Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet DEMO (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Doctoral Networks - Industrial Doctorates
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Dementia constitutes a major burden on society, both in monetary costs and the suffering of patients and their relatives. It comprises a number of diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD). In recent years, imaging biomarkers have been developed including measures of brain morphology (MRI T1), vascular pathologies (MRI T2*/FLAIR), white matter abnormalities (MRI DWI), perfusion (MRI ASL), glucose turnover (PET FDG), and accumulation of pathological proteins (PET PIB/AV45). Quantitative measures using these biomarkers in large cohort studies have the potential to model the pathological process of the disease. This proposal would create an innovative training network, in which early stage researchers will develop new computational imaging biomarkers, under the supervision of experienced researchers, for the purpose of modeling dementia etiology. One researcher will investigate quantification of vascular pathologies, another will develop quantitative measures of white matter abnormalities from structural MRI, and the final researcher will construct a quantitative model of disease etiology using a maximum-likelihood framework. The early stage researchers will be enrolled as PhD students at University College London (UCL) under the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Medical Imaging (CDT), which is based in Centre for Medical Image Computing (CMIC), with the Dementia Research Centre (DRC) being one of the main clinical collaborators for CDT studentships. However, they will spend the majority of time at the research facilities of Biomediq A/S, Copenhagen Denmark, where they will be exposed to industry and work under professional guidance.

Mots clés : alzheimer s disease, imaging biomarkers, machine learning, quantitative etiollogical modelling, vascular dementia, vascular pathology, white matter pathology

Participants :
- Biomediq as (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 580163.76 €
- University of London (Royaume-Uni) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 130570.88 €
- University of London (Royaume-Uni) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 142717.0 €
Projet MIRIADE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Doctoral Networks
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Dementia is currently diagnosed largely based on cognitive decline, while pathology starts years before symptom onset. To make progress in the development of effective drugs for dementia, there is an urgent need for biomarkers to enable precision health: for early and specific diagnosis and objective monitoring of disease progression. With its multidisciplinary team of scientists from academia, industry, and patient organisations, MIRIADE aims to train a new generation of scientists able to optimise and accelerate development of novel biomarkers for dementia. MIRIADE will integrate biomarker discovery data from multiple platforms and develop a Dementia Disease Map to enhance biomarker identification (WP1). We will develop assays for prioritized biomarkers (WP2), and selected markers will be clinically validated (WP3). We will study pre-analytical stability and validate against regulatory requirements (WP4) and develop a roadmap for optimal biomarker development (WP5). MIRIADE will thus establish an innovative biomarker-focussed cross-sectoral research and training programme that will equip ESRs with a unique combination of skills in big data analysis, biomarker assay development, innovation management, and a thorough understanding of medical needs. This programme will provide a new task force of scientists that are optimally trained to the accelerate the biomarker development for dementias and able to progress effective biomarker tools to the clinic.

Mots clés : biomarkers, body fluids, diagnosis, disease monitoring, protein bioinformatics, data integration, novel protein detection methods, clinical validation, assay commercialisation, implementation

