Cardiovascular diseases remain the main cause of mortality worldwide; in particular, heart failure (HF) poses complex challenges in clinical practice, as it is associated with a significant variability in aetiologies, manifestations and risks, as well as in its progression and trajectories over time. Clinical risks of HF can vary from reduced cardiac function and regular hospitalisations, all the way to cardiac events and mortality. There is a need for a personalised medicine approach to tailor the care models (i.e. lifestyle changes, medications, interventions) to each HF patient’s risk profile and hence optimise the clinical outcomes. Artificial intelligence (AI) solutions trained from multi-source cardiovascular data have the potential to dissect the precise characteristics of each patient and predict their likely trajectories at an early stage. However, existing AI methods remain a far distance from clinical transfer and adoption due to a common and key limitation: their trustworthiness and acceptance by cardiologists and patients alike have not been achieved. AI4HF will develop the first trustworthy AI solutions for personalised risk assessment and management of HF patients. The project will build on a unique set of big data repositories, trustworthy AI methods, computational tools and clinical results from major EU-funded projects in cardiology. To test robustness, fairness, transparency, usability and transferability, the validation with take place in eight clinical centres in both high- and low-to-middle-income countries in the EU and internationally. AI4HF will develop a comprehensive and standardised methodological framework for trustworthy and ethical AI development and evaluation based on the FUTURE-AI guidelines developed by the consortium members. AI4HF will be implemented through continuous multi-stakeholder engagement, taking into account clinical needs and patient preferences, as well as socio-ethical and regulatory perspectives.

The interplay between nutrition, gut microbiota, and its large numberof metabolic and immune mediators plays an essential role in the development of gut immune homeostasis in early life. This interaction needs to be better understood because a disturbed immune function in the neonatal period is harmful for neonatal survival and enhances the risk of chronic inflammatory disease later in life. In particular, preterm infants have an immature gut and an associated intestinal state of dysbiosis, which limits the efficacy of nutritional interventions to 1) support early life nutrition, 2) prevent sepsis and conditions such as necrotizing enterocolitis and intestinal failure, and 3) reduce the risk of chronic inflammatory diseases mediated by the gut. A major barrier to elucidating the critical nutritional-host-microbiome interactions and reducing neonatal mortality is the lack of expertise in this rapidly emerging area of metabolomics. We therefore proposes a multidisciplinary approach making use of a large-scale pre-existing clinical cohort of neonates, and state of the art analytical and bio-informatics tools. GROWTH is an Innovative Training Network focused on European Industrial Doctorates that aims to train young business-oriented researchers in developing pathological insights, biomarker diagnostics and personalized nutritional interventions for intestinal failure in neonates and preterm infants. As a multidisciplinary consortium that will involve the participation of 7 non-academic and 5 academic partners in the life sciences field and will attempt shortening the path from basic research to clinical applications.

Our main objective is to identify determinants of brain, cognitive and mental health at different stages of life. By integration, harmonisation and enrichment of major European neuroimaging studies of age differences and changes, we will obtain an unparalleled database of fine-grained brain, cognitive and mental health measures of more than 6.000 individuals. Longitudinal brain imaging, genetic and health data are available for a major part, as well as cognitive/mental health measures for extensively broader cohorts, exceeding 40.000 examinations in total. By linking these data, also to additional databases and biobanks, including birth registries, national and regional archives, and by enriching them with new online data collection and novel measures, we will address risk and protective factors of brain, cognitive and mental health throughout the lifespan. We will identify the pathways through which risk and protective factors work and their moderators. Through exploitation of, and synergies with, existing European infrastructures and initiatives, this approach of integrating, harmonising and enriching brain imaging datasets will make major conceptual, methodological and analytical contributions towards large integrative cohorts and their efficient exploitation. We will thus provide novel information on brain, cognitive and mental health maintenance, onset and course of brain, cognitive and mental disorders, and lay a foundation for earlier diagnosis of brain disorders, aberrant development and decline of brain, cognitive and mental health, as well as future preventive and therapeutic strategies. Working with stakeholders and health authorities, the project will provide the evidence base for policy strategies for prevention and intervention, improving clinical practice and public health policy for brain, cognitive and mental health. This project is realized by a close collaboration of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) and major European brain research centres

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.

Cohesin is an evolutionarily conserved multi-protein complex that belongs to the structural maintenance of chromosomes protein family. It can topologically entrap DNA molecules mediating sister chromatid cohesion, a function important for accurate chromosome segregation and DNA replication/repair. It has been recently discovered that cohesin can generate and maintain DNA loops by an ATPase-dependent in cis DNA tethering activity, called loop-extrusion, critical for organising chromatin architecture and regulating gene transcription, and as such thought to be important for cell differentiation and development. However, the molecular mechanisms by which the cohesin complex achieve these key cellular functions remain to be elucidated. Mutations in genes coding for cohesin and its regulators lead to a class of developmental disorders collectively called “cohesinopathies” and have been found in several types of cancer. Nonetheless, the pathogenesis of these devastating human diseases is poorly understood. CohesiNet aims to answer outstanding questions in the field of cohesin biology by a highly innovative research programme. This consortium will investigate fundamental mechanisms on how cohesin acts during chromosomal cohesion and loop extrusion, identify regulatory modules of cohesin functions and get insights into the molecular bases of cohesin-related diseases. These ambitious goals will be achieved using multi-disciplinary hypothesis-driven and exploratory approaches while promoting a culture of communication and cooperation among academic and private institutions across the European Union. A team of ten PhD students will be trained by the CohesiNet consortium to address these scientific questions and be empowered with skills that will enhance their career perspectives, while experiencing first-hand the value of Open Science and the importance of inclusion, transparency, accessibility and integrity in scientific research.