Title Promoter Affiliations Abstract "Preventing non-communicable diseases caused by the post-acute phase of cOvid-19 INfecTion" "Siegfried Dewitte" "Department of Marketing (main work address Leuven)" "The post-acute phase (PAP) of COVID-19, occurring ≥4 months after the acute phase, is associated with an increased risk for the development of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The risk of complications in this phase does not depend on the severity of the acute phase. In the EU, more than 183 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported and up to 70% of patients suffer reduced organ function in the PAP. Our conservative estimate it that 5% of people who have suffered COVID-19 are at risk of developing NCDs of the pulmonary, cardiovascular and renal systems due to the PAP.To avoid the significant socioeconomic costs related to this burden, POINT will develop knowledge-based biomarkers for prevention and management of NCDs, a virtual twin model that offers clinical decision support, and clinical guidelines and recommendations for the entire health care value chain with special attention to vulnerable groups. We will fulfil an unmet need for knowledge and tools to minimize the risk factors of the PAP at the optimal point in time, when healthcare systems will have to redirect their focus from the acute phase of COVID-19 to the post-acute phase. The outcomes of POINT will aid the health care value chain already from an early phase of the project. Furthermore, POINT will correlate and promote knowledge on the development of NCDs in general and the risks of PAP from other infectious diseases.POINT will meet the challenges with a holistic approach from a truly interdisciplinary consortium consisting of clinical experts, molecular biologists, behavioural scientists, and computer scientists, who will take advantage of cohorts of more than 6 million Europeans, and cross-sectional biobanks from more than 6000 Europeans. Researchers will work together with standardisation experts, an end-user organization representing >120.000 physicians, as well as a dedicated partner for data management ensuring rapid absorption of the outcomes of the project by all stakeholders." "Brain Research and Integrative Neuroscience Network for COVID-19" "Chris Baeken" "Department of Head and Skin, Maastricht University, University of Cyprus" "The Brain Research and Integrative Neuroscience Network for COVID-19 (BRAINN) will advance the research and innovation capacity of the University of Cyprus (UCY) as indicated in the ‘Widening Participation & Strengthening the ERA’ Work Programme, by twinning with three advanced partners in brain research, Maastricht University (UM), King’s College London (KCL), and Ghent University (UGent). Through networking activities, training and coordinated actions, BRAINN will develop an innovative applied neuroscience approach to characterise the effects of COVID-19 on brain health and to elevate the standards of assessment, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of patients with mental health and cognitive problems due to COVID-19. The UM, KCL and UGent teams have complementary world-renowned expertise in neuroimaging, non-invasive neurostimulation and digitalised assessment methods, extensive research management experience and active interest in post-COVID research. Engaging these teams as partners will provide the required mentoring and training towards a focused and systematic approach to neuroscience research in a mutually beneficial manner to raise the research profile of UCY, as well as strengthen the research management and administrative skills of UCY staff. BRAINN will benefit all partners, as the standardisation of assessment and treatment protocols will expedite data collection and will safeguard the sustainability and future expansion of the network. Through interdisciplinary research and development of novel methods and technologies, BRAINN will contribute to personalised treatments, bringing both UCY and Cyprus to the scientific forefront. Additionally, BRAINN will address the brain drain challenge that has increased in Cyprus over the recent years and contribute to the reduction in the burden created by COVID-19. The knowledge and methodologies produced will extend beyond BRAINN, since they will be applicable to other conditions affecting brain health, even when COVID-19 is eradicated." "Study to Understand Challenges and Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic for Adolescents Living in Urban Poor Communities" "As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds in low resource settings across the globe, there is an urgent need to understand adolescentsU+2019 perceptions about COVID-19, especially their awareness of social distancing/isolation rules, sense of personal vulnerability, and  barriers to these measures. It is also important to understand the health consequences of such policies. As the pandemic recedes, young people living in poor urban communities are likely to face dire economic conditions, altering their educational opportunities and aspirations, and their health and wellbeing. In particular, these vulnerabilities may alter adolescentsU+2019 sexual and reproductive health trajectories.To understand how best to address adolescentsU+2019 needs both during and after social distancing, we propose conducting a mixed-methods study using the existing infrastructure of the Global Early Adolescent Study (GEAS) to address the following questions:How did adolescents experience social distancing and educational disruptions? What buffers exist in their families and communities?How are their families impacted, including health and financial well-being?What types of supports do adolescents need to cope with COVID-19 and its aftermath?And ultimately, how will COVID-19 alter young peopleU+2019s health and future educational and social trajectories?" "Horizon 2020: I-MOVE-COVID-19 : Multidisciplinary European network for research, prevention and control of the COVID-19 Pandemic" "Sabine Allard, Brigitte Velkeniers-Hoebanckx" "Internal Medicine, Internal medicine, CHU de