Participants :
- University of Gothenburg (Suède) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 553939.86 €
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 531239.76 €
- University of Ulm (Allemagne) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 252788.4 €
- University of Luxembourg (Luxembourg) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 256320.0 €
- University of Perugia (Italie) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 261499.68 €
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Suède) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 281982.96 €
- Adx neurosciences (Belgique) — Partner, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 256320.0 €
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Pays-Bas) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 1062479.52 €
- Lgc limited (Royaume-Uni) — Partner, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 303172.56 €
- Roche (Switzerland) (Suisse) — Partner, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 0.0 €
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Montpellier (France) — Partner, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 274802.04 €
Projet DemFish (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Demersal, bottom-living, fish are a globally important marine resource accounting for 35% of global fisheries catches. Future projections suggest that demersal fish community biomass will decline in most continental shelves due to climate change. Yet, these predictions have not been validated, neither across marine regions nor with shifting climatic conditions, limiting their practical use in fisheries management. My goal is to therefore integrate empirical and theoretical research and assess climate change impacts on demersal fish communities across North Atlantic shelf ecosystems. The project has three objectives (i) examine cross-regional variation and temporal change in demersal biomass and fisheries catches (ii) validate and improve a fish community model with the results of objective 1, and (iii) project how demersal fish communities will respond to future changes in temperature and resources. The project will complement my skills in theoretical modelling with training in the empirical analysis of demersal fish community data. I will be supervised by Prof. Jeremy Collie from Rhode Island University US, who is strongly qualified to supervise a project seeking to bring together these two fields. I will analyze statistical models to determine variation in demersal biomass and catches in space and time. I will validate and improve a recently developed fish community model with the obtained empirical estimates. Lastly, I will use the validated model to project changes in demersal fish community biomass and production. The project is complemented with a secondment with training in fisheries economics to assess the economic impacts of my climate change projections. The project will move from theory to nature and through time, and this integrative framework will not only provide novel insights in predicting the fish productive capacity of ecosystems, but it will also set new standards on large-scale climate change projections of fish communities.

Mots clés : trait based ecology, climate projections of fish, food webs

Participants :
- University of Rhode Island (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Technical University of Denmark (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 286921.92 €
Projet DemSupPra (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Democracy Support Practice After the Third Wave: Adapting to Change? (DemSupPra) aims to assess the significance and impact of three recent developments on the practices of international election observation and assistance: (1) rapid technological change (new voting technologies and communication revolution); (2) ‘social learning’ by autocrats, which made assaults against democratic institutions including elections less visible (‘fake compliance’); and (3) the use of the ballot box to ‘backslide’ or advance illiberal democracy (‘majoritarianism’). It asks how have these elements affected the two democracy support practices; and how have democracy supporters adapted to these developments? In doing so, the project also sets out to answers the policy relevant question, whether election observation and assistance are still fit for purpose. It seeks to suggest ways in which the effectiveness and credibility of the two practices may be strengthened, especially at a time when democracy and democratic institutions, including elections, are facing a fresh wave of contestation. The project’s objectives are to: (1) contribute to the conceptual, theoretical and methodological innovation in studies of democracy support, in particular election observation and assistance; (2) explain the impact of the three ‘crises of democracy’ developments on the two practices; (3) improve cross-fertilisation between policy practice and academic research. These objectives will be achieved through a mixed-methods approach that combines: mapping of election observation and assistance as practices and a quantitative assessment of their adaptation to change (WP1); with qualitative comparative case study design to investigate the impact of the ‘crisis of democracy’ developments (WP2); enriched by dissemination, communication and regular policy impact and public outreach endeavours (WP3); project and career management (WP4) teaching/training (WP5) and a secondment practice stage (S).

Mots clés : election observation and assistance, democracy support, crises of democracy, technological change, fake norm compliance, democratic backsliding, illiberal democracy

Participants :
- Columbia University (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 269002.56 €
Projet MEMORIES (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Dendritic information processing is fundamental to how we perceive and interact with the world around us. Spatio-temporal maps of dendritic voltage reveal how information is processed in the brain, but remain unexplored in awake animals, since no recording technique was previously available to study them. I recently developed a novel technique for spatio-temporal mapping of dendritic processing in unparalleled detail (Roome and Kuhn, 2018). My pioneering experiments provided the first observation of spatio-temporal dendritic voltage signalling in vivo. For the first time, I combined simultaneous dendritic voltage and calcium imaging with somatic recording in cerebellar Purkinje neurons of awake mice to reveal complex dendritic processes, including discrete dendritic spikelets, back-propagating action potentials and localized subthreshold signalling. Using my novel technique to record from neocortical Pyramidal neurons, I will now investigate dendritic processing in behaving mice, to explore how memories are formed during learning. I will focus on how back-propagating action potentials contribute to dendritic processing, through modulation of synaptic plasticity. The Laboratory of Sensory Processing (Prof. Carl Petersen) at EPFL, Switzerland, is specialized for investigating synaptic mechanisms of sensory processing and highly experienced in whole-cell recording and optical imaging during animal behaviour and training; all of which are critical for the success of this project. This fellowship will be instrumental in propelling a technique, that I have been committed to developing, towards state-of-the-art research in neuroscience. It will provide an ideal avenue for introducing a new technique to Europe, through a world leading laboratory, and prove invaluable for sharing skills I acquired abroad, while establishing networks and collaborations as I re-integrate into the European neuroscience community, in pursuit of a professional research carrier based in Europe.

