HEALTH-UNORTE Conference

“Setting-up biobanks and regenerative medicine strategies to boost research in cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, neurological, oncological, immunological and infectious diseases” ref. NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000039
Centro Cultural Vila Flor, Guimarães, Portugal
20 | 22 September 2023

The University of Minho (UMinho), Portugal, through ICVS and the 3B´s Research Group (www.3bs.uminho.pt), members of the ICVS/3B´s Associated Laboratory, is the main beneficiary of HEALTH-UNORTE that has as partners the University of Porto (U.Porto) and University of Trás os Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD). The three universities that constitute the UNorte.pt consortia (UMinho, U.Porto and UTAD) are collaborating on the HEALTH-UNORTE to uphold health investigation by sharing methodologies that enhance incremental and disruptive research in the Northern region of the country. This consortium, is divided in four research lines:

• RL1 – North Health Biobank (NHB) 
• (RL Leader: ICVS, UMinho; with the participation of: FMUP/I3S, U.Porto and UTAD);
• RL2 – Cardiovascular Metabolism 
• (RL Leader: FMUP, U.Porto; with the participation of: CINTESIS; EPIUnit; FCNAUP; FCUP; FEUP; I3S; ICBAS; ISPUP; UniC, U.Porto, UTAD and UMinho);
• RL3 – Immunology & Infection 
• (RL Leader: ICBAS, U.Porto; with the participation of: IBMC; INEB; I3S; FMUP/CINTESIS; FFUP; FEUP; Requimte, U.Porto and ICVS, UMinho);
• RL4 – Regenerative Medicine 
• (RL Leader: 3Bs, UMinho; with the participation of FMUP, U.Porto and UTAD); 

The HEALTH-UNORTE aims at significantly impact Personalizing health and care by the establishment of the North Health Biobank (NHB) in particular in the fields of cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, neurodegenerative, oncology, immunology and infectious diseases. The transition to the personalized medicine is fostered by the development of methods for earlier detection or prevention of individual at risk; more specific biomarkers for patient stratification and tools for more rapid drug development and new innovative personalized therapies.

The HEALTH-UNORTE Conference, organized by 3B´s – UMinho, will focus on the recent findings and advances and prospects to the future in regenerative medicine, in particular in the fields of cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, neurodegenerative, oncology, immunology and infectious diseases and need for particular tissue banks. The HEALTH-UNORTE Conference will also highlight the key contributions and R&I activities involving:

• The understanding of the causes and mechanisms underlying health, healthy ageing and disease (RIS3 diseases);
• Tools/techniques to monitor health and to prevent, detect, treat and manage disease;
• Strategies and technological developments for supporting older persons to remain active and healthy;
• Development of digital platforms, for the NHB functioning, that will help to leverage the Health to the Digitization program.
• Advances in the development of new in vitro/in vivo models for regenerative therapies for health and care delivery. 
• Development and maintaining of relevant tissue banks.

This conference will take place in Guimarães, Portugal, from the 20^th to the 22^th of September 2023.  

Conference Chairs

Rui L. Reis

 

J. Miguel Oliveira