Rennes, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale, Institute of Public Health, University of Oxford, Institut Pasteur, Sorbonne Université, Instituto Nacional de Saude Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Epiconcept, European Union, External Actions, Clinical Biology, Experimental Pharmacology, Microbiology and Infection Control, Basic (bio-) Medical Sciences, Movement and Sport Sciences, Clinical sciences" "I-MOVE-COVID-19 aims to obtain epidemiological, clinical and virological information about COVID-19 and patients infected with COVID-19, through provision of a flexible surveillance platform (adaptable to the epidemiological situation), research studies, hypothesis-testing and evaluation of public health interventions (e.g. vaccination, antivirals) in order to contribute to the knowledge base, guide patient management, and inform the public health response." "Fitting inside COVID-19. Aesthetic Resilience of Contemporary Music facing a Pandemic Crisis." "Marlies De Munck" "Center for European Philosophy" "In this research, an interdisciplinary research team consisting of two musicians, a music philosopher and an art sociologist, studies the impact of COVID-19 on the aesthetic resilience of artistic production within the contemporary music sector. First, it analyzes various digital productions that were commissioned and performed during the COVID-19 lockdown, to understand the effects of digitization and other technical tools on aesthetic values and the relationship with the audience. The findings are then actively tested by experimenting with different virtual concert settings of ""FITTINGinSIDE"", a production of the Belgium-based Nadar ensemble. The central questions of this research project are: (1) How to improve the aesthetic resilience of music productions in light of the limitations of the coronavirus pandemic? And (2) how to improve the relationship with the audience of contemporary music concerts in this new reality?" "Sustainable COVID-19 Vaccination for Long-term Vaccine Immunity and Effectiveness" "Isabelle Huys" "Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy" "Despite the rapid development of various SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, the control of the pandemic is hampered by the constant emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants escaping vaccine-induced immunity and the waning of immunity. SOLVE will tackle these challenges by deciphering the mechanisms of induction of long-lasting immunity and evaluating new vaccine platforms. To achieve this goal, an integrated plan has been developed including six pillars: 1) Vaccine discovery and design; 2) Head-to-head evaluation of the immune response and long-lasting immunity induced by four vaccine platforms in the preclinical setting; 3) Validation of the pre-clinical results in an experimental medicine trial (EMT); 4) Immune mechanisms of long-lasting immunity; 5) Data Science; 6) Determinants of population adherence to vaccination. New immunogens including key mutations from most recent variants in RBD and Nucleocapsid sequences highly conserved across Sarbecoviruses, will be delivered through: antigen-targeting to dendritic cells (DC), i.e. CD40 DC-targeting, nanoparticles, a MVA vector and 2nd generations of mRNAs. SOLVE will evaluate in depth the immunogenicity of these vaccines in the preclinical setting, and in an EMT testing two vaccines, i.e. CD40 DC-targeting and MVA with available GMP clinical lots. SOLVE will benefit from the most advanced technologies to identify the mechanisms of long-lasting immunity. Integrative analyses of high throughput data, including from large cohorts, will provide insights for identification of factors (demographics, vaccines, immunity) which impact quality and longevity of immunity. SOLVE will investigate stakeholders’s perspective on the acceptability of large vaccination campaigns to improve implementation of next generation of vaccines in a preparedness track. The consortium gathers 8 renowned public/private institutions supported by a governance facilitating fast sharing of information to keep up with a tight schedule imposed by the pandemic." "Pan-European Response to the ImpactS of COVID-19 and future Pandemics and Epidemics" "Ilse Derluyn" "Department of Social Work and Social Pedagogy, Institute for Scientific Interchange, Universita della Svizzera Italiana, Centre for European Policy Studies, Goethe University Frankfurt, University of Trento, Agència de Qualitat i Avaluació Sanitàries de Catalunya, Delft University of Technology, European Patients Forum, NARODNI USTAV DUSEVNIHO ZDRAVI, London School of Economics and Political Science, Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovação, INSTITUTUL DE VIRUSOLOGIE STEFAN S. NICOLAU, PREDUZECE ZA INFORMACIONE TEHNOLOGIJE I ELEKTRONSKO TRGOVANJE BELIT DOO, École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique, FEDERATION EUROPEENNE DES HOPITAUX ET DES SOINS DE SANTE, MENTAL HEALTH EUROPE - SANTE MENTALE EUROPE, Stockholm School of Economics, INSIA, FEDERATION EUROPEENNE DES ACADEMIESDE MEDECINE, Politecnico di Milano - Department of Design, Assistance Publique U+2013 Hôpitaux de Paris, AGORA SA, GENEGIS GI SRL, Technical University of Munich, Karolinska Institute, Inserm, MODEFINANCE SRL, European Regional and Local Health Authorities, University of Pavia" "The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that effective assessment and response requires diverse data from various disciplines. Evaluating the true impact of the outbreak requires data and statistical analysis that are not always readily available. The EU-funded PERISCOPE project aims to conduct in-depth multidisciplinary research to evaluate and better inform Europe’s response to the pandemic. It does so by assessing the outbreak’s impact while taking policy measures as well as epidemiological, health, socioeconomic impacts into account. The main goal of the project is to uncover the real impact of the pandemic by providing a wealth of data and statistical information, promoting evidence-based policymaking while informing effective outbreak