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With users for users: How Carina Arnberger wants to help people with MS
Carina Arnberger from TU Wien won the DMEA sparks Award 2025 in the ‘Master's Thesis’ category. Photo: Messe Berlin
With her thesis on digital support for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), Carina Arnberger from TU Wien has won the DMEA sparks Award 2025 in the ‘Master's Thesis’ category - the award for outstanding student work in the field of digital health.
‘My thesis was about developing a solution to support and motivate people with multiple sclerosis to be more physically active,’ explains Carina. The aim is to alleviate MS-related symptoms through exercise and thus increase well-being. It was particularly important to her that the focus was on people.
‘A user-centred approach was chosen and a total of 132 representatives of the target group were involved in the requirements analysis, design, development and evaluation.’ In this way, Carina wanted to ensure that the app was designed to be as user-friendly as possible.
From the thesis to the application
But it's not just an idea on paper. Carina has been thinking about specific further developments since graduating. ‘There are currently several options that I still have to weigh up,’ she says. A collaboration with the company RISE, which has already supported her in her work with its R&D group COPA (Connecting Patients), opens up new possibilities: ‘For example, an ePA+ add-on function could be created based on the work, or even a digital health application (DiGA) in the future.’
The DMEA sparks Award as a career boost
By applying for the DMEA sparks Award, her thesis has attracted a lot of attention: ‘Above all, the numerous positive and interested responses have encouraged me to pursue the topic further.’ New contacts, exciting conversations and more responsibility in the job are the result. ‘I have been given the opportunity to continue my research as part of my work and will also take on more management tasks at RISE.’
Carina has not yet invested the prize money of 2,000 euros - but there are already plans: ‘I am currently planning to use it for travelling to better understand the world and to further deepen my Master's thesis.’
Carina has a clear message for students who are considering applying for the DMEA sparks Award 2026: "Definitely try! I had such an exciting and thrilling time that, looking back, I absolutely wouldn't want to have missed."