Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : HyperQC (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Condensed matter physics
Entité participante : Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology — Pays : Suisse — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : ETH Zurich
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2328648.75 €

Hyper Quantum Criticality – HyperQC is a major initiative with the aim of generating and controlling novel phases of correlated magnetic quantum matter, and of exploring them in high-precision experiments. A combination of new capabilities enabled by the development of instrumentation, pioneering ultra-fast studies and experiments on magnetic model materials will allow both the exploration of fundamental Hamiltonians and fully quantitative tests of quantum criticality in hyper-parameter space: temperature, magnetic field, pressure, energy, momentum and time. HyperQC - Challenge. Direct control of the dimensionality, symmetry, chemical potential and interactions in magnetic materials is achieved by a new experimental set-up combining high magnetic fields and pressures with ultra-low temperatures, which will be installed on neutron scattering instruments at the Swiss Spallation Neutron Source SINQ. Experiments on a number of magnetic model materials allow the realization and high-precision measurements of the multi-dimensional quantum critical properties of systems including magnon Bose-Einstein Condensates, spin Luttinger liquids and renormalized classical ordered phases, as well as of other many-body phenomena in quantum spin systems. HyperQC – Vision. Experiments on the time-dependent, non-equilibrium properties of quantum magnets and quantum critical points are new. Ultra-short laser and X-ray pulses are able to alter and measure the lattice, spin, orbital and electronic properties of solids, which has been demonstrated in recent experiments on multiferroic materials and superconductors. The effects of such pulses on a number of well-characterized model quantum magnets will be investigated with the aim of studying the time-dependent dynamics of quantum critical systems for the first time.

Mots-clés : magnetism,quantum criticality,spectroscopy
Projet ERC : SymPAtHY (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing
Entité participante : Sapienza University of Rome — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1497831.0 €

Hypertension (HTN) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. During past decades, several therapies have been developed to afford an optimal blood pressure (BP) regulation. However, the prevalence of uncontrolled HTN continues to rise, with a number of patients still resistant to all ongoing antihypertensive treatments, raising unsolved mechanistic challenges. In the last years, the most attractive novelty in HTN postulated that immune system has a crucial role in BP raising, as well as in end-organ damage. Several advances have been done in this field, but clear mechanistic explanations of how the immune system gets activated under hypertensive challenges is still unknown. It is becoming increasingly clear that, even in the regulation of body hemodynamic, the immune system and the autonomic nervous system serve as two major “sensory organs” capable to be activated upon manifold hits that perturb homeostasis. SymPAtHY is a multidisciplinary strategy aimed at discovering how nervous and immune systems couple in HTN. The concept of this project is to dissect the neuro-immune pathway responsible for BP rising and end-organ damage. The articulation in 3 MAIN AIMS will allow to afford the mechanistic insights from different perspectives. The overall objectives are as follows: 1) Central nervous system relay station coupling immunity and hypertension. 2) Splenic immune mechanisms: from sympathetic drive to T cell egress; 3) T cells in target organs: from the spleen to vessels and kidney. The results of this strategy will unravel important new mechanistic insights in HTN and particularly will have significant implications for understanding how immunity and autonomic nervous system cooperate to rise BP. Based on the emerging view of HTN as an “immune disorder”, we believe that this strategy will add decisive knowledge in this field that could pave the way for developing immunotherapies for the treatment of resistant HTN.

Mots-clés : autonomic nervous system,splenic immune system,vascular biology
Projet ERC : REALTA (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Proof of concept grants)
Entité participante : National University of Ireland — Pays : Irlande — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : NUI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 149954.0 €

