Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet EBAR (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Clinical studies that are planned without prior consideration of existing evidence potentially experiment with an unnecessarily large number of patients or try to answer a question to which the answer is already available. This project aims to develop a framework of efficient and sustainable research planning that minimizes cost and has the potential to direct resource allocation by optimally planning future clinical studies based on existing evidence. A circular updating process is suggested; before a trial is planned the existing evidence (a network meta-analysis) about the effectiveness of all competing interventions is considered and its conclusiveness is statistically evaluated. If further experiments are needed these are designed considering patient’s preferences and with an aim to render the existing evidence conclusive. The new data is then used to update the existing knowledge. This innovative approach to plan clinical studied requires methodological developments from various fields (biostatistics, operational research, epidemiology) and its feasibility will be evaluated in answering a real clinical question about the best intervention for a given condition and in designing a new trial. The circular updating process is of high interest to public research funding bodies, guideline developers and pharmaceutical companies. The project has a strong public engagement component as patients and major health care organizations are involved in many of the planned activities in the development of the circular updating process. The project will be carried out in a stimulating academic environment (University of Bern) with extensive experience in clinical trials and a secondment in Novartis is planned. I will acquire technical skills in clinical trials, will continue to produce high-impact publications and develop leadership skills. These additions to my curriculum will enable me to progress to an academic carrier in a high-profile European Institute.

Mots clés : evidence based medicine, clinical trials

Participants :
- University of Bern (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 187419.6 €
Projet PReP (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Clouds are a key component of global climate. Alteration to simulated cloud in climate models has large surface temperature effects, yet we cannot validate model predictions for the future against observations. Reconstructions of major patterns in mid-Piacenzian Warm Period (mPWP) cloud can provide critical verification data from an analogous past climate to assess the cloud prediction ability of state-of-the-art climate models, however there are no known biological proxies for cloud in deep-time. The aim of PReP is to develop proxies capable of reconstructing past cloud and to use them to establish a global cloud database for the mPWP, for testing cloud model prediction performance. The development of biological proxies for cloud characteristics in deep-time will be pursued in two streams: statistical methods – testing cloud as an emergent property of existing palaeoclimate estimates and testing the extent to which existing palaeoclimate schemes can be expanded to predict cloud – and experimental methods – investigating a novel proxy for cloud through leaf micromorphological variation under cloud-mimicking light schemes. The methods will be used to reanalyse existing data for mPWP sites with the aim of establishing a global palaeocloud dataset for model verification within the Pliocene Modelling Intercomparison Project. My experience in multiproxy palaeoclimate analysis, and Pliocene palaeoclimate specifically, combined with the interdisciplinary expertise at the University of Leeds in Pliocene climate modelling and applied statistics, and at the National University of Ireland, Galway in palaeobotany, will create the optimal intellectual environment to deliver the aims of the project. The experience of my host as a supervisor and mentor for early career researchers, and the supporting resources of the university for dissemination of results and exceptional training opportunities in both hard and soft skills, will facilitate independence in my research career.

Mots clés : plant ecophysiology, cloud

Participants :
- University of Leeds (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 224933.76 €
Projet Co-lingual-S (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Co-lingual-S tackles a well-documented disconnect between family- and school language policies regarding multilingualism by applying innovative visual methods to understand multilingual family life, and develop multilingual pedagogies in schools. Co-lingual-S sets out to 1) understand how family members’ intersected identities (such as the interplay between gender, language and migration status) shapes family roles and actions in creating family language policies, 2) develop multilingual pedagogies with teachers by using multilingual storybooks that feature stories collected from families, and 3) understand how visual-narrative methods can serve as means to connect the worlds of families and schools. Study 1 collects semi-structured interviews, language portraits, drawings and photo-elicited narratives from family members. Family narratives are collaboratively re-created in the format of multilingual storybooks. In Study 2, teachers develop practices using these storybooks. Photo-elicited interviews and language portraits are also collected from teachers, and their practices are observed. The aim of Study 2 is to investigate teachers’ intersectional experience (such as gender, language repertoires, attitudes and pedagogical skills in multilingualism) in relation to what kind of practices they develop using the Co-Lingual-S books, and their potential impact on school language policy. Co-lingual-S this way pioneers a novel design that directly connects families and schools, and facilitates becoming ‘colinguals’ . It applies an interdisciplinary approach bridging sociology of families, sociolinguistics and education/teacher education. The outcomes advance the field of family- and school language policies by applying intersectional theory and visual methods. The findings are expected to cover the knowledge gap of the role of intersected identities in family- and school contexts regarding multilingualism, and support teachers to develop multilingual pedagogies.

