Hello World!

As the Head of Clinical Data Science, I'm responsible for optimizing and enhancing the efficiency of our data management processes. I develop robust and rapid programmatic solutions to accelerate and improve data analysis. Furthermore, drawing from my broad data science background—ranging from clinical data to brain imaging and genetic analyses—I also provide strategic and consultative support for a wide array of data science challenges.
I am a quick learner and a team player that gets the job done.

For a complete CV, please reach out to me via Email.

Education

2021 - PhD in Neuroscience

University of Glasgow, UK. The L-dopa response in Parkinson's disease, Tracking Parkinson's (PRoBaND) study with Dr Donald Grosset

2017 - Master of Research

University of Liverpool, UK. Biomedical Sciences and Translational Medicine, focus on neurological disorders with Prof Chris Sanderson

2016 - Bachelor of Science

Philipps-University Marburg, Germany. Biology with focus on neurobiology, cockroach brain and serotonergic neurons with Prof Uwe Homberg

Experience

Since March 2025 - Head of Clinical Data Science, Esculape GmbH, Germany

  • Clinical Data Management, Clinical Programming, Statistical Analyses, Statistical Consulting

June 2024 - March 2025- Editorial Board Member for Scientific Reports, Nature Portfolio

  • Managing peer review processes and decision-making on paper publications, ensuring validity of the published record and upholding the editorial criteria and ethos of the journal.

Nov 2021 - Oct 2024 - Postdoctoral Research Fellow at National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

  • National Institute on Aging, Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Center for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias
  • Genetics and omics research in neurodegeneration

June - Nov 2021 - Research Associate at Evotec International GmbH, Goettingen, Germany

  • Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Department
  • Clinical and omics data analysis in the context of metabolic disorders, diabetes, and kidney disease

Feb - March 2019 - Visiting Scientist at University of Lausanne, Switzerland

  • Statistical Genetics
  • GWAS data analysis of Parkinson's disease data sets with Assoc Prof Zoltan Kutalik

Sept - Oct 2017 - Research Assistant at Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK

  • Wellcome Trust course "Protein Interactions and Networks"
  • Preparation and assistance, specifically the yeast two-hybrid assay (Y2H) with Prof Chris Sanderson from University of Liverpool

Feb - Aug 2016 - Research Assistant at University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany

  • Department of Neurology
  • Organisation of own laboratory research projects, using a variety of lab techniques and software to store, analyse, process, and present information with Prof Bjoern Falkebuger (now TU Dresden)

Blog Posts

Publications (or see )

  1. Magrinelli F, Tesson C, [...], Pitz V, Bhatia KP, Houlden H (2024). PSMF1 variants cause a phenotypic spectrum from early-onset Parkinson's disease to perinatal lethality by disrupting mitochondrial pathways. medrxiv [preprint]

  2. Pitz V, Makarious MB, Bandres-Ciga S, Iwaki H, Singleton A, Nalls M, Heilbron K, Blauwendraat C (2024). Analysis of rare Parkinson’s disease variants in millions of people. NPJ Parkinsons Dis [article]

  3. Homberg U, Kirchner M, Kowalewski K, Pitz V, Kinoshita M, Kern M, Seyfarth J (2023). Comparative morphology of serotonin-immunoreactive neurons innervating the central complex in the brain of dicondylian insects. J Comp Neurol [article]

  4. Bressan E, [...], Pitz V, [...], Blauwendraat C (2023). The Foundational Data Initiative for Parkinson Disease: Enabling efficient translation from genetic maps to mechanism. Cell Genomics [article]

  5. Blauwendraat C, [...], Pitz V, [...], Sidransky E (2022). Polygenic Parkinson’s disease genetic risk score as risk modifier of parkinsonism in Gaucher disease. Preprint MedRxiv [article]

  6. Heng N, [...], Pitz V, [...], Grosset DG (2023). Striatal dopamine loss in early Parkinson's disease: systematic review and novel analysis of dopamine transporter imaging. Mov Disord Clin Pract [article]

  7. Makarious MB, Lake J, Pitz V, [...], Blauwendraat C (2022). Large-scale Rare Variant Burden Testing in Parkinson’s Disease. Brain [article]

  8. Liu Z, [...], Pitz V, [...], Tang B (2022). Deficiency in endocannabinoid synthase DAGLB contributes to early onset Parkinsonism and murine nigral dopaminergic neuron dysfunction. Nature Communications [article]

  9. Kanavou S, Pitz V, Lawton MA, Malek N, Grosset KA, Ben-Shlomo Y, Grosset DG (2021). Defining impaired olfaction in Parkinson’s disease: assessing agreement between four published methods. Brain and Behavior [article]

  10. Pitz V, Malek N, Tobias ES, Grosset KA, Gentleman S, Grosset DG (2020). The L-dopa response varies in pathologically confirmed Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review. Mov Disord Clin Pract [article]

  11. Malek N, Kanavou S, Lawton MA, Pitz V, Grosset KA, Bajaj N, Barker RA, Ben-Shlomo Y, Burn DJ, Foltynie T, Hardy J, Williams NM, Wood N, Morris HR, Grosset DG on behalf of the PRoBaND clinical consortium (2019). L-Dopa responsiveness in early Parkinson’s disease is associated with the rate of motor progression. Parkinsonism Relat Disorders [article]