Virgolini studied medicine at theUniversity of Vienna from 1981 to 1987. She first gained interest in medical research at the Institute of Human Genetics at the University of Vienna.[1] This was further deepend during a study visit to the Sackler Medical School at Hasharon Hospital,Tel Aviv University in Israel.[2] She subsequently began her research career in 1985, focusing onatherosclerosis research at the Institute of Physiology at the University of Vienna. Parallel to her research activities, she began training in internal medicine with a specialization in nuclear medicine at the University Hospital Vienna in 1987, where she initially served as an assistant physician and later, until 2000, as a senior physician.[2]
Virgolini was appointed university lecturer in experimental nuclear medicine in 1992 for her work on functional liverscintigraphy. In 1995, she was appointed university lecturer in internal medicine for her work on oncological receptor scintigraphy. This was followed by the establishment of a working group for experimental nuclear medicine at the University of Vienna. In 2000, Virgolini took over as head of the Institute for Nuclear Medicine at Lainz Hospital in Vienna.[2] In 2003, she was appointed full professor and director of the University Clinic for Nuclear Medicine at the Medical University of Innsbruck.[1] Since then, the University Clinic for Nuclear Medicine has continued to expand in the areas of clinical practice, research, and teaching.
Following her appointment, Virgolini served as a university council member for the Medical University of Vienna from 2018 to 2023.[3][4][2]
Since 2016, Virgolini has been active with the World Association of Radiopharmaceutical and Molecular Therapy (WARMTH), whose goal is the global promotion of molecular radionuclide therapy. She served as president of the organization from 2019 to 2020.[5]
Virgolini's clinical research focuses on the development and preclinicalvalidation of newradiopharmaceuticals for nuclear medicine diagnostics and therapy.[6] Under Virgolini's leadership, several new nuclear medicineTracer-Pocedures (Positron-Emissions-Tomography - PET andSPECT) have been clinically established. Her clinical research focuses on the field of neuroendocrine tumor diseases and the nuclear medicine treatment of prostate cancer. Moreover, her research also focuses on patient-related quality of life in the context of individualized high-dose therapy.[6]
Virgolini's scientific work has appeared in over 500 publications in medical journals (1990–2024: total impact factor 1000, citation index 10000,Hirsch-Index 50, based on "Web of Science"). Since 1988, Virgolini has been invited to international conferences and universities and faculties in Austria and abroad to give lectures on the subject of "Molecular Imaging and Therapy".
Virgolini I (2022). "Theragnostics in Austria". In Jekunen A (ed.).The Evolution of Radionanotargeting towards Clinical Precision Oncology: A Festschrift in Honor of Kalevi Kairemo. BSP. pp. 232–245.doi:10.2174/9781681088655122010021.ISBN978-1-68108-865-5.
Bozkurt MF, Virgolini I, Balogova S, Beheshti M, Rubello D, Decristoforo C, et al. (August 2017). "Guideline for PET/CT imaging of neuroendocrine neoplasms with 68Ga-DOTA-conjugated somatostatin receptor targeting peptides and 18F-DOPA".European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.44 (9):1588–1601.doi:10.1007/s00259-017-3728-y.hdl:11655/15778.PMID28547177.
Uprimny C, Kroiss AS, Decristoforo C, Fritz J, von Guggenberg E, Kendler D, et al. (January 31, 2017). "68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT in primary staging of prostate cancer: PSA and Gleason score predict the intensity of tracer accumulation in the primary tumour".European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.44 (6):941–949.doi:10.1007/s00259-017-3631-6.PMID28138747.
Uprimny C, Kroiss AS, Decristoforo C, Fritz J, Warwitz B, Scarpa L, et al. (November 29, 2016). "Early dynamic imaging in 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT allows discrimination of urinary bladder activity and prostate cancer lesions".European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.
In 1997, Virgolini was granted a patent for a carrier substance for radionuclides for the diagnosis and destruction of tumor tissue (Vienna Patent Office), and in 1998 an EU patent for radiolabeled somatostatin receptor ligands for diagnosis and therapy.
"The 50th Anniversary of Nuclear Medicine in Innsbruck".European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.38 (11): 2106. November 2011.doi:10.1007/s00259-011-1897-7.
Nuclear Medicine Innsbruck celebrates its 50th anniversary. In: Glandula. Journal of the Neuroendocrine Tumors Network (NeT). 16, 2011, p. 20.
^ab"Kopf der Woche: Irene J. Virgolini".iPoint: News-Archiv der Universität Innsbruck bis 2015. Universität Innsbruck. February 9, 2004. RetrievedFebruary 11, 2017.
