Smarter science: staying one step ahead of the next pandemic

As the world woke up to a global pandemic in early 2020, a new EU-funded research initiative was just getting underway – the Versatile Emerging Infectious Diseases Observatory (VEO). The researchers involved in this timely initiative had set out to improve how we respond to public health emergencies through better disease surveillance. Their efforts became […]

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Sowing the seeds of greater food diversity in Africa

When crop scientist Michael Frei grew up in Germany in the 1980s, television screens were filled with scenes of poverty, drought and destruction in Africa. The 1984 Ethiopian famine brought home to millions the human costs of food insecurity on the continent.  It also inspired Frei to get involved in campaigns and fundraising and pursue […]

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Looking to the skies to navigate icy waters

Nicolas ‘Niko’ Dubreuil, a veteran polar explorer with over three decades of experience in the Arctic, knows first-hand the dangers of navigating the region’s icy landscapes. In 2001, while trekking on an icepack in Greenland, he suffered a severe fall, sustaining major injuries. Instead of being deterred though, the experience left him captivated by the […]

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Brain on the move – studying the brain in motion offers new insights into Parkinson’s disease

EU-funded researchers are advancing new technology that allows them to monitor brain activity as the patient moves. Their work should pave the way for early detection of Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders affecting millions worldwide. Until recently, it was impossible to observe what is happening in the brain during movement. Standard brain scans require […]

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