Hypertension directly causes approximately 25% of heart attacks in Europe and, in its progressed form of cardiovascular disease, it is estimated to cause 42% of all deaths across Europe annually. Untreated hypertension is one of the primary contributors to a number of the medical conditions with the greatest burden of care, including stroke, dementia and kidney failure. One of the most promising avenues for the treatment of hypertension has been research into primary aldosteronism (PA). In the last ten years, PA has been recognised as the most common curable cause of hypertension. PA is thought to account for up to 18% of all cases of hypertension within the population and is caused by benign shallow adenomas on the surface of the adrenal gland. Researchers have identified the effective treatment of PA as a clear mechanism to address Europe’s hypertension problem. However, finding an effective surgical or pharmaceutical treatment for PA has been challenging to date. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has also been evaluated for the treatment of adrenal cancer . RFA involves the insertion of an ablation needle into adrenal adenoma and passing high frequency electrical current into the gland. The weakness of RFA is that it produces a large ablation zone, which is particular problematic in a small organ typically less than 5cm3 in volume. In many cases, a large proportion of the functional cortex tissue surrounding the adenoma can be destroyed during the RFA process , thereby negating the benefit of the RFA over the traditional adrenalectomy approach. An ideal ablation technology would involve a custom-designed microwave ablation device capable of destroying the shallow adrenal adenoma, while simultaneously protecting the delicate tissue of the remaining gland. That is precisely what is proposed in the REALTA project.

Mots-clés : hypertension,medical devices,conn s syndrome
Projet ERC : COSIP (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases
Entité participante : National University of Ireland — Pays : Irlande — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : NUI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1499431.0 €

Hypertension is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) globally, accounting for 25-35% of the population-attributable fraction. Sodium (salt) intake is a key determinant of blood pressure, and reducing sodium intake has emerged as an important target for population-based interventions to prevent CVD. However, there is considerable uncertainty about the optimal level of sodium (salt) intake that is associated with lowest CVD risk, and whether optimal levels differ for different populations and individuals. In this proposal, we will answer key fundamental research questions about the association of sodium intake with blood pressure and CVD risk. Our research challenges current guideline recommendations of low-sodium intake for all populations. Specifically, we will: a) determine whether sustained (long-term) low sodium intake is associated with beneficial (or adverse) effects on established and novel CV biomarkers. b) explore whether inter-daily ‘pattern’ of sodium intake is an important determinant of 24-hour blood pressure pattern; c) determine whether the association between sodium intake and CVD varies by ethnicity, sex, age, other dietary factors (e.g. potassium intake), or other factors in 2 large international epidemiologic studies (PURE and INTERSTROKE; n>125,000 individuals). d) quantify the population-attributable fraction of excess sodium intake on global burden of CVD (stroke, myocardial infarction, heart failure and CV death), and model the potential impact of various population-based approaches to reducing sodium intake; e) determine whether sodium intake is associated with other vascular-related clinical conditions, namely including atrial fibrillation, cognitive impairment and falls (providing novel information); f) determine whether genetic variants associated with ‘salt sensitivity’ and hypertension are association with blood pressure and stroke, and whether these associations are modified by sodium intake.

Mots-clés : dietary intake
Projet ERC : SuperRepel (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Products and processes engineering
Entité participante : Aalto University — Pays : Finlande — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1999467.64 €

I aim to progress substantially the understanding and applications of extremely non-wetting surfaces, tying together basic research and attractive technological advancements. The first part focuses on robust synthesis methods for superslippery liquid-repellent (SS-LR) surfaces. Furthermore, using new types of ultrasensitive force measurement for droplets, I will investigate in depth the dissipation dynamics of mobile water droplets and adhesion of droplets to surfaces, to promote understanding on low-friction surfaces. The second part aims at applying these SS-LR surfaces in droplet actuation with potential to outperform existing technologies. Additionally, the potential of SS-LR surfaces for anti-icing and for preventing bio-fouling will be investigated. The research results will have a major impact on liquid-repellent technology and will explore the fundamental physical limits of non-wetting.

