Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet 3DMETACARE (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Breast Cancer Brain Metastases (BC-BM) signifies second most common (30%) among all cancers, majorly effecting women population in the age group 45-69, and almost 40% of BC patients have been diagnosed with BC-BM during BC disease conditions. Conventional BC-BM management (chemo + radiotherapy), despite of progression into loco-regional therapies, have showed major limitations for effective management of BC-BM includes blood–brain barrier (BBB) in brain and substantial diagnosis at preliminary stage of disease. In last two decades several pre-clinical and clinical investigations of BC vaccines based on tumour-associated antigens and tumour-specific antigens approaches but none of the has been approved for either treatment or prevention. However, messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccination has the potential to expand the responders using targeted lipid nanoparticles (LNP) to counter challenging tumor microenvironment (TME) and BBB obstacles for metastatic tumour. Thus, 3D-METACARE will be focused on the fabrication of targeted LNP-HER2+mRNA immunotherapy decorated with mannose to effectively target Macrophage mannose receptor 1 with improved permeation through BBB and will target BC-BM. Followed by, robust 3D spheroid (cancer cell lines) and organoid (cancer tissues) model of BC and BC-BM, respectively will be established as effective preclinical models for understanding metastatic behaviour of HER2+ cancer and screening of anticancer therapies. Further, in-vitro 3D models will be conjugated with modified Raman spectroscopy techniques (SERS, CARS and SERM) for quantitative determination of the immunotherapeutic impact (T cell analysis) of LNP-mRNA in the ex-vivo BC and BC-BM models and metabolic activities in the native TME. Overall, 3DMETACARE will be novel interdisciplinary (nanotechnology+bioengineering+photonics) platform converging on current EU’s leading cancer research priorities such as early diagnosis and targeted therapeutics.

Mots clés : lipid nanoparticles, 3d tumor spheroid, raman spectroscopy, raman microscopy, anticancer, metastasized breast cancer, mrna

Participants :
- Université de Limerick (Irlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 268568.64 €
Projet ENIGMA (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

A central challenge in the study of the history of humanity is to understand how evolution has shaped who we are today. Neanderthals are our closest relatives in the human evolutionary family tree. Therefore, understanding the differences and similarities between Neanderthals and Anatomically Modern Humans (AMH) is crucial for defining our phylogenetic history. Bone palaeohistology, the study of the microstructure of fossilized tissue, offers scientists a window into the past: Mineralized tissue keeps a record of an individuals' growth and adaptive responses, therefore allowing us to study aspects of life history long after fossilisation. Due to the rapid increase of cutting-edge technology of Virtual Histology, we can image the internal microstructure of bone without inflicting damage to the material. This allows for the high-resolution study of important fossils, including those of early humans. Although of such high potential, bone histology is still a highly understudied field in human anatomical evolution. In this project, I combine advanced X-ray techniques (synchrotron- and lab-based phase-contrast microtomography, synchrotron X-ray fluorescence and infrared spectroscopies) with the investigation of a large sample of skeletal elements from the Krapina Neanderthal collection (dated 130 +/- 10 kya), Croatia, to investigate detailed aspects of their developmental biology. I will do this by 1) Establishing the preservation state of the Neanderthal fossil remains, 2) Examining the speed of maturation of juvenile Neanderthals and 3) Assess the type and intensity of Neanderthal physical activity and environmental adaption. Finally, I will employ the newly acquired knowledge and skills to valorise the 3D modelling of fossil bone microstructure for museum and outreach purposes in commercial settings. The results of ENIGMA will significantly contribute to our understanding of Neanderthal biology, and with that, help us to further define what it means ‘to be human’.

