Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet SafeREG (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Brain tumors strike people in the prime of life. Surgical resection is the initial treatment for nearly all brain tumors and aims at maximizing the extent of tumor resection while preserving the patient's cognitive function. To optimize this tradeoff, neuronavigation systems have been developed to provide intraoperative guidance to surgeons. These systems allow for the visualization of the position of surgeons' surgical tools relative to the tumor and critical brain areas visible in preoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging. However, these systems become inaccurate as the surgery progresses since they do not account for brain deformation and tissue resection occurring during surgery. In an interdisciplinary effort, project SafeREG combines the researcher's background to the expertise of computational scientists from INRIA and clinicians from Parisian hospitals. Its objective is to invent a novel image registration methodology with intraoperative ultrasound that is rich enough to capture complex deformations occurring at the tumor and resection cavity boundaries, fast enough to be employable clinically, and interpretable enough for informed decision-making by neurosurgeons. This will be accomplished by pushing the envelope of scientific knowledge in (1) cross-modality domain adaptation for weakly- and unsupervised image segmentation; (2) modality-invariance representation learning using contrastive learning; (3) non-rigid registration with discrete probabilistic methods; (4) simulated-based variational inference for registration uncertainty quantification that leverages biomechanical knowledge. This research has the potential to deliver accurate and informed image-guided surgery, conferring a lower risk of new neurologic deficits and improved patient prognosis. Beyond neurosurgery, it has broad applications to additional areas of image-guided therapy, including spine, liver, and prostate surgery.

Mots clés : surgery

Participants :
- Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies du numérique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 195914.88 €
Projet GEOMIMIC (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Deep mineralization in mafic rocks has emerged as one of the most secures technologies for long-term carbon sequestration. Although small-scale validations have shown promising results, the fracture-controlled hydraulic properties of mafic rocks are still not properly understood, which imposes significant uncertainties for industrial-scale operation. The objective of GEOMIMIC is to develop a better understanding of fluid flow and fracture-matrix interaction to improve carbon mineralization efficiency in fractured mafic reservoirs. In the outgoing phase at Georgia Institute of Technology (USA), we will develop a comprehensive taxonomy of mafic rocks, which will set the foundations for a screening framework to evaluate potential storage sites. We will also provide new fundamental knowledge on transport properties and coupled hydro-chemo-mechanical processes in fractured media using an innovative experimental setup for studying reactive fluid transport in fractured samples. We will perform complementary numerical simulations for upscaling testing results to the field spatial and temporal scales relevant to carbon mineralization. Finally, in the return phase at Universidade da Coruña (Spain), we will use for the first time a testing approach originally conceived to measure rock fracture toughness, to assess coupled chemo-mechanical phenomena. GEOMIMIC will contribute to the selection of suitable CO2 storage sites and accelerate the design and operation of field validations, which is urgently required as climate change intensifies. This MSCA PF will provide me a unique opportunity to learn core technical skills in subsurface applications, as well as key transferable skills to become an independent researcher. I will take fully advantage of available facilities and support from my supervisors, who are highly experienced experts in the subject-matter of the project and are in an excellent position maximize the outputs of the project and benefit my future career.

Mots clés : carbon sequestration carbon mineralization fluid rock interaction mafic rocks fractured reservoirs

Participants :
- Georgia Institute of Technology (Etats-Unis) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université de La Corogne (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 236499.6 €
Projet GAUSS (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Grammar Assistance Using Syntactic Structures.  In the times when a human's right to a cultural identity is often at odds with the standardized requirements placed by e.g. employment systems, automatic grammar coaching serves an important purpose of advising on standard grammar varieties while not imposing social pressures typical for a traditional grammar classroom or reinforcing established social roles. Such systems already exist but most of them are for English and few of them offer meaningful instructive feedback. Furthermore, they typically rely completely on neural methods, which means they require huge computational resources which most of the world cannot afford. I propose a grammar coaching system for Spanish that relies on (i) a rich linguistic formalism capable of giving informative feedback; and (ii) a new, faster parsing algorithm which makes using this formalism practical in a real-world grammar coaching application. My approach is feasible for any language for which there is a formalized grammar and is less reliant on hugely expensive and environmentally costly neural methods (while still benefiting from them where appropriate). I thus seek to contribute to Greener AI and to address global education challenges by raising the standards of inclusivity and engagement in grammar coaching while retaining the precision of systematized linguistic knowledge.

Mots clés : parsing, parsing speed, hpsg, syntax, grammar, l2, second language learning, grammar coaching

Participants :
- Université de La Corogne (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 165312.96 €
Projet DEADSharks (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The ancient elasmobranchs (sharks + rays) have the potential to provide great insight into evolutionary processes over large timescales, but this potential is limited by a poor understanding of the relationships between living and extinct groups and the timing of major divergence events. In this project I will address these knowledge gaps by combining new 3D tomographic data on key Mesozoic elasmobranch body fossils with genomic and anatomical data from their living relatives. I will then use this and a dataset of 3D elasmobranch lower jaws to investigate the dynamics of elasmobranch macroevolution, using the rate and mode of lower jaw shape evolution as a case study. In doing so I will build on my existing background in palaeobiology and 3D methods by learning new skills in genomics-based phylogenetics and 3D geometric morphometrics, while developing my skills as a supervisor, communicator, and leader. These new skills, along with the scientific groundwork laid by this project, will give me the tools to pursue an independent programme of research in the longer term, investigating the early evolution of elasmobranchs by combining data from animals both living and extinct.

