Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ARICE (Twinning for the Armenian Research Infrastructure on Cancer Research (ARICE))
Reporting period: 2021-12-01 to 2023-12-31
Armenia has a very high incidence and mortality of cancers, as well as a very high prevalence among rare malignant diseases, while it underperforms in cancer research when compared to the EU average. ARICE aims to increase the cancer research infrastructure capacities in Armenia, through integrating a robust pathology and genomic background with state-of-the-art biobanking to a research-ready data structure at YSMU. This will be achieved by establishing close cooperation between researchers from multiple specialties hosted by YSMU with the leading expert-institutions in the field and by facilitating spread of the competences at institutional, national and regional levels. New scientific developments in the field of cancer prevention, particularly in biomarker research and large population-based investigations will facilitate success in cancer research. Eventually, acquired competences will be easily transferable to other fields of research related to medicine, biology, medical ethics, health-economics and biostatistics in Armenia and in the wider Caucasus region.
After systematic and detailed analysis, YSMU has developed an initial Roadmap which primarily concerns with institutional level for cancer research and requiring infrastructure which will also serve at national and society levels to have a strategic impact on cancer research in Armenia. ARICE addressed the application of regulatory standards to the research use of biological specimens and associated data, including of genomic data which is not regulated or could be complicated by a variety of organizational issues. Eventually, YSMU developed and updated the National Cancer Research RoadMap to achieve excellence in cancer research in Armenia. This document is a fundamental review and strategic plan for further research performance and its achievements.
Within the scope of the ARICE project (Twinning for the Armenian Research Infrastructure on Cancer Research), the European partners provided YSMU with 71 Standard Operating Procedures. Furthermore, YSMU for modernization and excellence of research adapted and/or developed and eventually implemented institutional documents for use in cancer research and biobanking.
The first research results were published in the "Human Genome Variation" international peer-reviewed journal authored by the YSMU scientists. The second publication of ARICE researchers from MedUniGraz, IARC and YSMU was the book entitled “Biobanks in low- and middle-income countries: relevance, setup and management” which introduces the fundamentals of biobanking and guides through the practical planning. In further, three publications devoted to core analysis of cancer in Armenia as well as ARICE methodology to strengthen cancer research were published. Several YSMU researchers and students became co-authors of another book titled “Digitalization of Medicine in Low- and Middle-Income Countries”.
The ARICE also boosted the strategic scientific thinking of the YSMU through promoting of development organizational learning and its incorporation with the research strategy of the university. In parallel, ARICE supported to the development of the Research Center of Excellence in the YSMU as one of the prerequisites required for the cutting-edge research. This supported the development of one research proposal “Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (DAIM)” as well as involvement in other European cancer research proposal.
Initially, online 2 training courses were organized with participation of wider audience delineating issues of state-of-the-art cancer research. During 2022-2023 Participant institutions organized 4 training courses covering broad research topics of cancer as well as research management and competence gaining in research funding. Eventually, special workshops organized by the ARICE participants during 23-24 June, 2023 were made possible of participation of more than two hundreds of national stakeholders of the ARICE project, including researchers, students, physicians and civil society participants.
Project consortium has followed the Communication and Dissemination plan to mobilize multiple stakeholder support and ensure the widest distribution of project achievements. Following to the development of project website (http://www.arice.am(opens in new window)) it became accessible through the link also from the web-sites of the coordinator and partner country universities as well as Social media platforms, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc. An online opening conference of ARICE was officially held on February 12, 2021 gathering participants of the project consortium. To strengthen the role of medical genetics education and new master and clinical residency programs in partner universities, TV and Youtube broadcasting programs were prepared and realized. The YSMU presented its first scientific results to whole oncological society of Armenia during the first Armenian Oncological Congress of 2021. Final results of the ARICE project were summarized in the form of the conference organized by the YSMU in Yerevan, 22 June, 2023. Meanwhile ARICE project results were disseminated in different European and international stages, including ISBER 2022 and 2023, Digital Davos 2022 and 2023, World Innovation Summit for Health in Doha, 2022, ESHG 2023 conference in Glasgow.
Within the scope of the ARICE project (Twinning for the Armenian Research Infrastructure on Cancer Research), the European partners provided YSMU with 71 Standard Operating Procedures. Furthermore, YSMU for modernization and excellence of research adapted and/or developed and eventually implemented institutional documents for use in cancer research and biobanking.
The first research results were published in the "Human Genome Variation" international peer-reviewed journal authored by the YSMU scientists. The second publication of ARICE researchers from MedUniGraz, IARC and YSMU was the book entitled “Biobanks in low- and middle-income countries: relevance, setup and management” which introduces the fundamentals of biobanking and guides through the practical planning. In further, three publications devoted to core analysis of cancer in Armenia as well as ARICE methodology to strengthen cancer research were published. Several YSMU researchers and students became co-authors of another book titled “Digitalization of Medicine in Low- and Middle-Income Countries”.