Mots clés : bone histology, life history, human evolution, ontogeny, synchrotron radiation, physical activity, adaptation, tomography, science communication

Participants :
- Université du Kent (Royaume-Uni) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- AREA Science Park (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 215937.6 €
- Zoic srl (Italie) — Partner, associated partner, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 0.0 €
Projet RESPIRE (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Pulmonary cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Surgery is associated with high morbidity and operative mortality. One of the main causes of the poor survival rate is cancer relapse at the surgical resection margins. Thus, developing a strategy to minimize the local recurrence rate of lung cancer efficiently is greatly needed. Nanotechnology-assisted approaches, such as nanoparticles (NPs) and nanofibers (NFs) obtained via electrospinning could enable novel strategies to fabricate better performing implantable devices, including localized drug delivery systems. Many working parameters affect the final outcomes in electrospinning and different fibrous architectures can be generated, much is still to be understood to precisely control, and ultimately predict the mechanical, physico-chemical, and bioactive properties of the resulting meshes, which are essential in pulmonary tissues. The Postdoctoral Fellowship Researcher (PFR) has studied biodegradable fibers as drug delivery systems in her Ph.D. and Post Doc and herein aims to develop a biodegradable nanofibrous patch based on elastin (i.e., the native component of the pulmonary tissues) containing chemotherapeutics via electrospinning/electrospray. To achieve this ambitious goal, the PFR needs to learn multiscale materials design and artificial intelligence to precisely match the mechanical properties of lung tissue, which will be addressed during the outgoing phase at MIT. PFR will also investigate the encapsulation of chemotherapy and immunotherapy inside electrosprayed NPs, will model release mechanisms at MIT and will analyze drug release effectiveness in an in vitro model at UTRGV (i.e., secondment) to be used for a biologic assessment in the returning phase at the UNIPI. The multidisciplinary approach (engineering, biology, materials and medical sciences), will accelerate the development of innovative clinically oriented prototypes and will contribute to the ER’s scientific and personal.

Mots clés : lung cancer, electrospinning, nanoparticle, drug delivery, silk, elastin, computational modeling, machine learning

Participants :
- Institut de technologie du Massachusetts (Etats-Unis) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université du Texas (Etats-Unis) — Partner, associated partner, Organismes publics (hors enseignement & recherche), subvention : 0.0 €
- Linari engineering srl (Italie) — Partner, associated partner, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 0.0 €
- Université de Pise (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 445401.9 €
Projet TFNMPC (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The research proposal aims at investigating the relationship between transnational fatherhood, negotiation of masculinity, and parental care practices among Pakistani migrant men in Italy. The migration patterns prompted by socioeconomic factors, traditional gender roles, and improved quality of life in certain regions have led to a surge in migration predominantly by men. This study seeks to explore how transnational fathers navigate their roles across family, work, and society and use digital communication tools to maintain family connection. Guided by an intersectional perspective and innovative methodologies, this research project focuses on the experiences of Pakistani migrant men. The research objectives include investigating the impact of transnational fatherhood on the construction and negotiation of masculinity, exploring the role negotiation of migrant fathers, understanding the interplay between migration, masculinity, emotions, and transnational fatherhood, and analyzing how digital communication technologies influence fatherhood and care practices. By focusing on Pakistani migrant men, this research addresses a critical gap in the literature surrounding masculinity, fatherhood, and emotional care. In light of the statistics revealing the substantial influx of male migrants, particularly from South Asia, this project becomes pivotal for addressing this. The research design employs a variety of qualitative methodologies including in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, observations, and content analysis. The primary and secondary sample respondents consist of Pakistani migrant men with and without families in Italy, Italian natives interacting with Pakistani migrants, field experts and other stakeholders. The sampling strategy involves purposive selection and aims to achieve data saturation. This project aims to shed light on the complex dynamics of transnational fatherhood, masculinity, and parental care in the digital age.