Mots clés : chondrichthyans, elasmobranchs, evolution, palaeobiology, phylogenetics, macroevolution, disparity, mesozoic, tip dating

Participants :
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 187624.32 €
Projet TOXCHIP (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Aquatic ecosystems are facing increasing pressure from contaminants, including nanoplastics (NPLs). These particles pose serious risks to organisms, as they can cross epithelial barriers and cause adverse effects. However, identifying the concrete impacts of NPLs remains challenging due to methodological flaws in traditional static methods. NPLs tend to aggregate in static water, altering their interactions with organisms and causing inconsistencies in data and cause-effect relationships. To address these challenges, Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC) technology is proposed in TOXCHIP. LOC systems integrate multiple laboratory functions onto a single chip, creating microenvironments that simulate natural aquatic conditions. These microenvironments regulate flow rates, shear forces, and mixing, preventing conditions that promote NPL aggregation and enhancing the accuracy of ecotoxicological assessments. By creating a more dynamic and controlled fluidic environment, LOC devices offer a powerful solution to understanding the risks of NPLs. High-throughput screening technologies like LOC represent a significant advancement toward more accurate, cost-effective, and ethical analysis. The next generation of risk assessment will most likely rely on such advances to protect human and environmental health in the face of a complex pollution landscape. The anticipated outcomes have the potential to push the boundaries of aquatic ecotoxicology by offering groundbreaking insights and more precise evaluations of plastic pollution’s real-world impacts. Beyond its scientific contributions, TOXCHIP holds significant economic and societal implications. This pioneering approach supports the EU’s mission to protect biodiversity and enhance water quality and lays the groundwork for future risk assessment frameworks. By generating reliable, actionable data, TOXCHIP will bolster the development of science-based regulations and policies, ultimately advancing a more sustainable aquatic future.

Mots clés : environmental risk assessment, ecotoxicity, plastic pollution, microfluidics

Participants :
- Institut de Recherche et d’Innovation en Santé de l’Université de Porto (Portugal) — Partner, associated partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €
- International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (Portugal) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 207183.12 €
- Université de La Corogne (Espagne) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet MOTM (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Background. The tumor microenvironment markedly limits intra-tumoral T cell motility and the contact with tumor cells. Such a defective intra-tumoral motility of T cells is one of the main reasons explaining why current treatments based on reinvigoration/infusion of T cells to fight human solid cancers are unsuccessful. Metabolic reactions support T cell migration. Although T cell metabolism is severely de-regulated within different tumor areas, how this specifically affects intra-tumoral T cell motility is unknown. This aspect is important, since the metabolism of tumor-infiltrating T cells could be in principle easily modulated, opening a window of opportunity to improve current immunotherapy approaches against solid cancers, whose ineffectiveness is often associated with a poor intra-tumoral T cell motility.  Objectives. I want to understand (i) which are the metabolic determinants of T cell motility, (ii) how the metabolic alterations within the TME affect T cell motility, and (iii) how to manipulate the metabolism of T cells and CAR T cells to improve their intra-tumoral motility and anti-cancer response.  Main Methodologies. Viable tissue slices from human and murine tumors will be used to measure intra-tumoral T cell motility (real-time imaging microscopy) and metabolism (multiparameter imaging approaches, spatial gene expression, histo-cytometry) and to assess the consequences of the manipulation of the metabolic milieu on T cell distribution and motility. Also, CAR T cells will be engineered with new metabolism modules to improve their infiltration into solid tumor.  Expected Results. The findings of this project will provide new insights into (i) how to improve the metabolic regimen of human solid cancer patients to increase T cell infiltration into tumor islets, and (ii) how to improve the infiltration of CAR T cells during adoptive cell immuno-therapy approaches by modulating their metabolism.

Mots clés : t cell, cell migration, cell metabolism, anti tumor response, live imaging microscopy

Participants :
- Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 211754.88 €
Projet BelowGround (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Our planet is in a biodiversity crisis. To counteract biodiversity loss, the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 aims to protect vulnerable ecosystems, reverse ecosystem degradation, and restore biodiversity on agricultural land. However, successful restoration and conservation of plant diversity is hindered by limited understanding of the principles that govern the ability of plant species to coexist and drive plant diversity. My proposed research aims to address the major challenge of restoration and conservation of plant diversity by examining how soil microorganisms contribute to plant species coexistence. My project will draw together fundamental coexistence theory and state-of-the-art knowledge from plant ecology, microbial ecology and soil ecology to reconcile how pathogens and mutualists drive plant coexistence. To develop successful strategies of conservation and restoration of plant diversity it is critical to define a single predictive theory on the role of soil microbes in plant coexistence. I propose to reconcile pathogen- and mutualist-driven coexistence hypotheses into a single framework by addressing two objectives:  Along a successional vegetation gradient in which belowground interactions switch from pathogen to mutualist dominated, I will 1) identify which pathogenic and mutualistic microbes plants accumulate with increasing intra-specific density, and 2) determine how these soil microbes influence host plant coexistence. Results will uncover the role of pathogens and mutualists in driving coexistence and whether these different groups of players are mutually exclusive or act simultaneously. This will lay the foundation for urgent tailor-made applied research on the key processes that need conservation and restoration of grassland systems, and uncover the drivers that steer plant community succession towards biodiverse ecosystems.

