This study will evaluate the needs and provision of care for patients in the late stages of Parkinsonism and their carers in several European countries. This will done through an in-depth assessment of patients and carers, interrogation of national and regional databases, and assessment and outcome of management strategies in six European countries. We will compare the effectiveness and cost of different health and social care systems, and carry out a trial comparing assessment by a specialist with management suggestions, guidance and access to telephone advice to that of usual care. A systematic literature review of the evidence for effective management strategies, analysis of the study data, and evaluation of change in outcomes following specialist review will provide the basis for recommendations in the management of late stage Parkinsonism. In addition, the project will produce a platform for the assessment of patients with late stage Parkinsonism, their current treatment and care provision, as well as guidelines on the management of this late disease phase. The results may also provide a model for the research on better management of other chronic neurological disorders and age-related disorders in various health-care systems.

The Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes (iMM) is a leading European institute in basic biomedical research, now establishing a pioneering Centre of Excellence in human-centred clinical and translational research in Portugal. Research at iMM increasingly requires analysing large volumes of molecular, phenotypic and clinical data but its development is constrained by the national scarcity of experts in biomedical data science. BIOMICS is therefore set on iMM’s strong data-driven research and innovation (R&I) model and investment on the digital transformation of biomedical and clinical research. BIOMICS aims at: 1) leveraging iMM’s excellence in biomedical data science by implementing joint research projects with the partner institutions, strengthening existing interactions and promoting new ones, through staff exchanges, expert visits and joint lab retreats; 2) training a new generation of critically thinking and ethically aware researchers who are able to test scientific hypotheses on biomedical data and soundly interpret their results, through integration in international mentoring networks, facilitating conference and thematic course attendance, and organising on-site training; 3) enhancing international awareness and attract talent to iMM in data science, through mobility of researchers, targeted dissemination and communication activities, and on-site organisation of workshops and an international conference; 4) strengthening iMM’s entrepreneurial and innovation capacity, adapting it to the digital transformation of biomedical and clinical research, through professional technology transfer activities and synergies with the information technology industry. BIOMICS will sustainably leverage iMM’s timely R&I model by supporting the associated digital transformation, making iMM internationally competitive in biomedical data science. Moreover, BIOMICS will provide the partners with a platform for exploring the translational potential of their research.

Epileptogenesis and Epilepsy Network: from genes, synapses and circuitries to pave the way for novel drugs and strategies (EpiEpiNet) aims to promote collaborative multidisciplinary and translational research in epilepsy by enhancing effective knowledge transfer, exchange of best research practices, and the mobility of early stage researchers between the Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes (IMM), and leading partners at the Academic Medical Centre at the University of Amsterdam, University of Rome La Sapienza and the Epilepsy Center of LUND University. EpiEpiNet encompasses reputed neuroscientists that have in common the aim of understanding of the basic mechanisms of epileptogenesis and their impact in synaptic and brain circuitry dysregulation, and to contribute to the development of innovative therapies against refractory forms of epilepsy. Specifically, we aim at 1) increase the scientific and technological innovation in epilepsy research in the whole network and at IMM in particular by interchange of ideas and researchers among the partners; 2) sustain the network activity beyond EpiEpiNet deadline by promoting joint grant applications and joint training of PhD students; 3) train of young researchers and promote their internationalisation; 4) increase the awareness of epilepsy among the caregivers and patients, by promoting joint discussions and targeted dissemination of EpiEpiNet activities and results. As tools, EpiEpiNet will promote 1) scientific meetings, 2) community-oriented debates, 3) thematic and hands-on workshops and summer schools, 4) short term and on-site training visits in and out IMM for scientific and technology transfer between partners. The added value of EpiEpiNet will easily be spread to the University of Lisbon and to the Portuguese community, due to the existing interactions with the Mind-Brain College of the University of Lisbon, with the national neuroscientific community, and with patient and caregiver organizations.

Viruses that infect the brain and other parts of the central nervous system are a worldwide threat of terrible dimensions. Viruses such as Zika, Dengue, Chikungunya, HIV or measles, for instance, and more recently the Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are responsible for thousands of victims severely impaired at neurological level each year in the world. One of the most recent large scale threats in this domain was a Zika virus outbreak in South America. Zika virus, like Dengue virus or Chikungunya virus, is spread mainly by mosquitos of the genus Aedes. While Dengue and Chikungunya viruses, as many others, might causes diseases with severe neurological disorders, Zika virus is much more dreadful in this regard. When a pregnant woman is infected, the virus is able to translocate the blood-placental barrier and then the developing blood-brain barrier of the foetus, causing microcephaly and serious neurological disorders to newly born babies. Although co-infections with Aedes-borne viruses, such as the above mentioned Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya viruses, are likely because several viral species coexist in the same vector, the classical drug development strategies completely overlook this striking reality. Moreover, additional co-infections with HIV, SARS-CoV-2 and measles virus, using other routes of infection, are also possible. A drug able to target a very large spectrum of viral species is urgently needed. Importantly, this drug must be able to traverse the blood-brain barrier and reach the viruses accumulated in the brain. NOVIRUSES2BRAIN is a project that aims at finding and selecting drug leads that are both efficacious and able to translocate the blood-placental and blood-brain barriers so that Zika, Dengue, Chikungunya and other viruses, such as the recently discovered SARS-CoV-2 can be targeted across barriers, including during pregnancy. The project gathers the expertise of medicinal chemists, biochemists, drug development specialists and virologists to create drug leads able to clear all viral species from brain simultaneously.

GLYCOVAX is a network for the education of promising young scientists who will learn how to rationally design a next generation of well-defined and innovative glycoconjugate vaccines to improve current preventive therapies and to tackle unmet medical needs. Glycoconjugate vaccines represent the key for success of vaccination in children. The covalent linkage to proteins renders carbohydrates able to evoke a T-cell memory response. Current vaccines are prepared from heterogeneous mixtures of sugars linked by unspecific methods to the carrier protein giving complex mixtures of products. Due to this intricate structure, it has not been possible to apply a medicinal chemistry approach in the development of glycoconjugate vaccines and to fully understand their mechanism of action. Combination of novel approaches for glycan synthesis and site-selective conjugation methods now gives access to conjugates defined in sugar component and attachment site, thus leading to robust structure-immunogenicity relationship. Advancements in structural biophysics can be applied to select the optimal glycan antigen. By combining the beneficiaries’ expertise in carbohydrate synthesis, bioconjugation, high throughput screening, structural glycobiology, vaccinology and immunology, together with the experience in project management, GLYCOVAX will create a multidisciplinary environment where 14 young researchers will contribute to develop a novel route towards improved, safer and better characterized glycoconjugate vaccines, and contemporarily acquire transferable skills which will lead them to become the new leaders of academic or industrial research. The network will involve 9 academic groups and 2 industrial partners as Beneficiaries, and one SME as Partner Organization. The profound interaction between academy and industry will aid the students to get new concepts and visions for translating their ideas from the bench to the manufacturing of the next generation of glycoconjugate vaccines.