Mots clés : masculinity, parenthood, transnational fatherhood, communication and digital technology, relationship studies, gender

Participants :
- Université Ca' Foscari de Venise (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 188590.08 €
Projet ECOCIT (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Focusing on the intellectual history of the early welfare state, ECOCIT examines three discourses of economic governance of the early French Third Republic: solidarisme, social Catholicism, and revolutionary syndicalism. My innovative research hypothesis is that these traditions emerged from a same late 19th century context, marked by rising tensions between an expanding industrial capitalism and the consolidation of mass democracy. Representing alternative answers to the same set of questions, these discourses not only interacted with each other, but also set the key terms of the later interwar debate on the compatibility between parliamentarism and economic-based forms of citizenship. Two research objectives follow: examining previously neglected interactions between these discourses and, second, mapping the debate in terms of their vision of the relation between welfarism, democracy, and the state, so as to better trace their interwar legacies. Methodologically, I integrate the traditional tools of intellectual history with quantitative methods borrowed from sociology – social network analysis, essential for exploring interactions – and a morphological approach developed in the field of ideology studies, important for mapping the welfare debate. Complementing my previous work on Sorelian syndicalism, the project contributes to a wider research agenda that investigates how late 19th century discourses of economic governance shaped the much more well-known ideological clashes over liberal democracy in the interwar years. A book proposal on this wider theme is among the project’s deliverables. Besides rejuvenating the historiographies of the three discourses (which fail to address the question of interactions) and granting me competence in new research methods, the project allows me to begin tackling a question that is relevant both to welfare state studies and to the history of political thought, allowing me to develop my work towards greater interdisciplinarity.

Mots clés : solidarisme, revolutionary syndicalism, social catholicism, french third republic, corporatism, church state cleavage, parliamentarism

Participants :
- Université Ca' Foscari de Venise (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 172750.08 €
Projet MONICA (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The offshore marine area of Cap de Creus (NW Mediterranean), characterised by its complex geological setting and rich epibenthic ecosystem, was declared a Site of Community Importance (SCI) of the Natura 2000 Network in 2014. Although environmental factors play a fundamental role in the distribution of benthic fauna, commercial fishing was found to exert a significant effect on the diversity and structure of benthic communities, especially on the soft-bottom areas of the shelf. The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) determines that thematic strategies should be implemented to preserve its marine resources following an ecosystem-based approach, setting environmental targets and implementing a monitoring program to evaluate if conservation objectives are met. There is currently an array of imaging technologies at our disposal that could be used to monitor the benthic ecosystems of this SCI, but most would require highly elevated budgets to be operated on a regular basis. In this scenario, the project MONICA aims to explore the potential of recently developed low-cost imaging technologies (i.e., the Azor drift-cam) to explore and monitor the shelf and slope habitats of Cap de Creus to provide a cost-effective response to the demands of the MSFD. With this technology, MONICA will identify changes in the composition and structure of benthic communities since the creation of the SCI and generate a new baseline for the implementation of a correct monitoring program. Furthermore, it will employ low-cost Baited Remote Underwater Videos (BRUVs) to characterise the demersal fish assemblages and determine the functional role of benthic communities. If successful, these technologies could open the doors to generate essential data at a significantly lower cost in other areas of the Mediterranean to assist in decision-making processes and policy development for the conservation and restoration of marine biodiversity in times of rapid changes.

Mots clés : underwater imaging technology, benthic communities, continental shelf, submarine canyon, ecosystem based management, marine strategy framework directive

Participants :
- Fundacion biodiversidad (Espagne) — Partner, associated partner, Autres, subvention : 0.0 €
- Conseil supérieur de la recherche scientifique (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 165312.96 €
- Université de Plymouth (Royaume-Uni) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet AI INFLUENCE (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

This project investigates the emergence of AI influencers on social media, which include fictional avatars with human-like personas and AI doubles of human influencers who chat with their followers via direct messages (a new feature on Instagram). Preceded by a range of CGI-constructed virtual influencers entirely scripted by human creators, newer AI influencers are created and operate by way of various large language model (LLM)-powered tools, from text-to-image generators that can be used to make avatars to text generators that allow these entities to make post captions, comments, and send direct messages. Given their ability to automate the affective labor that goes into crafting an “authentic” personal brand, a key dimension of social media-centric brand culture, AI influencers are increasingly featured in marketing campaigns as models and brand ambassadors. Working across the disciplines of feminist media and cultural studies as well as digital anthropology, I explore the social implications and political economy of the convergence of generative AI technologies and brand culture, emphasizing the growing technologically-mediated role of language in the so-called “creator economy” on social media platforms. The project is based on digital ethnographic fieldwork designed to demonstrate the function and impact of what I term the “probabilistic storytelling” of AI influencers, which reflects both the probability-based semantics of LLMs and the ways in which these stories are interpreted and shaped in human social media user imaginaries and practices.

