The EU-LAC-MUSEUMS project directly meets the challenge of fostering EU-CELAC relations by studying the close connections between Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in the field of community museology. To address this challenge, EU-LAC-MUSEUMS assembles a team of leading academics, museum professionals and policy makers elected by the European and LAC Regional Alliances of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) (www.icom.museum). Together, we are committed to exploring the cultural, scientific and social dimensions of EU-LAC relations with a view to “supporting the process of EU-CELAC cooperation outlined by the EU-CELAC Action Plan 2013-2015 in defining a common vision for the years to come”. Through a series of thematic work packages we will pursue the theme of “Museums and Community: Concepts, Experiences, and Sustainability in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean”. A good deal of research has been carried out into this subject at local, national, and regional levels in both EU and LAC, but a concerted bi-regional investigation is yet to appear. EU-LAC-MUSEUMS will overcome this gap in knowledge by creating parity of esteem and sustainable dialogue and co-operation between academia, museums and communities in each region. It will achieve this goal by pursuing work packages dealing with the cross cutting societal challenges of: a) "Technology and Innovation for Bi-Regional Integration"; b) "Museum Education for Social Inclusion and Cohesion"; c) "Investment and Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Museums”, and d) “Exhibiting Migration and Gender”. In so doing, we will push forward the agenda of the EU-CELAC Action Plan in museum practice and theory.

PROTECTED aims to develop expertise and protective capabilities against Endocrine Disruptors (EDs). EDs and their mixtures are a modern day health concern leading to failing ecological systems, poor agricultural production and health effects such as obesity, cancer and infertility. While analytical methods have advanced enormously, focus has been mainly on synthetic chemicals, overlooking emerging EDs and real-life multiple substance exposure. A new generation of creative, entrepreneurial and innovative early-stage researchers equipped with skills to assess and understand the real-life risk of complex mixtures of EDs and trained to convert resulting knowledge and ideas into accessible tools and services for the long-term control of potential ED risk is urgently needed. The PROTECTED Innovative Training Network [ITN] proposes a holistic approach by providing 15 individual, personalised research projects with exposure to scientific, innovative and entrepreneurial training mobility across the ITN. The intersectorial network is comprised of 12 training sites at academia, research centres, a bioassay technology SME, a QSAR technology SME, water provider, and animal feed supplier. Together they cover multiple disciplines including analytical science of food, feed, and environment, epidemiology, risk assessment, social science and toxicology. This combined expertise enables a highly focused program for developing novel tools and concepts and training for the detection, analysis and improved risk assessment of EDs, especially mixture effects. Methodology will include emerging technologies; multiplexed analysis, mixture modelling, mechanistic and exposure studies, explants and cell or whole organism bioassays. The project will provide a unique and high level of training for a new generation of specialists with transferable skills and enhanced career perspectives. These specialists will ultimately aid the efficient development of future control strategies for improved health.

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a neglected disease with huge potential for prevention. This project aims at significantly improving the accuracy of risk estimation and early detection of GBC by identifying and adequately considering geographical, environmental, lifestyle, ethnic, gender and molecular differences. We plan to generate the information needed to establish and refine current prevention programmes, including the primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of GBC. We will (1) build a unique European–Latin American GBC biorepository integrated into a tailored IT platform, (2) identify, validate and functionally characterize novel GBC biomarkers, (3) develop a multifactorial risk score that integrates established and newly identified epidemiological and molecular risk factors, (4) improve the understanding of the causal mechanisms that link lifestyle, cultural and behavioural factors to GBC development, (5) unravel novel opportunities for the targeted therapy of incidental GBC, (6) exploit existing and newly generated epidemiological and multi-omics data to improve the accuracy of GBC risk prediction and (7) contribute to the training of the next generation of Latin American researchers in precision medicine for GBC. The generated information will permit identification of individuals at high GBC risk, guiding surveillance and individual decisions on the possible benefit of preventive gallbladder removal in regions of low and high GBC incidence. Novel data on genomic alterations in incidental GBC will pave the way towards implementation of future clinical trials. The planned European–Latin American GBC biorepository and IT platform will constitute a prime resource for translational research on individualized prevention, personalized early detection and targeted therapy of GBC. The participation in our project of representatives of health authorities, patients and the industry guarantees the efficient incorporation of project results into national health policies.