Mots clés : family language policies, multilingualism, visual narrative methods, home school relations

Participants :
- KU Leuven (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 166320.0 €
Projet GRECO (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Coastal lagoons host some of the most dynamic, diverse and productive ecosystems on Earth, which are subject to significant pressure from human activities. Hydrological land-ocean connectivity is a universally accepted important driver of coastal ecosystems, but the ecological effects of groundwater and associated solute fluxes to coastal systems remain poorly understood for most of the world’s shores. The overall goal of GRECO is to evaluate the role that groundwater fluxes play in the functioning and vulnerability of coastal lagoon ecosystems, by studying its effects on primary producers. This project encompasses a suite of innovative and interdisciplinary investigations aimed at (a) documenting the spatio-temporal distribution of groundwater-derived freshwater and nutrient inputs to lagoons and the exposure of benthic communities to groundwater-borne nutrients; and (b) evaluating the groundwater-derived effects on lagoon primary productivity by identifying the nutrient sources for primary production and the role of groundwater in lagoon ecological functioning. To these aims, two economically and ecologically important French lagoons with contrasting hydroecological conditions will be investigated by using new methods for coastal groundwater studies: 3D hydrodynamic numerical modeling and nutrient stable isotope analysis in primary producers. The novel understanding of groundwater-ecological interactions derived from this project will significantly advance the state-of-the art of groundwater studies in the coastal zone by providing direct evidences of ecological effects of groundwater discharge and by adding new methods to study groundwater implications. The results of GRECO will allow closing a current gap in the fundamental understanding of coastal processes, improving our capacity to sustainably manage hydrological and ecological resources in the coastal zone.

Mots clés : groundwater discharge, land ocean interaction, lagoons, coastal processes, ecohydrology

Participants :
- Aix-Marseille Université (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 173076.0 €
Projet SIPODET (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Coastal seagrass ecosystems provide important services to nature and mankind in form of coastal protection, nursery grounds and carbon sequestration. However, seagrass meadows are affected by global climate change and anthropogenic stressors such as eutrophication and coastal development. Yet, the mechanistic interactions between these ecosystems and environmental change remain unclear due to the complexity of studying the seagrass habitat, which exhibit a multitude of chemical gradients and dynamics. The requirement for high-resolution measurement techniques for resolving the biogeochemical dynamics and microenvironments surrounding seagrasses in their natural habitat has led to the development of a variety of chemical techniques typically quantifying a single analyte at a time, which gives limited insight to the true dynamics of the seagrass-sediment interaction which is central for seagrass fitness and survival under environmental change. The SIPODET project will develop new multi-parameter chemical imaging techniques by combining luminescence-based optical sensor foils (planar optodes) with diffusional equilibrium in thin-film (DET) enabling simultaneous sensing of pO2, iron, phosphate, nitrite/nitrate, ammonium, manganese, pCO2 and pH. This project will encompass expert training of Dr. Cesbron in the use of planar optodes complementing his expertise in 2D DET mapping of chemical species, which will enable the development of a novel combined chemical imaging technology mentored by a world leader in microenvironmental analysis. The novel technology will investigate the dynamic chemical microenvironment in the seagrass rhizosphere and how this is modulated by environmental change and plant stress (e.g. effects of temperature, pH or eutrophication) in Zostera marina and Zostera noltei.

