Funded Projects

REACT

REACT aims to establish a sustainable international network within the ENLIGHT community that consolidates interdisciplinary expertise in research, education, and community engagement in the field of ageing to develop publicly informed  activities with the ultimate goal of positively impact thing the  health and well-being of our ageing society.  

Category: ENLIGHT Thematic Network

University: University of Galway

As Europe’s population ages, the total cost of ageing in the EU is estimated to increase from the current 1.7% to at least 26% of GDP by 2070, largely due to an expected average of 15 years of later life spent in poor health (The Ageing Report). The negative impact of age-associated conditions on older people, their families, carers, and society is unsustainable, however the development of interventions is stalled by limited understanding of ageing-associated condition, lack of early detection and personalised, preventive and participatory care.  

REACT spans 6 ENLIGHT universities and has an excellent potential to innovate as it aims to address this major unmet challenge with high societal burden. The impact of REACT will be realised through enhancing research capacity within the team and wider ageing field, and educational and public engagement campaigns inclusive of community dwelling older adults, those who work with them within health and social care settings and the scientific community. REACT will generate resources to identify novel biomarkers and therapeutic candidates for early diagnosis and personalised interventions. We will use a co-design approach where older persons are embedded as key stakeholders in the process to provide opportunities for better understanding of the ageing process among scientists, health care providers, policy makers, industry, and society. We will train and mentor future academic and clinical leaders to progress the field of ageing. Our portfolio of outreach activities will contribute to changing how we think, feel, act towards ageing and ensure that communities foster the abilities of older people. 

Participants and Stakeholders

Coordinator

Dr Katarzyna Whysall , University of Galway

Other Partner Institutions

  • Ghent University
  • University of Bern
  • University of Tartu
  • University of Groningen
  • University of the Basque Country

Team Composition

Dr Katarzyna Whysall , University of Galway

Dr. Brian McDonagh, University of Galway

Prof. Hannah Dugdale, University of Groningen

Dr. Nicole Gervais, University of Groningen

Dr. Anton De Spiegeleer, Ghent University

Prof. Pärt Peterson, Universtiy of Tartu,

Prof. Carlos Matute, University of the Basque Country

Dr. Patricia Chocano-Bedoya, University of Bern

  • University: University of Galway
  • Category: ENLIGHT Thematic Network