Ongoing projects:
- Anti-inflammatory dietary intervention in breast cancer patients receiving aromatase inhibitors
Project leader: Vesna Vučić
Project collaborators:
Danijela Ristić Medić, Aleksandra Arsić, Maja Milošević, Snježana Petrović, Nebojša Ivanović, Milica Kojadinović, Biljana Pokimica, Marija Paunović
Project number: 5050
Duration of the project: 2023 – 2026.
Leading Institution:
Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Serbia
Description of the project:
The project is designed as a randomized clinical trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the anti-inflammatory nutritional intervention (in form of tailored diet or supplements) in managing nutritional status, clinical outcomes, and quality of life in breast cancer patients receiving aromatase inhibitors. The implementation of this project will help BRC patients to prevent the decline in nutritional status, to better tolerate the therapy, decrease side effects and risks of comorbidities, and thereby improve quality of life, clinical outcomes and survival rates.
Type of Action: National Projects
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2. Tackling micronutrient malnutrition and hidden hunger to improve health in the EU- Zero_HiddenHunger_U
Project leader: Jelena Milešević, coordinator for IMR team
Project collaborators: Marija Knez, Ivana Šarac
Project number: 101137127
Duration of the project: January 2024-December 2028
Leading Institution: UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK – NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, CORK – UCC
Description of the project:
Micronutrient (MN) deficiency is a form of malnutrition that occurs due to low intake and/or absorption of minerals and vitamins, with adverse consequences for human development and health. Children, adolescents, women of reproductive age (including pregnancy) and older adults (representing ~70% of European society) as well as immigrant/ethnic minority groups and those affected by social inequality or poverty, are at risk of MN deficiencies. While addressing this public health problem is a priority, it is not possible until data on the prevalence of MN deficiencies across the EU population and the causes for these deficiencies is available to predict and identify those most at risk. Without this information, discussions on how to meet dietary requirements for the priority MNs of public health concern, and improve their status, take place in a vacuum. The Zero_HiddenHunger_EU project aims to 1) provide estimates of the true prevalence of MN deficiencies, based on priority biomarker and MN intake data in European populations and their associated health costs, focused on high-risk population subgroups, and 2) provide the best possible evidence to develop context-specific, tailored food-focused solutions to ensure adequate supply of vitamins and minerals from diets from sustainable sources. The consortium will focus the research effort around existing high-quality data resources and biobanks from diverse and representative population groups around Europe, supplemented by targeted studies in under-represented groups, maximizing research investment and adding value. Using high-throughput biomarker and advanced data analytical and modelling techniques, Zero_HiddenHunger_EU will deliver credible evidence enabling policymakers and food system actors to deliver food-focused strategies to eradicate MN deficiencies from Europe.
Type of Action: HORIZON-RIA
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3. European partnership for a sustainable Future of Food Systems- FutureFoods
Project leader: Jelena Milešević, coordinator for IMR team
Project number: 101136361
Duration of the project: 2024-2026
Leading institution: AGENCE NATIONALE DE LA RECHERCHE (PIC: 998711613, located in PARIS, FR)
Description of the project:
The vision of FutureFoodS is to collectively achieve environmentally friendly, socially secure, fair and economically viable healthy and safe Food Systems (FS) for Europe. FutureFoodS gather 87 partners from 22 EU Member States, 6 Associated Countries and 1 third country. FutureFoodS includes public and private actors, policy makers, foundations, locally, sub-nationally, nationally, EU-widely. All these FutureFoodS partners are fully aligned on the vision for the Partnership and the methodology for its implementation in line with SDG17 and EU Green Deal components. This vision has been broken down into general (GO), specific (SO) and operational (OO) objectives applying across the 4 R&I areas and 4 transversal activities identified by the FutureFoods consortium in its stable draft Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) which constitutes the strategic backbone of the project. The four GO cover: GO1 – Functioning of FS; GO2 – System approaches; GO3 – Inclusive government; GO4 – Co-creation cases. These GO have then been translated into SO prioritised in line with the timescale and resources of the Partnership: SO1 – Change the way we eat; SO2- Change the way we process and supply food, SO3 – Change the way we connect with FSs and SO4 – Change the way we govern FS. In addition, 6 interconnected OO have been set: OO1- Pooling R&I resources and programming; OO2 – Operational FS Observatory; OO3 – Active FS knowledge Hub of FS Labs; OO4 – Functioning knowledge sharing and scaling mechanisms; OO5- Revisiting the SRIA; OO6 – Promoting, supporting, widening & gathering FS various communities. The objectives implemented in the 8 WPs of FutureFoodS will exert impact directly or indirectly in most of the destinations of Horizon Europe’s Cluster 6 2023-2024 work programme and particularly for the topic destination ‘Fair, healthy and environment-friendly FS from primary production to consumption’ echoing to the main EU and World FS policies & strategies.
