ERACoSysMed - Collaboration on systems medicine funding to promote the implementation of systems biology approaches in clinical research and medical practice

ended

Systems medicine is a new approach which integrates biological and medical data with mathematical and computational modelling in order to understand the underlying mechanisms of disease and to develop new strategies for individualised diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Systems medicine can fill the gap between experimental data produced by modern technologies and medical knowledge. Through the implementation of systems biology approaches in both clinical research and medical practice systems medicine will provide a new tool to clinicians that will change the capabilities of the clinician to diagnose and treat patients faster, better and more effectively – a tool, which has the potential to become a generic prerequisite for any personalized or P4 medicine approach. The central idea of ERACoSysMed is to implement systems biology approaches in medical concepts, research and practice by structuring, coordinating and integrating national efforts and investments during its project duration of five years. To achive this main goal the specific objectives of ERACoSysMed are: 1) Strengthen the systems medicine community both across national borders as well as across specific research areas 2) Establish a network of funding bodies to sustainably implement systems medicine across Europe 3) Launch joint trans-national research calls with the aim to push forward the desired paradigm shift towards P4 medicine 4) Provide a platform for the implementation of the actions recommended by the CASyM road map For this aim Joint transnational calls (JTCs) for research proposals will be implemented. As a first step a co-funded JTC call will be launched with the aim to select transnational research projects in a competitive approach that shall demonstrate the social and economic benefit of the systems medicine approach. The consortium intends to implement further JTCs and other networking activities in order to keep alive the momentum which will be created by the co-funded JTC.