Mots-clés : superhydrophobic surfaces,low friction surfaces,water droplets
Projet ERC : AMPLITUDES (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Fundamental constituents of matter
Entité participante : University of Copenhagen — Pays : Danemark — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UCPH
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1499695.0 €

I propose a program of research that may forever change the way that we understand and use quantum field theory to make predictions for experiment. This will be achieved through the advancement of new, constructive frameworks to determine and represent scattering amplitudes in perturbation theory in terms that depend only on observable quantities, make manifest (all) the symmetries of the theory, and which can be efficiently evaluated while minimally spoiling the underlying simplicity of predictions. My research has already led to the discovery and development of several approaches of this kind. This proposal describes the specific steps required to extend these ideas to more general theories and to higher orders of perturbation theory. Specifically, the plan of research I propose consists of three concrete goals: to fully characterize the discontinuities of loop amplitudes (`on-shell functions') for a broad class of theories; to develop powerful new representations of loop amplitude {\it integrands}, making manifest as much simplicity as possible; and to develop new techniques for loop amplitude {integration} that are compatible with and preserve the symmetries of observable quantities. Progress toward any one of these objectives would have important theoretical implications and valuable practical applications. In combination, this proposal has the potential to significantly advance the state of the art for both our theoretical understanding and our computational reach for making predictions for experiment. To achieve these goals, I will pursue a data-driven, `phenomenological' approach—involving the construction of new computational tools, developed in pursuit of concrete computational targets. For this work, my suitability and expertise is amply demonstrated by my research. I have not only played a key role in many of the most important theoretical developments in the past decade, but I have personally built the most powerful computational tools for their
Projet ERC : SILENCE (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing
Entité participante : Helmholtz Zentrum München — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : HMGU
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1496275.0 €

I propose to decipher the unresolved molecular paradox of positive versus negative gene regulation by the Glucocorticoid Receptor (GR). GR is one of the most potent anti-inflammatory drug targets in clinical use today, and one of the most powerful metabolic regulators. Unfortunately, its unique ability to efficiently shut off inflammatory gene expression is accompanied by serious side effects. These undesired effects are attributed to the transcriptional activation of its metabolic target genes and limit its therapeutic use. SILENCE uses cutting-edge genome-wide approaches to identify the molecular mechanisms underlying the transcriptional repression, or silencing, of inflammatory genes by GR. The general, open question I want to address is how one transcription factor can simultaneously both activate and repress transcription. GR is a member of the nuclear hormone receptor family of ligand-gated transcription factors. Upon hormone binding, GR can regulate gene expression both positively and negatively, but the mechanism governing this choice is unknown. I have previously shown that classical models and existing paradigms are insufficient to explain GR-mediated gene silencing. Therefore, I postulate the existence of unknown coregulator proteins, cis-regulatory DNA sequences, noncoding RNAs, or combinations thereof. To test these hypotheses, I plan 1. a large scale RNAi screen to identify those cofactors that specify repression versus activation, 2. ChIP-exo experiments to map genomic GR binding sites at an unprecedented resolution, and 3. GRO-Seq studies to define the role of noncoding RNAs during the silencing of inflammatory genes. Inflammation is known to contribute to the pathogenesis of numerous human illnesses, including cancer, autoimmune diseases, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Understanding the specific mechanisms involved in the silencing of inflammatory gene expression carries transformative potential for novel therapies and safer drugs.

Mots-clés : nuclear hormone receptor,transcriptional repression,chip seq,noncoding rnas,macrophages,inflammation,enhancers
Projet ERC : CoPS (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Computer science and informatics
Entité participante : University of Oxford — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1480632.0 €

I propose to develop a new class of decision-theoretic planning methods that overcome fundamental obstacles to the efficient optimization of autonomous agents. Creating agents that are effective in diverse settings is a key goal of artificial intelligence with enormous potential implications: robotic agents would be invaluable in homes, factories, and high-risk settings; software agents could revolutionize e-commerce, information retrieval, and traffic control. The main challenge lies in specifying an agent's policy: the behavioral strategy that determines its actions. Since the complexity of realistic tasks makes manual policy construction hopeless, there is great demand for decision-theoretic planning methods that automatically discover good policies. Despite enormous progress, the grand challenge of efficiently discovering effective policies for complex tasks remains unmet. A fundamental obstacle is the cost of policy evaluation: estimating a policy's quality by averaging performance over multiple trials. This cost grows quickly with increases in task complexity (making trials more expensive) or stochasticity (necessitating more trials). To address this difficulty, I propose a new approach that simultaneously optimizes both policies and the manner in which those policies are evaluated. The key insight is that, in many tasks, many trials are wasted because they do not elicit the controllable rare events critical for distinguishing between policies. Thus, I will develop methods that leverage coevolution to automatically discover the best events, instead of sampling them randomly. If successful, this project will greatly improve the efficiency of decision-theoretic planning and, in turn, help realize the potential of autonomous agents. In addition, by automatically identifying the most useful events, the resulting methods will help isolate critical factors in performance and thus yield new insights into what makes decision-theoretic problems hard.

