and cardiology in 2021 under the direction of Prof. Dr. Norbert Frey at Heidelberg University Hospital. As a physician scientist in the lab of Prof. Dr. Florian Leuschner, he focuses on the role of the immune system in cardiovascular disease. Using high-throughput tools for induction of myocardial infarction in mice combined with single-cell and spatial omics technologies, he is interested how immune cells can be targeted or exploited to improve left ventricular remodeling and myocardial fibrosis. Florian Sicklinger is also a member of the German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) in Heidelberg/Mannheim.