Scientific Advisory Board 2026: Science, Strategy, Schnitzl and OPEN SKIES

From June 27 to July 1, 2026, Chondrometrics hosted its 6th formal Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) meeting in Freilassing, the company’s headquarters. The meeting took place back-to-back with the International Workshop on Osteoarthritis Imaging (IWOAI) 2026 and brought together Chondrometrics’ SAB members, invited guests, and the internal team for days of scientific exchange, strategic discussion, and a special event.

Selected impressions from the 2026 SAB meeting are shown in the carousel below.

The SAB was formally installed in 2019 and has since become an important source of independent scientific advice, critical reflection, and strategic guidance. Its members represent a broad spectrum of expertise in osteoarthritis research, musculoskeletal imaging, quantitative image analysis, clinical trials, pharma, cartilage repair, radiology, MR physics, biomarker development and validation, statistics, and more….

This year’s meeting focused on the continued development of imaging biomarkers for osteoarthritis research and clinical trials, with a focus on structural inflammatory activation measures (SIAM), effusion- and Hoffa synovitis, bone marrow lesions, osteophytes and bone shape, and the evolving role of artificial intelligence in medical image analysis.

A strength of the meeting was the combination of scientific updates by the Chondrometrics team with external perspectives from SAB members and invited experts. Fatemeh Salehi, Kowsar Sheikhi, Tyra Lange, Wolfgang Wirth, and Felix Eckstein presented current scientific and methodological developments at Chondrometrics. The meeting was enriched by invited contributions from Sylvia Nürnberger, PhD, Department of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery at the Medical University of Vienna, and Nicole Gerwin, Novartis. Their presentations provided valuable perspectives on cartilage repair and the current landscape of disease-modifying osteoarthritis therapies. Jamie Collins contributed important statistical perspectives, while Prof. Tom Turmezei, Mikael Boesen, and Neal Bangerter supported the discussion from radiology and MR physics viewpoints.

These contributions helped frame key strategic questions for Chondrometrics: how to further strengthen imaging biomarkers for osteoarthritis trials, how to connect quantitative MRI analysis with clinically meaningful disease features, and how to position specialized imaging core lab services in a field increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, regulatory expectations, and the need for robust evidence generation.

The SAB discussions highlighted the broader role of advisory boards in scientific companies. Beyond reviewing data, an SAB is pivotal in challenging assumptions, identifying gaps, sharpening priorities, and guiding the development of future services. For Chondrometrics, this exchange has been particularly important, as the company continues to advance validated imaging biomarkers and quantitative analysis methods for musculoskeletal research and clinical development.

The scientific program was complemented by informal exchange whilst exploring the Rupertiwinkel around Freilassing, Salzburg, and the nearby Alps in the Berchtesgadener Land. The social program opened with a relaxed evening at the Zollhäusl, a Freilassing classic. The next evenings we shared time at Stroblalm, with a splendid view on the Alps, and a tour through Salzburg with visits to the Augustiner and Stieglkeller beergardens overlooking the old town.

For Tuesday and Wednesday, some SAB members continued the discussion from a different perspective: on a two-day mountain tour through Berchtesgaden National Park. Starting at Königssee, the route passed St. Bartholomä, Salet, Obersee, and Fischunkelalm before climbing more than 1,200 vertical meters to Gotzenalm, with views toward the Watzmann massif.

This final part of the meeting offered a fitting analogy for the value of a Scientific Advisory Board: shared curiosity, different perspectives, trust built step by step, and the willingness to explore difficult terrain together. Some views only open after effort, and some of the best ideas emerge when people leave the formal boardroom behind.

Chondrometrics is deeply grateful to its SAB members, invited guests, and colleagues for the scientific exchange, critical thinking, friendship, and sense of common purpose that made the 2026 SAB meeting so valuable.