Progress in biomedical research and healthcare requires profiting from the huge amount of data and knowledge that are generated. However, most of the potential users have no means to efficiently exploit this wealth of information. Up to now, many of the efforts done for developing bioinformatics methods and applications have not produced the expected societal impact for different reasons, including: 1) the deficit of integrative approaches that effectively combine different types of data from different sources; and 2) the lack of active involvement of the potential users (from experimental scientists to healthcare professionals) in the process of creating applications that mine, integrate, analyse and display biomedical information in a way that is immediately understandable and useful ('actionable') by the end users. The present project tries to overcome this issue by involving a multidisciplinary team of experienced bioinformaticians, and experimental and clinical scientists in the design and development of demanded bioinformatics applications. The bioinformaticians will develop medical-oriented integrative methods and applications (New Generation Genotype-Phenotype Explorations, Disease Biomarker Browser, Disease Trajectory Comorbidity Browser, Cancer Genome Interpreter, etc.), while the experimental and clinical partners will actively participate in the design and assessment of the applications, as well as in the curation of customized resources. The experimental and clinical partners belong to two completely different medical specialties (oncology and psychiatry), which have a big impact in citizens’ wellbeing. Moreover, the commonalities existing between the needs of these disparate specialties will facilitate the identification and design of applications likely to satisfy the needs of biomedical professionals in other areas. Finally, the project aims to setup a platform for the sustainable exploitation of the tools developed throughout its execution.

The main aim of NEURONET is to set up an efficient platform to boost synergy and collaboration across the IMI projects of the Neurodegenerative Disorders (ND) portfolio, assisting in identifying gaps, multiplying its impact, enhancing its visibility and facilitating dovetailing with related initiatives in Europe and worldwide. This will be achieved through the following specific objectives: 1) creation of an overall platform for efficient collaboration, communication and operational synergies among present and future IMI ND projects; 2) designing systems to map and analyse information regarding actions, initiatives and partnerships, assessing impact of the individual projects, remaining gaps and global value of the programme for stakeholders; 3) supporting the management of the programme (timelines, dependencies, synergies and key results across projects); 4) proactively detecting needs, opportunities and transferable best practices of projects and to connect them; 5) providing support to the projects by organising tools, services, expert advice and guidelines/recommendations on common issues; 6) promoting enhancement and coordination of communication across the IMI neurodegeneration projects, increasing programme visibility, outreaching to key stakeholders and establishing relationships with initiatives in the field; and 7) preparing and securing the long-term sustainability of NEURONET itself. Achievement of these objectives will necessarily rely on buy-in from existing and future projects in the IMI ND portfolio, and effective connections with other programmes and initiatives in Europe and beyond, including stakeholder representation. For this, the Consortium has been constituted by very active partners in a variety of IMI ND projects and related initiatives with specialists in areas like complex/project management, data sharing & re-use, drug development, patient engagement, communication, sustainability and regulatory/HTA interactions.