Mots clés : 2d det imaging, planar optodes, nanparticles, seagrass rhizome, oxygen, phosphorus, dissolved iron, nitrite and nitrate, ammonia, siderophorees, microenvironmental, global change

Participants :
- University of Copenhagen (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 219312.0 €
Projet Radio-NP (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Coated metal nanoparticles (NPs) in molecular environments are widely studied for applications in nanobiotechnology and nanomedicine. Understanding of the nanoscale phenomena (formation and transport of secondary electrons, free radicals and their chemical interactions) induced by NP irradiation with ion beams is crucial for enhancing the potential of novel radiotherapy techniques. The Radio-NP project aims at the atomistic computational analysis of (i) structural properties of coated metal NPs in biological environments and (ii) the impact of these properties on the formation and transport of secondary electrons and radicals in the vicinity of NPs irradiated with ions. The realised approach will combine (i) the ab initio framework to evaluate parameters of quantum transformations of system constituent molecules, (ii) classical molecular dynamics (MD) employed in the advanced scientific software MBN Explorer to characterise NPs and study their interaction with molecular media, and (iii) irradiation-driven MD - the novel and unique implementation in MBN Explorer, to model random interactions of the medium with secondary electrons emitted from the NPs, with account for possible chemical transformations. The recently developed IDMD approach will be applied for the first time to model irradiation-induced chemistry in the vicinity of complex NPs. This methodology will go beyond the physics of the Monte Carlo approach widely used to study nanoscale mechanisms of energy deposition under NP irradiation. The interdisciplinary research program of Radio-NP will be carried out at MBN Research Center - an SME that develops MBN Explorer software. Radio-NP will combine applicant’s knowledge in radiation physics and chemistry with strong expertise of the host in professional software development. The applicant will thus gain a broad set of scientific, technical, complementary and entrepreneurial skills that are highly demanded for his further career as a professional researcher.

Mots clés : irradiation induced chemistry, reactive oxygen species, irradiation driven molecular dynamics, computational modelling

Participants :
- MBN Research Center (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 171460.8 €
Projet GYSIART (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Cold War studies tend to emphasize dual narratives, mostly investigated as actions that are dictated from above by State policies or as cultural relations in an international context. Starting from my previous studies on bilateral art relations in the second half of 20th century, the project is intended as a comparative survey within a polycentric and inclusive European focus area, including the two German republics, Yugoslavia, the Soviet Union and Italy. The main study cases will be provided by multilateral art encounters and the involved locations and actors, analysed as individual and collective art practices. Unique Cold War art archives and collections at the Getty Research Institute and at the Wende Museum in Los Angeles will provide key resources. In order to assess the impact of the art practices on culture and society, I intend to investigate both their critical reception in the professional art world and their popular response through the commentaries left by exhibition visitors. A crucial question is whether the European dimension has ever been considered as a common ground - be it of political, social, artistic or speculative nature - for multilateral art practices within the divided continent. Particular attention will be paid to unmet expectations and missed connections among the interested art communities. By including current Member and Associate States and Third Countries, the research is meant to contribute to inter-European comprehension and integration, as an essential premise in order to “inform the reflection about present problems and help to find solutions for shaping Europe's future”, as stated in the Work programme 2016-2017 of Horizon 2020. The project is conceived as a multidisciplinary research which, through training and inter-sectoral mobility in Comparative Studies, History and Art History, will have a ground-breaking impact on my future career prospects in the academic and non-academic sectors as Comparative European Art Historian.

Mots clés : exhibition history, visual imagology, cold war, cold war art archives, art practices, comparative european art history, multilateral relations, polycentrism, euro communism, yugo communism

Participants :
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 244269.0 €
- University of California System (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet COTETHERS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Collagen maturation (through post-translational modifications, quaternary assembly and transport) is critical for tissues and organ development and homeostasis. This complex process involves numerous actors in different sub-cellular compartments, which in turn depend on highly regulated trafficking systems. Although the mechanisms of vesicular trafficking, membrane tethering and fusion are conserved throughout eukaryotic evolution, highly specialized tethering complexes have evolved to regulate specific fusion events. Recently, a novel pathway regulating collagen trafficking has been identified. Central to this pathway are two trafficking proteins, homologous to, but not part of, classical vesicle tethering components. At present, very little is known about their specific functions. Genetic mutations in both proteins induce rare but highly invalidating and often lethal phenotypes, characterized by abnormal collagen distribution, disorders of the extracellular matrix organization and impairment in endosomal trafficking. In this proposal, I will develop a multidisciplinary approach, merging cutting edge methodologies of affinity purification coupled to mass spectrometry with structural biology and biophysics to decipher the molecular mechanisms driving membrane tethering and, more broadly, endosomal trafficking, through this new complex. These results will unveil unprecedented mechanisms of vesicular trafficking, offering a potential for translational research on collagen-related diseases and also on disorders related to vesicular trafficking, possibly paving the way to future therapeutic strategies.

