LongITools team meeting: Progress, planning, discussion and collaboration

We held our 6th General Assembly Meeting in Rotterdam on 8th to 10th February 2023. It was a great opportunity for discussion, to review progress and plan for the remaining two years of the project.

On the first day, we focused on ensuring we are addressing the objectives and aims of the project and highlighting how the developing analysis, models and metadata catalogue can be put into practical use across all teams. We also held a policy workshop to explore the links between science and policy in the context of the exposome and cardiometabolic health across the life-course.

The second day saw many of the LongITools Early Career Research Network present their ongoing research projects, sharing their latest findings and next steps. There was also a demonstration of the healthcare assessment system developed by SME Partners Ab.Acus and CyNexo with the University of Barcelona.

From left to right: Christopher Castleton (Cynexo), Marina Camacho and Daniela Paula (University of Barcelona), Maria Bulgheroni and Valentina Simonetti (Ab.Acus), and Stefano Parusso (Cynexo)

We ended the day with presentations from External Advisory Board Member, Leena Vuotovesi, and Professor Roel Vermulen who talked to us about cities boosting sustainability and implementing change. We were joined by a few local stakeholders, and it was great to have an opportunity discuss how science can contribute to policy.

In the remaining time, we discussed capacity building and running a summer school for exposome research in the context of life-course trajectories.

Our management team were then joined by the management team from Eximious to progress activities in relation to the European Human Exposome Network, currently led by both projects. A key focus was the next EHEN Conference to be held at the end of May 2023.

All in all, the meeting was engaging and inspiring, providing the opportunity for meaningful discussion and collaboration.

The LongITools Consortium in Rotterdam and online