Mots-clés : decision theoretic planning,sample based planning,reinforcement learning,stochastic optimization,evolutionary computation,coevolution
Projet ERC : TUNEMEM (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Products and processes engineering
Entité participante : University of Bath — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 789823.77 €

I will develop an all new type of reactor for pharmaceutical and chemical process applications – the ‘tuneable membrane reactor’. These contain ground-breaking conducting polymer composite membranes that will allow in-situ tuning of the molecular selectivity for both neutral and charged species through them. This is revolutionary: current state-of-the-art membranes can be electrically tuned for charged species only. The project is timely, developing a new technology that can give the EU a competitive advantage for our declining pharmaceutical and (petro)chemical manufacturing base and builds on my recent research innovations. To do this, my team of 3 PDRAs, 3 PhDs and I will develop unique stable polymer-polymer acid-nanoparticle composite membranes that can be externally electrically tuned to different pore sizes and/or molecular selectivity, uniquely tuning for neutral and charged species. We will characterise the chemical, physical and transport mechanisms responsible for the membrane tuneablity and relate these to transport models. We will then determine the feasibility of applying these unique tuneable membranes into membrane reactors, to allow in-situ external control of two key reactor parameters currently not possible: (1) Membrane fouling - membrane pore size/free volume and charge will be changed by applied potential allowing the fouling layer to be pushed off/through the membrane. (2) Precise external control of the reactant and product spectrum in the reactor by modifying species retention. By doing this, these tuneable membranes can be used to control the reaction rate, emissions and catalyst retention to maximise reaction rate and selectivity. This increases energy efficiency and emission control, helping the EU 20-20-20 environmental targets to be met. The overall impact applies beyond the project – we will be able to increase the control of membrane separations used worldwide, helping industries including food, water, healthcare and chemicals.

Mots-clés : stimuli responsive materials,membrane separations,polymer materials,membrane reactors,reactor engineering
Projet ERC : Topo2DEG (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Condensed matter physics
Entité participante : IBM Research - Zurich — Pays : Suisse — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Organismes privés (hors enseignement)
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1999916.0 €

I will experimentally investigate hybrid superconductor/semiconductor devices for realizing novel topological states of matter, with interest both in fundamental physics and quantum computing applications. Common denominator of the proposed experiments is a regime where the characteristic energy scales of the system, namely Fermi energy, spin orbit interaction correction, superconducting gap and Zeeman splitting are comparable to each other, resulting in unique and mostly uncharted physical territories. Differently from the most widespread use of semiconductor nanowires coupled to superconductors, I will employ novel hybrid two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) where the superconductor is grown in-situ and matched to the semiconductor lattice. This novel system was mainly developed by the team I supervise, during the last two years. Compared to the conventional nanowire-based approach, hybrid 2DEGs are readily available, characterized by very low disorder and more amenable to complex sample designs. The work will focus on: 1) Taking full advantage of the planar geometry to study spatial and non-local properties of individual Majorana wires, as well as branched geometries. These experiments will constitute critical tests to establish if the commonly observed zero bias peaks are indeed associated with Majorana modes and pave the way to complex networks of interacting Majorana wires, a requirement for quantum computing. 2) Studying topological phenomena in multi-terminal Josephson junctions (JJs), with particular emphasis on tuning the superconducting phase difference across electrodes pairs. Topological JJs offer a new and possibly advantageous path forward to create and manipulate Majorana modes not explored up to date, including the possibility to reach the topological regime for vanishing small external magnetic fields, useful for applications. Success of the proposal will constitute a key step forward towards topological quantum computing.

Mots-clés : topological superconductivity,majorana modes,two dimensional electron gas