Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Neo-PRISM-C (Neo-PRISM-C: NEurodevelopmental Optimal-Predictors, Risk factors, and Intervention from a Systems approach to Maladjustment in Children)
Período documentado: 2018-12-01 hasta 2020-11-30
Mental health disorders pose a massive economic and societal burden. Emerging early in development and resulting in long-term disability, neurodevelopmental dysfunctions (NDD) compromise the quality of life of millions of Europeans, with implications for the sustainability of health systems and the likelihood of achieving the Europe 2020 strategy on economic growth. The indirect costs of mental dysfunctions, estimated by the European Brain Council (EBC) at ~800 billion euros per year, make up around 40% of the total costs, making the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental health problems is a public health challenge. Most urgent are mental health problems that arise in early development since disability at this stage affects the entire lifespan and predicts later dysfunctions (see http://www.braincouncil.eu/ activities/projects/).
The Neo-PRISM-C, a four-year project funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 Program (H2020-MSCA-ITN-2018) under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network (2019-2023) aims to study neurodevelopmental dysfunctions (NDD). The purpose of the Neo-PRISM-C ETN is to train Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) from multiple disciplines (psychology, neuroscience, data science) in applying the Research Domain Criteria approach, a novel framework initiated by the USA National Institute of Mental Health1 for understanding psychopathology, in order to inform and begin to test appropriate treatments. Neo-PRISM-C is expected to further understanding of NDD and improve the competitiveness of EU health professionals and scholars, providing the market with highly-skilled researchers and clinicians.
In doing so, we aim to explore the probabilistic relationships between multiple levels of analysis (e.g. genetics, neural systems, cognition, environmental influences) and different remedial outcomes, cutting across clinical diagnostic boundaries, for informing research on mental health. Theoretical and predictive models adhering to the RDoC may help to address the considerable heterogeneity and comorbidity in NDD. Also, training a new generation of researchers within this framework is expected to improve the understanding of brain and behavior, enhance diagnosis and clinical formulation, develop personalized treatments, support prevention of NDD, and eliminate the disparities in underserved populations, including gender disparities. To attain this objective, our theoretical framework addresses (a) protective and risk factors, (b) multiple levels of analysis (genetic and environmental, neural, cognitive, and behavioral), (c) bidirectional connections between constructs within each level, and (d) bidirectional relationships between levels, accounting for interactions between protective and risk factors. As a result, ESRs are expected to gain significant skills in statistical and experimental methods, data science, neuroimaging, Randomized Clinical Trials (RCTs), the link between clinical science and clinical practice, and other transferable skills, enabling the ESR to excel in a number of future scientific areas and/or continue within areas of industry relevant to biomedical data and data science.
This multi-disciplinary and cross-sectorial training program for understanding NDDs, to our knowledge, currently does not exist in Europe.
1 Insel, Cuthbert et al. (2010). Research Domain Criteria (RDoC): Toward a new classification for research on mental disorders. Am J Psychi 167, 748 -751.
The Neo-PRISM-C, a four-year project funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 Program (H2020-MSCA-ITN-2018) under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network (2019-2023) aims to study neurodevelopmental dysfunctions (NDD). The purpose of the Neo-PRISM-C ETN is to train Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) from multiple disciplines (psychology, neuroscience, data science) in applying the Research Domain Criteria approach, a novel framework initiated by the USA National Institute of Mental Health1 for understanding psychopathology, in order to inform and begin to test appropriate treatments. Neo-PRISM-C is expected to further understanding of NDD and improve the competitiveness of EU health professionals and scholars, providing the market with highly-skilled researchers and clinicians.
In doing so, we aim to explore the probabilistic relationships between multiple levels of analysis (e.g. genetics, neural systems, cognition, environmental influences) and different remedial outcomes, cutting across clinical diagnostic boundaries, for informing research on mental health. Theoretical and predictive models adhering to the RDoC may help to address the considerable heterogeneity and comorbidity in NDD. Also, training a new generation of researchers within this framework is expected to improve the understanding of brain and behavior, enhance diagnosis and clinical formulation, develop personalized treatments, support prevention of NDD, and eliminate the disparities in underserved populations, including gender disparities. To attain this objective, our theoretical framework addresses (a) protective and risk factors, (b) multiple levels of analysis (genetic and environmental, neural, cognitive, and behavioral), (c) bidirectional connections between constructs within each level, and (d) bidirectional relationships between levels, accounting for interactions between protective and risk factors. As a result, ESRs are expected to gain significant skills in statistical and experimental methods, data science, neuroimaging, Randomized Clinical Trials (RCTs), the link between clinical science and clinical practice, and other transferable skills, enabling the ESR to excel in a number of future scientific areas and/or continue within areas of industry relevant to biomedical data and data science.
This multi-disciplinary and cross-sectorial training program for understanding NDDs, to our knowledge, currently does not exist in Europe.
1 Insel, Cuthbert et al. (2010). Research Domain Criteria (RDoC): Toward a new classification for research on mental disorders. Am J Psychi 167, 748 -751.
The following activities were implemented for the Neo-PRISM-C project:
1) Kick-off meeting (Management Meeting I)-held on February 15-16, 2019 at the University of Cyprus (minutes, the formation of the SB-Supervisory Board, the EC-Educational Committee and DOC-Dissemination and Outreach Committee).