response." "The pandemic within: tackling brain vulnerability in COVID19 at high resolution: NEUROCOV" "Ine Van Hoyweghen" "Centre for Sociological Research" "The COVID19 pandemic has shown our health care fragility vis a vis novel pathogens, with a global disruption on societal welfare. Despite the towering success of vaccine development, lack of preparedness on integrative clinical and molecular phenotyping has emerged with clarity and highlights the need to scale translational efforts for personalized prevention and therapy. Of particular concern are the long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection with high and rising prevalence of chronic manifestations referred to as Post-COVID. Among these the neurological and psychiatric complications stand out for frequency, lack of treatment and devastating impact of their effects at pandemic scale. Here, we tackle the cognitive and neurodegenerative complications of COVID-19, referred to as NeuroCOVID, as a ticking pandemic within the pandemic that requires an innovation leap across disciplines. We pursue a multi scalar approach that reaches from epidemiology and mechanistic interrogation of host/virus interplay at single cell resolution through predictive modelling all the way to validation of biomarkers and repurposed drugs. The aim is to anticipate and effectively manage personalized trajectories of NeuroCOVID vulnerability and their impact at population level. For this we leverage two leading national health registries and three clinical cohorts to characterize the phenotypic spectrum of NeuroCOVID, its risk factors and its socioeconomic burden at high definition. We pioneer innovative robotics to scale brain organoid modelling and combine it with single cell multiOMICs and AI analytics to dissect the principles of the individual host response and render experimentally actionable the authentic genetic backgrounds of differential SARS-CoV-2 sensitivity. Through a substantive engagement of patients’ collectives and health care stakeholders, upstream integration of innovative pipelines streamlines translation and operationalizes precision medicine for emerging medical needs." "Epidemic intelligence to minimize 2019-nCoV's public health, economic and social impact in Europe (EpiPose)." "Philippe Beutels" "Hasselt University, University of Bern, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Institute for Scientific Interchange, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Centre for Health Economics Research and Modelling of Infectious Diseases (CHERMID)" "EpiPose aims to provide urgently needed answers about the epidemiological characteristics of 2019-nCoV, the social dynamics of the outbreak, and the related public health preparedness and response to the ongoing epidemic, as well as to assess its economic impact. The consortium consists of 6 partners in 5 countries (BE, NL, UK, CH, IT) who provide complementary expertise in mathematical and statistical modelling of infectious diseases, participatory surveillance systems, living systematic reviews, and health economic analysis and have a strong international public health network. EpiPose aims at a quick delivery of results, according to the following objectives: (1) To collect and share epidemiological data of 2019-nCoV as widely as possible (2) To provide country-specific estimates of key epidemiological parameters (3) To model the expect impact of 2019-nCoV on morbidity and mortality (4) To monitor awareness and behavioural change during the 2019-nCoV epidemic (5) To provide health economic analyses for interventions within the EU (6) To foster the interaction between the scientific community, public health agencies and the public EpiPose aims to make all research data, code, tools and results publicly available and its dissemination plan targets active communication and interaction with policy makers, other scientific groups and the general public. As such, the epidemic intelligence provided by EpiPose will help minimize the 2019-nCoV's public health, economic and social impact." "Wearable real-time monitoring system for COVID positive hospitalized patients in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine" "Healthcare & ethics, Limburg Clinical Research Center, Engineering Materials and Applications" "During the first COVID-19 outbreak in Europe, hospitals faced an acute demand for (ICU) beds and a high workload for personnel under difficult circumstances. The disease proved to be unpredictable and heterogeneous in its expression and course, and to require a long hospital stay. COVID-19 patients typically deteriorate very rapidly, leaving little time to initiate (oxygen) therapy, and prepare patients and relatives for a potential ICU admission. Care professionals reported they could not rely on clinical signs in predicting deterioration and making medical decisions. General nursing wards are not equipped for advanced monitoring; standard of care consists of intermittent manual measurement of vital signs only 1-3 times a day. However, continuous measurement is crucial for early detection of deterioration and minimizes undesirable physical contact. In particular, respiratory rate (RR), oxygen saturation (SpO2), heart rate (HR), and variability (HRV) are identified as important parameters in COVID-19. Anticipating a potential second COVID-19 outbreak, decision support for timely escalation to medium or intensive care is urgently needed. The need for in-hospital continuous vital signs monitoring was already addressed in the ongoing Interreg EMR project wearIT4health, in which a prototype of a decision support system at technology readiness level (TRL) 5 was developed and is currently tested in hospitals. It consists of: 1. A wearable continuous monitoring device measuring: ECG and PPG (to determine HR(V), RR, SpO2, blood pressure), activity & temperature 2. Algorithms that, based on these parameters, estimate Early Warning Scores (EWS) to support care professionals in daily practice 3. A monitoring platform to integrate the device parameters into hospital IT systems to be viewed and used by care professionals"