ELF is a partner in four large EU-funded projects: UBIOPRED, AIRPROM, EARIP and FRESHAIR.
The AirPROM project is in its final year. On 9-10 December, 2015, AirPROM researchers met at the University of Sheffield to discuss how to bring together their different mathematical, statistical, computational and 3D micro- and macro-scale models of the airways.
The ultimate aim is to integrate these different models to enable more personalised treatment and monitoring in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
In 2015, U-BIOPRED officially came to an end, but study results are still to be published. The U-BIOPRED patient input platform (PIP) is still working hard to promote the project and the lessons learnt from it. ELF, together with the PIP and other project partners, is working on a booklet on patient involvement in EU-funded research projects.
The booklet will provide useful guidance to patients and professionals who are involved in EU projects, from writing project proposals, to implementing project activity, to promoting and communicating about projects. It will be published in early 2016, so keep your eye on the project website.
ELF is currently working on an analysis of gaps in asthma research and how to tackle them in the future. ELF and Asthma UK, together with a steering group of eight patients, patient and professional organisation representatives, primary care professionals and asthma specialists, have worked on the priorities of asthma research for a European roadmap.
The aim of the roadmap is to set the research agenda for increased investment for asthma research. It is hoped that both EU funding agencies and private donors will find the roadmap useful to shape future asthma research.
ELF participated in the kick-off meeting for the new FRESH AIR project in Amsterdam on 26-27 October, 2015.
FRESH AIR is a Horizon 2020-funded research project focused on the urgent need to prevent, diagnose and treat non-communicable lung diseases in Greece, the Kyrgyz Republic, Uganda and Vietnam – countries with high levels of smoking and exposure to household air pollution.
The large partnership includes the International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG) and KU Leuven, who will work together to adapt and test innovative ways to implement evidence-based practice in these countries.
In 2016, ELF hopes to participate in new patient-centred research projects in response to the calls for proposals for the Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Initiative and Horizon 2020.
Patient involvement and a patient-centred approach are high on the European Commission agenda and are becoming a prerequisite for health and wellbeing research projects. Therefore, healthcare professionals, researchers and patient organisations writing proposals for projects involving patients should contact Irene Ferrario, our EU projects coordinator.
