The Path Toward Neurology

Dr Rina Demjaha traces her professional journey back to an early curiosity about how the human body works, nurtured, as she puts it, by growing up in a family of dentists, where she had the chance to witness up close "the impact of pain relief and the improvement of patients' well-being." This early exposure to a healthcare environment pushed her toward medicine as a life choice.

Within the broad field of medicine, neurology drew her in as a speciality that combines scientific rigour with something more intuitive. She describes it as a kind of "detective work," in which the right clinical examination uncovers and localises complex problems of the nervous system. For her, it is also the field with the deepest and most lasting impact on patients' lives, especially at a time of rapid diagnostic and therapeutic advances.

Studying in Istanbul: Language, Distance, and Perseverance

Dr Demjaha's academic path began far from home, at Istanbul University–Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty, one of Turkey's most prestigious medical schools. The choice was not accidental: the country offered, as she says, "physicians who graduate [...] internationally recognised for their professionalism and high academic preparation," while the faculty itself gave her exposure to a highly developed healthcare system and to diverse patient populations.

The experience was not without difficulty. The biggest challenge was language: even after a year of Turkish-language courses, following medical lectures and mastering medical terminology demanded far greater concentration. To this academic challenge was added the adjustment to life far from family, in an unfamiliar city. Her way through it, she says, was continuous discipline: communicating as much as possible in Turkish, avoiding easier linguistic alternatives. This approach "helped her not only to improve her language skills, but also to integrate more easily and quickly into the academic and social environment."

Beyond the classroom, Dr Demjaha was an active part of international academic life, from the summer school on lasers in medicine in Szeged and the immunology summer school in Antwerp, to the SESAM congress in Bilbao. At the same time, she founded the Turkish branch of Medical Students for Choice, an organisation that advocates for comprehensive education on reproductive health, and she was involved in organising committees for student congresses in Istanbul.

Discovering Biomarkers and the Step Toward Austria

Her interest in scientific research developed gradually during her studies, as Dr. Demjaha observed the dynamism of neuroscience as one of the most advanced fields in medicine. The turning point came when she found a research project on neurological biomarkers in blood, a direction that until recently had been limited by the lack of the technology needed to detect them. The opportunity to work at a university equipped with unique technology, as she says, "the first and still the only one of its kind in Austria," convinced her to apply for that position, a step that marked the beginning of her research career in neuroscience.

Today, Dr Demjaha works at the Neurology Biomarker Research Unit within the Department of Neurology at the Medical University of Graz. Her work focuses on body fluid biomarkers, mainly in the context of neuroimmunological and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as on brain ageing and the biological mechanisms that characterise it. Another strand of her research compares blood biomarkers with AI-based neuroimaging markers, aiming to identify correlations that could lead to more accurate diagnostic and prognostic methods.

She sees the significance of this field as closely tied to the future of personalised medicine.

"Biomarkers, she says, open the way to earlier and more accurate diagnosis, less invasive monitoring, and, in cases such as multiple sclerosis, even the prediction of relapses," she says 

International collaborations, with centres in Switzerland, England, Spain, Italy, and the United States, have further enriched her network and scientific approach.

The Challenges and Rewards of Clinical Medicine

Alongside the laboratory, Dr Demjaha also values the human dimension of neurology. What keeps her motivated is the individual complexity of each case and the need to combine critical thinking with careful communication with the patient. The greatest challenge, in her view, remains the fact that many neurological diseases still have no curative treatments, which makes building a relationship of trust and offering emotional support just as important as the medical treatment itself.

Among the achievements she is most proud of, she counts the merit-based scholarship from the Republic of Turkey, completing her studies at Cerrahpaşa in a language she had learned only a year earlier, and the "Young Investigator Award" from the Austrian Alzheimer Society (ÖAG). Her research has been presented at congresses such as those of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) and ECTRIMS, where she was recently invited to co-lead a workshop on neurological biomarkers alongside her mentor.

Looking ahead, beyond further deepening her work in neuroimmunology and neurodegeneration, she is particularly intrigued by the intersection of robotics and neuroscience, a direction she believes could transform diagnosis and rehabilitation. If she were to return to Kosovo one day, she says she would want to help strengthen the connection between scientific research and clinical practice, as well as contribute to educating new generations of physicians.

Her Message to Young People:

"My message to them would be not to underestimate themselves or their background. With dedication, discipline, and continuous work, it is possible to reach highly prestigious universities, institutions, and projects," says Dr Rina Demjaha, adding that studying and working abroad bring not only professional development, but also personal growth and a broader perspective on the world. For medical students aiming for a research career, her advice is simple: "Passion for pursuing your dreams and perseverance in the face of challenges are the key to success."