Type of action: HORIZON
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COST Actions
- Harnessing the potential of underutilized crops to promote sustainable food production (DIVERSICROP)
Project number: CA22146
WG Nutrition leader: Marija Knez
Project collaborator: Jelena Milešević, Petar Jovanović
Duration of the project: October 2023-September2027
Leading institution: University College Dublin, Ireland
Description of the project:
With population growing rapidly and within the context of agro-climatic changes, there is an increased demand to sustainably produce nutritious food. In Europe, many nutrient-dense foods are not widely grown and consumed, despite their suitability to European climates and environments, and viability for sustainable production with lower inputs. Underutilised crops that are stress resilient such as rye and legumes, have the potential to supply key nutrients and improve diets and risk of diet-related diseases. Such crops have a long history of cultivation across the continent and are part of the national historic food identity of different European countries yet are underutilised due to several complex reasons. DIVERSICROP addresses these challenges using an innovative, cross-sectoral and multidisciplinary approach by analysing the deep history of underutilised crops in Europe, understanding the genetic diversity and adaptation to climate change of crop germplasm, analysing current regional trends in the consumption of food products and by involving national and EU policymakers and key stakeholders to revive diverse crop production and maximise the impact of Europe’s agricultural sustainability. DIVERSICROP aims to harmonise fragmented data and develop strategies for the sustainable cultivation of target crops, striking a balance between agricultural sustainability and human nutritional value. DIVERSICROP brings together a skilled and interdisciplinary network to identify climate-resilient crop lines, and potential nutritional and health benefits of their consumption to rethink our food systems. DIVERSICROP will strengthen the Farm to Fork and the Biodiversity strategies under the European Green Deal to contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
2. COST action INE-CSC CA21152 – Implementation Network Europe for Cancer Survivorship Care, 2022 – 2026
3. COST action CA19105 EpiLipidNET – Pan-European Network in Lipidomics and EpiLipidomics, 2020 – 2024
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ERASMUS +, KA220 -SynergyEd, Synergistic education of parents with children with special needs, 2022 – 2024
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PAST PROJECTS:
National Research Projects:
Project MPNTRS, 451-03-9/2021-14/200015.
FOLOMEGA – “Biological effects, nutritional intake and status of folate and polyunsaturated fatty acids: The improvement of nutrition in Serbia”, 2011-2020
EFSA Projects:
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): Support to National Dietary Surveys in Compliance with the EU Menu methodology (sixth support) “The adults’ survey”, including subjects from 10 to 74 years old; Reference number: OC/EFSA/DATA/2016/03
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): Support to National Dietary Surveys in Compliance with the EU Menu methodology (sixth support) “The children’s survey”, including subjects from three months up to 9 years old; Reference number: OC/EFSA/DATA/2016/02; Contracting authority: European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Parma , Italy, 2017 – 2022“Updated food composition database for nutrient intake”, 2012
- “Dietary monitoring tools for risk assessment”, 2012-2013
FP6 and FP7 EU Research Projects:
- BACCHUSS FP7 – Beneficial effects of dietary bioactive peptides and polyphenols on CVD health in humans, 2012-2016
- ODIN FP7 – Food-based solutions for optimal vitamin D nutrition and health through the life cycle, 2013-2017
- CHANCE FP7 – Low cost technologies and traditional ingredients for the production of affordable, nutritionally correct foods improving health in population groups at risk of poverty, – 2011-2014
- EuroFIR NEXUS FP7 – The EuroFIR Food Platform: Further integration, refinement and exploitation for its long-term self-sustainability, 2011-2013
- EURRECA FP6 – EURopean micronutrient RECommendations Aligned – 2007-2011
- BaseFood FP7 – Sustainable exploitation of bioactive components from the Black Sea Area traditional foods – 2009-2011
COST actions:
- CОST CA 16112 – Personalized Nutrition in aging society: Redox control of major age-related diseases (NutRedOx), 2016 – 2020
- COST CA17117 – Towards аn International Network for Evidence-based Research in Clinical Health Research (EVBRES), 2018 – 2022
- COST 17112 – Prospective European Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network (Pro Euro DILI Net), 2018 – 2022
- COST 19105 – Pan-European Network in Lipidomics and EpiLipidomics (EpiLipidNET), 2020 – 2024
- POSITIVe COST Action – Interindividual variation in response to consumption of plant food bioactives and determinants involved POSITIVe COST Action (FA1403), 2014 – 2018
Bilateral Projects:
Bilateral project with Croatia:
Folate status in populations at risk: young adult women of reproductive age and elderly (2011-2013)
Bilateral Projects with France:
Identification of cellular and molecular targets of plant bioactives on human blood cells: clinical and in-vitro studies (2011-2013)
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