As in previous years, Synapse is glad to contribute to the conference proceedings by speaking about our areas of expertise. In this case, our CEO Carlos Díaz represented his executive role as Coordinator of Neuronet (Efficiently Networking European Neurodegeneration Research).
Funded by the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), Neuronet was established as a platform connecting research projects (all launched by IMI), with the aim to aid progress and expedite the delivery of novel treatments for neurodegenerative diseases (ND) such us Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis.
In the session titled: “Collaboration and best practice: common challenges & lessons learned from the Innovative Medicines Initiative neurodegeneration portfolio”, Carlos introduced this challenging initiative by showcasing the idea to enhance the links between these projects and how they may make findings more visible for society.
This session was dedicated to lessons learned within Neuronet on topics such as: data sharing, health technology assessment, and ethics and patient privacy. In this context, Lewis Killin, Project Manager at Synapse, gave a talk about sustainability. Although focussed on discussions held within Neuronet, the broader learnings and findings he presented have direct relevance to projects outside of IMI and ND, and underlined a central aspect of the support Synapse provides its projects.
Later, Carlos Díaz presented some of the main achievements of the Neuronet project in the session: “Looking to the future: Impact of the Innovative Medicines Initiative’s neurodegeneration portfolio”.
The first achievement, which the project is actively working on, is Neuronet’s NEURO Cohort, which aims to integrate and share specific dementia data through the Medical Informatics Platform, involving just under forty different sites around Europe and currently progressing a pilot with seven sites.
Secondly, the Knowledge Base & Asset Map bring together key information about the various projects in the IMI ND portfolio. This comprehensive resource is an integral part of Neuronet’s endeavour to boost collaboration across the research portfolio by assisting in identifying gaps, multiplying the portfolio’s impact, and enhancing its visibility with related initiatives in Europe and worldwide.
Synapse has strong experience in managing research initiatives in the field of Alzheimer’s disease, also belonging to both the AMYPAD and EPAD Consortia, similarly represented in this conference.
The main aim of NEURONET is to set up an efficient platform to boost synergy and collaboration across the IMI projects of the Neurodegenerative Disorders (ND) portfolio, assisting in identifying gaps, multiplying its impact, enhancing its visibility, and facilitating dovetailing with related initiatives in Europe and worldwide.