2) Neo-PRISM-C website, Facebook page, Twitter page, Instagram and YouTube pages
3) Announcement of the 15 ESRs job positions
4) Consortium Agreement
5) Recruitment of 15 ESRs
6) Individual ESR Projects (IPs)
7) Data Management Plan
8) Joint Training Certificates for ESRs
9) Fall School-held on October 3-6, 2019 hosted by the University of Cyprus
10) 1st Training Workshop on Methods, October 13-14, 2020, online
11) 2nd Training Workshop on Cognitive Systems I, November 9-15, 2020, online
12) Review of ESRs CDPs by SB
13) Secondment agreement and plan for ESR 10 (Maria Ioanna Zavogianni, Nov-Dec 2019) and for ESR12 (Iouliani Pachiti, June 2020).
1) Kick-off meeting (Management Meeting I)-held on February 15-16, 2019 at the University of Cyprus (minutes, the formation of the SB-Supervisory Board, the EC-Educational Committee and DOC-Dissemination and Outreach Committee).
2) Neo-PRISM-C website, Facebook page, Twitter page, Instagram and YouTube pages
3) Announcement of the 15 ESRs job positions
4) Consortium Agreement
5) Recruitment of 15 ESRs
6) Individual ESR Projects (IPs)
7) Data Management Plan
8) Joint Training Certificates for ESRs
9) Fall School-held on October 3-6, 2019 hosted by the University of Cyprus
10) 1st Training Workshop on Methods, October 13-14, 2020, online
11) 2nd Training Workshop on Cognitive Systems I, November 9-15, 2020, online
12) Review of ESRs CDPs by SB
13) Secondment agreement and plan for ESR 10 (Maria Ioanna Zavogianni, Nov-Dec 2019) and for ESR12 (Iouliani Pachiti, June 2020).
Neo-PRISM-C is unique in its focus on the theoretical, technological and scientific challenges of using a new research framework, to prepare a new generation of researchers who will apply novel approaches and broad skills to understand, prevent and treat NDD and other mental health problems:
1. It tackles the European burden associated with mental health, during an early, formative stage of the brain and psychological development, which predicts later dysfunction. In doing so, it remains consistent with the EBCl’s prioritization of disorders of the brain for funding.
2. It applies for the first time in Europe the RDoC framework to understand NDDs. This novel perspective has rarely been used to study NDDs in childhood, despite its clinical potential. Our ETN is unique in its aim to introduce RDoC into wider clinical and educational settings, supporting, thus, the study and treatment of pediatric groups.
3. It embeds world-leading research into a training program which provides ESRs with the technical and methodological skills and understanding that will enable them to engage in cutting-edge interdisciplinary research.
4. By including beneficiaries and partners from the industry and clinical domains, it potentiates exposure of ESRs to the needs of society. This will maximise opportunities for innovation and develop a cross-disciplinary professional network of a new.
Therefore, the impact of the Neo-PRISM-C Project is aimed to be multidimensional, as it will enhance the career perspectives and employability of ESRs through skills development.
The current Neo-PRISM-C ETN trains a new generation of scholars and clinicians in childhood mental health with a unique perspective and broad, multi-disciplinary and inter-sectoral skills. Through its training program, Neo-PRISM-C contributes explicitly to ESRs professional growth by:
1. Linking basic research to clinical and industrial applications
2. Linking methodological developments to applications
3. Formulating a personal Career Development Plan (CDP) to address individualized training needs
4. Supporting scientific training with transferable skills
5. Career Development
6. Ensuring the further success of the network through self-sustainability of the partnership after the end of the Project
1. It tackles the European burden associated with mental health, during an early, formative stage of the brain and psychological development, which predicts later dysfunction. In doing so, it remains consistent with the EBCl’s prioritization of disorders of the brain for funding.
2. It applies for the first time in Europe the RDoC framework to understand NDDs. This novel perspective has rarely been used to study NDDs in childhood, despite its clinical potential. Our ETN is unique in its aim to introduce RDoC into wider clinical and educational settings, supporting, thus, the study and treatment of pediatric groups.
3. It embeds world-leading research into a training program which provides ESRs with the technical and methodological skills and understanding that will enable them to engage in cutting-edge interdisciplinary research.
4. By including beneficiaries and partners from the industry and clinical domains, it potentiates exposure of ESRs to the needs of society. This will maximise opportunities for innovation and develop a cross-disciplinary professional network of a new.
Therefore, the impact of the Neo-PRISM-C Project is aimed to be multidimensional, as it will enhance the career perspectives and employability of ESRs through skills development.
The current Neo-PRISM-C ETN trains a new generation of scholars and clinicians in childhood mental health with a unique perspective and broad, multi-disciplinary and inter-sectoral skills. Through its training program, Neo-PRISM-C contributes explicitly to ESRs professional growth by:
1. Linking basic research to clinical and industrial applications
2. Linking methodological developments to applications
3. Formulating a personal Career Development Plan (CDP) to address individualized training needs
4. Supporting scientific training with transferable skills
5. Career Development
6. Ensuring the further success of the network through self-sustainability of the partnership after the end of the Project