CARE C of the Cyprus Institute partner to new project MARKOPOLO
The Climate and Atmosphere Research Center (CARE-C) of the Cyprus Institute is a partner of the new Horizon Europe project ‘Noise and/or ultrafine particulate matter induced cerebral and cardiovascular damage: novel insights from experimental and epidemiological brain-heart axis biomarkers and computational models’ (MARKOPOLO).
The project addresses the critical health issues of traffic noise and air pollution (particulate matter incl. ultrafine particles) by a unique translational approach using experimental and computational models in clinical, interventional, and epidemiological studies. A primary goal is to identify disease-relevant biomarkers and understand the molecular pathways of cerebral, pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases, also by effective translation of animal findings to human health. Our “bench to life” approach on the brain-heart axis is entirely driven by profound preclinical mechanistic knowledge and will use novel Multiomics methodology (e.g. redox/phospho-proteomics, “spatial” epigenetics), allowing analysis of key pathomechanisms, to be included in exposure-response models. This will improve risk assessment and allow evaluation of the effectiveness of mitigation strategies. We will also consider the societal circumstances and policies at the national level and their impact on different stakeholders.
MARKOPOLO will advance our understanding of the complex interplay between noise, air pollution, and human well-being and provide clearer information and guidelines for various stakeholders.
The project, which started on 1 January, 2025 and is expected to end on 31 December, 2028, is coordinated by Universitaetsmedizin Der Johannes Gutenberguniversitaet Mainz, Germany, and brings together 14 partners from 10 different countries in Europe and the US.
Prof Jos Lelieveld leads CARE-C’s involvement in the project, who acts as the PI for the Cyprus Institute.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Research and Innovation Actions, under grant agreement No 101156161
EUROPEAN HEALTH AND DIGITAL EXECUTIVE AGENCY (HADEA)