Mots clés : above belowground interactions, plant soil feedback, microbial ecology, coexistence, successional gradient

Participants :
- Académie royale néerlandaise des arts et des sciences (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 203464.32 €
Projet NeGeMat (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The current electronics present in everyone’s daily lives are made up of several different materials, some of which are scarce, toxic or even both. Developing new toxic-free widely available materials that could take part in the same processes would help the environment, with less toxic elements being disposed of. Furthermore, using widely available elements could also lead to a lower price, making electronics more available throughout the world. This project focuses on the synthesis of thin films of two materials, which would be a world first, formed of widely available, non-toxic elements, Sr3GeO and Sr2MnGe2O7. The first is a narrow band gap semiconductor, and could replace highly toxic ones in use as mercury cadmium telluride. The second has recently been proposed as a Weyl semimetal. The fabrication of these materials as epitaxial thin films will enable the development of devices based on them, bringing us forward to greener electronics and creating scientific knowledge on new materials and their properties that could lead to many more applications.

Mots clés : epitaxial growth, topological materials, semimetals, thermal transport

Participants :
- Université Drexel (Etats-Unis) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 261380.64 €
Projet EPOMA DESO (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Interfacing between humans and machine using the sense of touch through ‘haptic devices’, is becoming increasingly important for consumer electronics, robotics, medical and automotive applications. One bio-inspired way to achieve this is by developing soft haptic skins that can both part and receive information through touch. However, developing soft haptic skins which have a significant tactile response and are robust enough for daily use in heavy use consumer applications is challenging. Our approach uses novel self-healing elastomers to create haptic skins in the form of dielectric actuators. By combining the self-healing elastomers with custom design approaches we also show higher spatial resolution and a larger tactile response in comparison to existing approaches. This allows for the creation of transparent, highly stretchable and self-healing haptic skins opening up their use in far more heavy use domains. The market for haptic devices is large, and is estimated to reach $4. 5 billion by 2026. This is particularly driven by the need for novel machine-human interactions in the automotive, industrial machinery and medical industries. These market segments require reliable, robust haptic skins which can withstand high usage whilst providing a strong tactile response. We believe our haptic skin will allow for implementation and use in these high value target markets allowing for haptic skins to be used in a wide range of new and exciting application areas. The aim of this project is to bring our haptic skin to market by: performing market studies to quantify the economic margin and identify most promising markets; establishing links with industrial partners and customers; developing and optimizing haptic skins for robustness and tactile response to meet the demands of industry partners; running user studies using the proof-of-concept devices to benchmark and establish the benefits to industry.

Mots clés : electroactive polymers, self healing, dielectric elastomers actuators, liquid metal, soft robots

Participants :
- Université de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 181152.96 €
Projet H2-IMPACT (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

H2-IMPACT seeks to transform anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) technology to enable sustainable large-scale green hydrogen production. The project addresses critical challenges, including the need for cost-effective, durable, and platinum group metal (PGM)-free electrocatalysts, as well as the stability of membrane-electrode assemblies (MEA).  To overcome these issues, H2-IMPACT implements innovative catalyst synthesis methods that precisely regulate electronic structures, maximize active site density, and enhance ionic conductivity. This includes the creation of high-performance Ni-based catalysts doped with high-valent metals, confined within porous carbon supports for anode and cathode. The project also develops a groundbreaking ionomer-free MEA design with a strip-shaped hydroxyl ion conduction pathway to control local pH and enable in situ/operando analysis under real operating conditions. H2-IMPACT aims to deliver a cost-effective 5-cell AEMWE stack prototype (TRL4), targeting hydrogen production costs below €2.5/kg and a lifespan exceeding 5,000 hours. The project focuses on four core objectives: designing durable PGM-free electrocatalysts, fabricating stable ionomer-free MEA, developing high-performance AEMWE cells, and demonstrating a large-scale prototype integrated with solar energy. The project strategy combines advanced materials science and electrochemical techniques to optimize AEMWE performance.  H2-IMPACT will significantly enhance my research profile by providing multidisciplinary training in hybrid catalyst synthesis, operando/in-situ techniques, and scientific communication. It will also expand my professional network in technologies, such as metal-air batteries for bifunctional air electrodes. Additionally, I will contribute my expertise in electrolyzers to the host institution. The outcomes of H2-IMPACT will support the EU's green hydrogen strategy, promote renewable energy integration, and create new economic opportunities.

Mots clés : platinum group metal free electrocatalysts, water electrolysis, sustainable green hydrogen production, membrane electrode assembly, anion exchange membrane

Participants :
- Université de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 209914.56 €