The ARICE also boosted the strategic scientific thinking of the YSMU through promoting of development organizational learning and its incorporation with the research strategy of the university. In parallel, ARICE supported to the development of the Research Center of Excellence in the YSMU as one of the prerequisites required for the cutting-edge research. This supported the development of one research proposal “Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (DAIM)” as well as involvement in other European cancer research proposal.
Initially, online 2 training courses were organized with participation of wider audience delineating issues of state-of-the-art cancer research. During 2022-2023 Participant institutions organized 4 training courses covering broad research topics of cancer as well as research management and competence gaining in research funding. Eventually, special workshops organized by the ARICE participants during 23-24 June, 2023 were made possible of participation of more than two hundreds of national stakeholders of the ARICE project, including researchers, students, physicians and civil society participants.
Project consortium has followed the Communication and Dissemination plan to mobilize multiple stakeholder support and ensure the widest distribution of project achievements. Following to the development of project website (http://www.arice.am(opens in new window)) it became accessible through the link also from the web-sites of the coordinator and partner country universities as well as Social media platforms, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc. An online opening conference of ARICE was officially held on February 12, 2021 gathering participants of the project consortium. To strengthen the role of medical genetics education and new master and clinical residency programs in partner universities, TV and Youtube broadcasting programs were prepared and realized. The YSMU presented its first scientific results to whole oncological society of Armenia during the first Armenian Oncological Congress of 2021. Final results of the ARICE project were summarized in the form of the conference organized by the YSMU in Yerevan, 22 June, 2023. Meanwhile ARICE project results were disseminated in different European and international stages, including ISBER 2022 and 2023, Digital Davos 2022 and 2023, World Innovation Summit for Health in Doha, 2022, ESHG 2023 conference in Glasgow.
The ARICE project
1) empowered research excellence of YSMU in the particular field of cancer research in 3 main directions: increased number and quality of researchers working on cancer, multidisciplinary capacity built for research and policy, and increased use of existing research infrastructure,
2) enhanced the reputation, attractiveness and networking channels of YSMU into cancer through unique, multidisciplinary approach combining large-scale study design, biobanking,
3) improved capability to compete successfully for international research funding through specific training in research modeling and proposal writing,
4) illustrated the expected potential impact of the project at national and international levels: increased number of peer-reviewed publications, successful development of international grant applications in relevant areas, new research and innovation projects with participation of scientists involved in ARICE, contracts with international partners for use of YSMU’s biobanking resources, new and innovative institutional products implemented in research in general.
ARICE generated 5 main exploitable results during and beyond the project funding period with wider socioeconomic impact and implementation in health care:
1) New data processing methodologies for biobanks in cancer research. The implementation of the biobanking methods will considerably improve the quality of data gathered by YSMU researchers and will make the biobank data more attractive and useful to other researchers in the cancer research field.
2) Development of protocols for cancer research that will improve decision making in public health infrastructure for interventions.
3) Training programmes carried out in the scope of ARICE will be used to develop training for other research institutions.
4) The cancer research protocols developed in the project can be expanded to other geographical regions.
5) ARICE SWOT and Risk analyses to develop project’s exploitable results into commercial products, including ethical and legal risks.
1) empowered research excellence of YSMU in the particular field of cancer research in 3 main directions: increased number and quality of researchers working on cancer, multidisciplinary capacity built for research and policy, and increased use of existing research infrastructure,
2) enhanced the reputation, attractiveness and networking channels of YSMU into cancer through unique, multidisciplinary approach combining large-scale study design, biobanking,
3) improved capability to compete successfully for international research funding through specific training in research modeling and proposal writing,
4) illustrated the expected potential impact of the project at national and international levels: increased number of peer-reviewed publications, successful development of international grant applications in relevant areas, new research and innovation projects with participation of scientists involved in ARICE, contracts with international partners for use of YSMU’s biobanking resources, new and innovative institutional products implemented in research in general.
ARICE generated 5 main exploitable results during and beyond the project funding period with wider socioeconomic impact and implementation in health care:
1) New data processing methodologies for biobanks in cancer research. The implementation of the biobanking methods will considerably improve the quality of data gathered by YSMU researchers and will make the biobank data more attractive and useful to other researchers in the cancer research field.
2) Development of protocols for cancer research that will improve decision making in public health infrastructure for interventions.
3) Training programmes carried out in the scope of ARICE will be used to develop training for other research institutions.
4) The cancer research protocols developed in the project can be expanded to other geographical regions.
5) ARICE SWOT and Risk analyses to develop project’s exploitable results into commercial products, including ethical and legal risks.