Mots clés : dendritic information processing, dendritic integration, synaptic plasticity, voltage imaging, calcium imaging, awake mice, annine 6plus, gevi

Participants :
- Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 203149.44 €
Projet FINDER (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Dengue virus (DENV) is the most prevalent arthropod-borne viral pathogen and infects about 400 million people worldwide every year, causing epidemics that are spreading rapidly, with increased frequency and magnitude. To date, no specific treatments or a fully protective vaccine are available for dengue. In line with the Priority 3 of H2020, the development of effective therapeutic strategies against DENV is urgently needed. The purpose of FINDER is that of developing innovative anti-dengue candidate drugs able to disrupt the protein-protein interactions between the viral NS3 and NS5 proteins, two key and conserved enzymes of DENV replication complex. To this end, some druggable cavities at the NS3/NS5 interface will be identified and an in silico screening of a virtual small molecule library will be performed to search for potential inhibitors of NS3/NS5 interaction. After the selection and the biological characterization of the hits, a hit-to-lead optimization step will be carried out to find compounds with lead-like properties. Such drugs are expected to be endowed with broad-spectrum antiviral activity, a reduced risk for developing resistance and lower undesirable side-effects. Through a comprehensive dissemination and exploitation strategy, one or more drug candidates will be evaluated in the future in animal models and then in clinical trials. The outcomes of this project could fill the gap of the lack of effective anti-DENV drugs, resulting in an enormous impact on world-wide public health, as well as on the European competitiveness in this area. This project will also contribute to strengthen a wide set of skills of the applicant by a multidisciplinary training in the field of antiviral research, which will make him ready for attaining a position of independent researcher. In addition, the complementary competencies between the applicant and the supervisor will allow a two-way transfer of knowledge, leading to a benefit also for the Host Organisation.

Mots clés : dengue, dengue virus, antiviral strategy, anti dengue inhibitors, protein protein interactions, ns3 ns5 interaction interface, in silico screening, hit to lead optimization, dengue polymerase assembly

Participants :
- Cardiff University (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet SIDEW (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Dense shelf water cascading (DSWC) is an atmosphere-driven seasonal phenomenon that occurs in marine regions off Europe and elsewhere. DSWC starts when surface waters over the continental shelf become denser than surrounding waters and sink, generating a near-bottom turbulent flow that moves downslope along the seabed. This process contributes to the deep ocean ventilation and in the global thermohaline circulation (and hence global climate), and involves the massive transfer of energy and matter from shallow to deep waters. While frequently cited as a possible control of the seafloor morphology, there is a lack of studies isolating the DSWC geomorphic effects from other processes known to shape continental margins. This project aims to study the seafloor imprint of DSWC using high-resolution field data and interdisciplinary concepts. The primary focus will be on multibeam bathymetry data sets from 6 areas affected by DSWC. 8 leading research institutions committed to provide the data required. The main expected results are: 1) a better understanding of the physical processes involved in the propagation of DSWC flows, 2) a quantification of their capacity to erode and deposit sediment, and 3) a characterization of the sensitivity of DSWC formation and distribution to climate change in Polar Regions. The host institution expertise on the links between ice sheet dynamics, climate change and marine geological records will be crucial for the training of the applicant and for the success of the project. The planned secondment will add a numerical modelling component so that an in-depth knowledge of the physical processes involved in the propagation of DSWC is achieved. This pioneering work will extend European leadership in the study of DSWC, address EU challenges in the Horizon 2020 programme, and be of interest to industries exploring for natural resources. The project represents an extraordinary opportunity for the applicant to develop technically and professionally.