Mots clés : social media influencers, authenticity, generative ai, affective labor, brand culture

Participants :
- Université Ca' Foscari de Venise (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 193643.28 €
Projet SHIPPAN (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The Covid-19 pandemic that has shaken the planet since 2020 put mechanisms of globalisation to the test and shows that free movement of people and goods rests on fragile foundations. A better understanding of the societal issues at stake requires a step back to the Late Modern period. From the second half of the 19th century onwards, colonial empires were at their peak, with well-established situations of domination on trade routes. Steam navigation brought people closer together, reducing distances and increasing chances of contagion. Meanwhile, medical and hygienic progress made it possible, if not to cure, at least to better identify and contain epidemics.  This innovative project will provide a social history of health at sea during the first half of the 20th century. A necessary transnational approach to break from the local case studies on a global topic in its essence. The study aims at understanding how empires dealt with pandemics, how sanitary control was managed onboard and wishes to explore how health management was, above all, a personal issue for seafarers and passengers. Such an overlapping of scales allows to study official sanitary regulations as well as concrete hygiene habits, to compare the development of medical station and staff onboard and the implementation of new means of control (health checks and passports, hospital ships, massive vaccinations, etc.). Shipping lines were at the forefront of progress in terms of sanitary risk management.  Global History needs anchors to remain feasible: Hong Kong, Marseille and San Francisco will serve as landmarks. The programme is designed from an excellent knowledge of French and Hong Kong maritime archives, and from the need to explore American material in order to propose a complete and effective approach. The chosen host institution and supervisor are also the driving forces behind this research as they offer an innovative and challenging vision of imperial, social and intersectional history.

Mots clés : maritime health liners sanitary crises hygiene harbours merchant navy hong kong marseille san francisco

Participants :
- Université d'État de Californie (Etats-Unis) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université d'Angers (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 335734.08 €
- French lines & compagnies (France) — Partner, associated partner, Organismes publics (hors enseignement & recherche), subvention : 0.0 €
Projet MCG-QUAD (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

MCG-QUAD is an integrative study of G-quadruplex (G4) multimers—noncanonical DNA structures—providing a framework to interpret experimental data and connect a microscopic view to macroscopic observables through a novel multiscale in silico approach. G4s are ubiquitous in the genomes of higher eukaryotes and are believed to play key roles in various biological processes. The presence of G4s in the telomeric region has been shown to inhibit telomerase, opening the possibility for G4-stabilizing compounds to be used as anticancer medications. Sequences that form G4s exhibit long folding timescales. G4s are highly polymorphic structures with long-living quasi-stable topologies, a complexity further compounded in multimers. Structural information on G4 multimers is limited, and existing data often lack physiological context. A novel computational approach is necessary to address open questions about the folding/unfolding dynamics of telomeric sequences into G4 multimers, their structure, topological phase space, the role of crowders, and the effects of ligands on G4 formation, stabilization, and properties. Through a combination of classical bottom-up coarse-graining and recent developments in machine learning, MCG-QUAD provides scalable and accurate models that enable bulk, long-timescale simulations. These simulations will be combined with in vitro observables to elucidate previously inaccessible phenomenology, forming an integrative study of G4 multimers in crowded environments. Furthermore, MCG-QUAD explores the interaction of G4 multimers with ligands to inform the design of new anticancer drugs, pushing beyond the limitations of existing in vitro and in silico studies. In collaboration with leading experts and institutions, MCG-QUAD will generate knowledge for the development of effective G4-targeting therapies and a broader understanding of biomolecular behaviour in complex environments, extending beyond cancer research.

Mots clés : g quadriplex, biopolymers, machine learning, bottom up coarse graining, potentials of mean force, molecular dynamics, anti cancer drugs

Participants :
- Université de Rome « La Sapienza » (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 209483.28 €