Welcome to the fifth
issue of the Neuronet newsletter!
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We hope this newsletter finds you well. This fifth newsletter issue provides you with up-to-date insights on the Innovative Medicines Initiative’s (IMI) research efforts to tackle challenges in neurodegeneration.
Our programme actively connects 18 research projects. We are happy to welcome the IDEA-FAST project, which has recently joined the Neuronet programme. The aim of IDEA-FAST is to identify digital endpoints for fatigue and sleep disturbances that will provide a more sensitive, reliable measure of the severity and impact of these symptoms in a real life setting.
We are delighted, as ever, to share the progress we are making with Neuronet. There are many highlights including the launch of the social media campaign to highlight the value of public-private collaboration. We also had our IMI Mid-Term Review held online in June where each of the work package leaders and members of the ExCom were given the opportunity to present Neuronet to a panel of independent experts. The evaluators were pleased with the project, its progress and contingency plans we have in place. It was a successful Mid-Term Review meeting with much positive feedback, and constructive advice on how to meet our ambitious objectives.
An important date for your calendar: the annual Neuronet event will be held online, during the 30th Alzheimer Europe Conference. IMI project collaborators will present their work on data sharing, ethics and regulatory interactions. In a Roundtable session, IMI project leaders will address the challenges experienced by public-private partnerships during the COVID-19 pandemic, discussing how research will evolve in the critical post-COVID period. Neuronet is also dedicating a session to early-career researchers working on IMI projects.
As always, this newsletter also provides you with updates on progress and achievements from the IMI neurodegeneration research projects. Last but not least, we'd like to highlight that this issue also features a spotlight on two early-career investigators. We spoke to Shruti Desai and Rebecca Pinto who told us about their respective work on the PD-MitoQUANT and PD-MIND projects.
Happy reading and stay safe!
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Carlos Díaz
Neuronet Project Coordinator
CEO, SYNAPSE
Research Management Partners
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Lennert Steukers
Neuronet Project Leader
Associate Director,
Clinical Scientist, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV
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Interviews ___________________________________________________________________
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Spotlight on early-career investigators: a Neuronet interview with Rebecca Pinto
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I am currently setting up the PD-MIND clinical trial, a multi-site trial that will be conducted in the UK, Norway, Czech Republic, Italy and Germany. As trial manager I am responsible for the set-up of the study, which has included developing trial documentation and co-ordinating the preparation of all applications for national and local approval.
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Leadership blog with Diana O’Rourke from NICE
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As NICE is the co-lead for Work Package 1, my main involvement in Neuronet has been in leading regular work package calls as well as undertaking some of the key tasks and deliverables for the work package. This has included gathering project information, analysing the portfolio and undertaking a mapping exercise of global research in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Spotlight on early-career investigators: a Neuronet interview with Shruti Desai
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By the time I was looking for a second postdoc, an opportunity to work on Parkinson’s disease in PD-MitoQUANT presented itself, it felt like a privilege to be part of this consortium. Working with different groups of experts has immense benefits. There is a flow of information and materials that makes science drive faster and smoother.
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News ___________________________________________________________________
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Neuronet receives positive feedback from its Mid-Term Review
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Earlier this summer, Neuronet underwent a thorough Mid-Term Review at the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI). We are happy to report that our independent evaluators concluded that Neuronet is well on track to meet its ambitious objectives: to connect and support the diverse projects of the IMI neurodegeneration portfolio, enhancing their visibility and multiplying their impacts on neurodegeneration research, for the benefit of patients and society as a whole.
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Mobilise-D Technical Validation Study has started recruiting subjects
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Mobilise-D centres involved in the data collections have been given green light to go back to their laboratories to refresh and retest protocols, and test the use of tools, novel sensors and software needed for collecting the data. Everything is now well prepared, and the team is delighted to be able to welcome participants to start data collection in Germany, United Kingdom and in Israel.
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The IMI IDEA-FAST project has joined the Neuronet programme
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The aim of IDEA-FAST project is to identify digital endpoints for fatigue and sleep disturbances that will provide a more sensitive, reliable measure of the severity and impact of these symptoms in a real life setting. The project will run for 66 months, consisting of 2 phases: an initial pilot study for testing and prioritising several digital devices and to identify candidate digital endpoints, followed by a large longitudinal study to validate findings for the most promising digital endpoints.
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RADAR-AD clinical study officially starts
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The first participant to take part in the RADAR-AD study was included on 10 July in the project’s clinical site in Thessaloniki, Greece. This first visit marks the start of the remote monitoring trial of the RADAR-AD project. In the upcoming weeks the RADAR-AD consortium expects more inclusions to follow at its other clinical sites.
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ADAPTED has entered its final month
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The ADAPTED project has started on 1st October 2016 and comes to an end on 30th September 2020. The ADAPTED members are very busy as they work on collecting the remaining data and completing the final analyses which were delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
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In Silico World opens a new channel on the use of Digital Health in regulatory clinical trials
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Neuronet launches its social media campaign “The value of public-private collaboration & findings highlights”
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Neuronet has launched a new campaign to highlight the value of public-private collaboration. It starts on September to capitalise on the increased public attention on neurodegenerative diseases during World Alzheimer’s Month. The social media campaign will conclude on October 20th, in time to build up awareness towards Neuronet’s yearly event.
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Event ___________________________________________________________________
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EU research collaboration in neurodegeneration research
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Neuronet's annual networking and communication event will highlight Innovative Medicine Initiative projects that work in the area of neurodegeneration research. This event will also feature a Neuronet session for early-career reseachers to showcase the breath and depth of IMI-funded neurodegeneration research.
The event will take place at the Alzheimer Europe Conference. Registrations close on Monday 19 October 2020.
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Neuronet project newsletters ___________________________________________________________________
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European Quality In Preclinical Data Newsletter
September 2020 (EQIPD)
Find out about recent development of the EQIPD Quality system, the new partnership with IMI-PainCare as well as the virtual EQIPD stand and campfire session at the 33rd ECNP congress in the most recent EQIPD newsletter!
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What we are talking about ___________________________________________________________________
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On World Alzheimer’s Day, Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) has launched the World Alzheimer Report 2020: Design, Dignity, Dementia: dementia-related design and the built environment. This year, the report is looking at progress to date, pioneers and innovators, design principles, application, regional and cultural contexts, the importance of including people with dementia in all aspects of design, and poignantly the role of design during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond.
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Funding ___________________________________________________________________
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This project has received funding from the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking (JU) under grant agreement No 821513. The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and EFPIA and Parkinson’s UK.
Any related content solely reflects the author's view and neither IMI nor the European Union, EFPIA, or any Associated Partners are responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein.
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