Mots clés : membrane tethering complexes, protein protein interactions, collagen trafficking, molecular recognition, genetic diseases

Participants :
- University of Pavia (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 168277.2 €
Projet Wnt and CRC (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of death worldwide. Mutations in components of the canonical Wnt/beta-catenin pathway such as APC, CTNNB1/beta-catenin, AXIN2 and more recently RNF43 or ZNRF3 can contribute to CRC tumorigenesis. The hosting team and Dr. Clevers’ group have recently described that inhibitors of the porcupine enzyme, that is essential for the maturation of Wnt-ligands, have therapeutic efficacy in tumors with RNF43 and ZNRF3 mutations. Hypermutant tumors are characterized by mutations in key components of the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes, resulting in the amplification in non-codifiying repetitive sequences in the genome known as microsatellites. Recent studies from the hosting team and Dr. Garraway’s group highlighted that mutations in RNF43 and ZNRF3 preferentially occur in a codifying microsatellite (hotspot) in MMR-deficient tumors. Lynch Syndrome is a hereditary cancer-prone disease where patients also develop MMR-deficient tumors as a consequence of germinal mutations in MMR genes accounting for 3-6% of CRC patients with very few therapeutic opportunities. In this proposal we aim to: 1) characterize Wnt-related genetic alterations in Lynch Syndrome patients and determine enrichment of RNF43 and ZNRF3 mutations compared to CRC sporadic tumors; 2) link MMR-deficiency and acquisition of the druggable Wnt-related mutations in RNF43 and ZNRF3; 3) evaluate the efficacy of PORCN/Wnt inhibitor WNT974 on tumors mutated in RNF43 and ZNRF3. We believe that not only Lynch Syndrome but any cancer patient with tumors presenting RNF43 and ZNRF3 mutations could benefit from the treatment with such new generation of Wnt/beta-catenin inhibitors. Our collaboration with the Oncology Service and pharmaceutical companies will accelerate the translation of our findings into the clinical practice and hopefully provide a new therapeutic opportunity for CRC patients. This would therefore have a general impact on cancer treatment in Europe.

Mots clés : colorectal cancer, lynch syndrome, mismatch repair deficiency, wnt pathway inhibitors, patient derived xenografts

Participants :
- CERCA Institution (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 170121.6 €
Projet FUNTRICAN (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in both men and women worldwide. Although some CRCs are effectively treated through the standard strategy of surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy, some patients have a recurrence of their cancer and a spread to other parts of the body that threatens life. Despite decades of research, we are unable to predict which cancers will be effectively treated and which are likely to spread. In support of the well-documented resistance of cancer stem cells (CSCs) to conventional therapies high stem cell (SC) signature scores statistically associate with a high risk of tumor relapse in patients. Targeting CSCs thus constitute a determinant medical issue and identify novel players of SC plasticity is a prerequisite to open novel therapeutic avenues. Using ex vivo organoid cultures, we recently demonstrated that thyroid hormones (THs) reduce the pool of intestinal SCs by triggering premature cell differentiation. Even if the underlying mechanisms remain elusive, our preliminary results tend to demonstrate that the TH-induced loss of stemness relies on a profound modification of the ratio between TRα1 and TRβ1 (TRs), with deep consequences on the expression of WNT and NOTCH downstream target genes. My proposal will pave the way for a unique focal area in the field of CSCs. Combining original approaches such as ex vivo 3D human colosphere and organoid cultures, in vivo CSC tracing experiments as well as innovative proteome mapping techniques (BioID and APEX2) I aim to address the potential interest of disrupting the THs/TRs balance in order to enforce CSC differentiation with the final aim to eradicate them by conventional therapies. Furthermore and more importantly, by minoring CSC plasticity, it will strongly reduce their adaptability to stress conditions and limit escape mechanisms.

Mots clés : colon cancer, cancer stem cell, cell plasticity, cell differentiation, thyroid hormone receptors, organoid

Participants :
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 116953.92 €