13 March 2015 - Workshop on "Health Research Strategic Needs in Europe"

13 March 2015 (10:45 - 16:30)

University Foundation, Brussels (BE)

The workshop report is available here.

 

The ESF Scientific Review Group for the Biomedical Sciences (SRG-MED) has discussed the necessity to create a high-level advisory group for the future of biomedical research in Europe.

The ESF SRG-MED has decided to organise a workshop in order to discuss the topics of need in the European medical research area.

The goals of the workshop and the questions to address are the following:

Aims of the workshop:
•  discuss the topics of need in the European medical research area
•  summarise the forward-looking perspectives, focusing on the current needs and foreseen gaps
•  conclude on the recommendations for the next steps and action plan
•  draft a set of recommendations to be published in a journal and handed over to, e.g., Science Europe or other stakeholder groups.

Questions:
•  What are the needs in health research in Europe?
•  What are the current gaps?
•  Which groups, stakeholders, end-users should be involved?

The main message to convey is the gap between health research funding in Europe compared to the USA. How to catch up? What is the best strategy?

Support has been obtained from the Alliance for Biomedical Research in Europe  which was represented at the workshop by Professor Karin Sipido, its President. Also, Professor Richard Frackowiak, Chair of the Science Europe Medical Sciences Committee, was present.

Agenda & Final list of participants

AGENDA

Final list of Participants

Speakers' presentations and Parallel Sessions' outcome

Discussions on the White Paper II and presentation of MED (formerly EMRC) and SRG-MED/Science Europe MED statement:  H2020 healthcare budget per year per person for health
by Roger Bouillon


Pan-European Clinical trials, EU Clinical Trials Regulation

by Øyvind Melien

Implementation of medical research in clinical practice
by Gerd Antes

Patients’ involvement and empowerment
by Ingrid Klingmann

Personalised Medicine
by Angela Brand

Open access in biomedical research
by Stephane Berghmans

European Commission’s point of view on:
•   Personalised Medicine and Clinical Trials by Cornelius Schmaltz
•   Open Access by Jean-François Dechamp

Parallel session 1: EU Clinical Trials Regulation
Moderator: Nathalie Kayadjanian / Rapporteur: Insa Bruns
   
Parallel session 2: Open Access in Biomedical Research

Moderator: Bernard Rentier / Rapporteur: Maria Manuela Nogueira

Parallel session 3: Implementation of medical research in clinical practice
Moderator: Stig Slørdahl / Rapporteur: Kirsten Steinhausen

Conclusion on gaps: What is missing in Europe?
by Karin Sipido and Roger Bouillon

List of relevant statements and publications

White Paper and Statements

The European Medical Research Councils White Paper II that was published in September 2012 (on the right hand) was used as a basis to organise this workshop, as well as:

•  The statement about health research funding in Europe that had been sent to 750 MEPs in November 2012, and article in Science Business by Professor Roger Bouillon

•  The joint SRG-MED / Science Europe Medical Sciences Committee statement updated in March 2013.

 

Personalised Medicine

Forward Look: Personalised Medicine for the European Citizen - Towards more precise medicine for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease (iPM) (November 2012)

ESF Position Paper European Biobanks and sample repositories - relevance to Personalised Medicine (May 2011)

Medical Research in Clinical Practice

Forward Look: Implementation of Medical Research in Clinical Practice (May 2011)

Science Policy Briefing:  N°45 Implementation of Medical Research in Clinical Practice (September 2012)

Clinical trials

Position Paper: Proposal for a revision of the "Clinical Trials Directive" (2001/20/EC) and other recommendations to facilitate clinical trials (December 2011)

Forward Look: Investigator-Driven Clinical Trials (March 2009)

Open Access

Science Policy Briefing: N° 47 Open Access in Biomedical Research (September 2012)

Animal use in biomedical research

Position Paper: Position on the Directive on the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes (2010/63/EU) (3rd Edition - February 2011)

Position Paper on the Proposal for a Directive on the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes (2nd Edition - March 2009)

Position Paper on the Proposed Revision of the Directive on the Protection of Animals Used for Experimental and Other Scientific Purposes (86/609/EEC) (September 2008)

Human stem cell research

Human Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine (November 2013)

Science Policy Briefing: N°38 Human Sem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine (May 2010)

Other topics

Science Policy Briefing: N°46 Medical Research Education in Europe (September 2012)

Position Paper on the Implications of the EMF Directive 2004/40/EC for European Biomedical Magnetic Resonance Research (June 2010)

Science Policy Briefing: N°43 Health Research Classification Systems - Current Approaches and Future Recommendations (November 2011)

Follow-up Paper on ESF-MED (formerly EMRC) Science Policy Briefing Health Research Classification Systems - Current Approaches and Future Recommendations (Working document April 2012)

Forward Look: RNA World: a new frontier in biomedical research (October 2010)

Science Policy Briefing: N°40 Male Reproductive Health (September 2010)