Mots clés : dense shelf water cascading, geomorphology, glaciology, sedimentology, oceanography, fluid dynamics, climate change, multibeam bathymetry

Participants :
- University of Cambridge (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet GLOID (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Depression produces substantial societal costs. Its cause is unknown and treatments are suboptimal. Inflammation may be involved in depression. People with depression have elevated levels of inflammatory mediators in the blood, although it is unclear whether the source is genetic, environmental, or some interaction. A likely environmental source is unhealthy lifestyle behaviours. To progress the field, studies must more directly test the causal status of the inflammatory hypothesis of depression; specifically, whether inflammation-related genetic polymorphisms or whole polygenic risk scores interact with unhealthy lifestyle in depression and its remission. I will address these unanswered questions in a Marie Skłodowska-Curie European Fellowship with Professor Penninx’s research group at VU University Amsterdam; world-leaders in the investigation of psychobiological causes of depression. I will collaborate with experts in genetic epidemiology and the inflammatory hypothesis of depression and complete sophisticated statistical analysis of data from the longitudinal Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA; PI Professor Penninx). It will result in at least four peer-reviewed research articles, related conference presentations, and opportunities to more broadly disseminate the findings. Undertaking this research along with formal training and mentoring will enhance my academic profile, scientific experience, and content expertise in the psychobiological causes of depression, to enable me to develop into an independent, leading researcher. The proposed research contributes to the EU priority of addressing “societal challenges” to improve lifelong health and wellbeing of all. Providing evidence for the contribution of genetics, inflammation and unhealthy lifestyle to depression will provide opportunities for identifying people at risk of depression, treating depression, and developing individual and public health prevention strategies.

Mots clés : determinants of disease, unhealthy lifestyle, depression

Participants :
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Pays-Bas) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 60186.02 €
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 73013.08 €
Projet OSMOTIC SEAGRASS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Desalinization has become an important water management activity, Especially in countries along the Mediterranean Seashore. Desalination produces a discard of brines which are directly discharged to the subtidal; these can cause detrimental effects on coastal communities, most of which are nurtured by seagrass meadows. Posidonia oceanica is a protected seagrass, base of the most ecologically and economically important ecosystems along the Mediterranean coast. Our project aims to assess the effects of brines on the stress metabolism of P. oceanica through laboratory- and field-based experiments. We aim to provide insights of tolerance mechanisms through observations on antioxidant metabolism, osmotic regulation and the whole transcriptome; this will be contrasted with observations on the physiology and primary metabolism. Laboratory experiments can provide valuable information on specific metabolic features but do not necessarily represent responses at the natural, more complex, environment; in contrast, field observations denote responses under realistic conditions but lack information that can be attributed to specific stressors. In this context, the latter will provide valuable information on mechanisms to thrive under hypersalinity and contribute to study biomarkers that could act as environmental biotechnology tools to follow the extent of brine impacts. The research will be led Dr. Claudio Sáez, experienced researcher in the field of biochemical and molecular stress metabolism. Groups of Prof. José Luis Sánchez-Lizaso at Universidad de Alicante (beneficiary) and Dr. Juan Manuel Ruiz at the Spanish Oceanographic Institute (secondment), in addition to the Spanish Association of Desalination and Reuse (industry link) through Dr. Domingo Zarzo, will support the researcher to develop this interdisciplinary project that merges the expertise of highly achieved scientists in the areas of ecology, physiology, biochemistry, transcriptomics and innovation.

Mots clés : marine angiosperm, desalination, brine, transcriptomics, oxidative stress

Participants :
- University of Alicante (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 172932.48 €