“The Eye as a Window of the Brain”
Identifying the mechanisms involved in cognitive impairment and dementia in people with type 2 diabetes
Duration: 2020-2023
Funded by: Horizon 2020
IDF Europe is part of the four-year RECOGNISED project that will study the biological mechanisms that cause structural and functional alterations in the retina in people with type 2 diabetes, to determine whether these same pathways play a role in the events observed in the brain during the development of cognitive impairment and dementia. Importantly, RECOGNISED will reveal whether evaluating the retina, easily accessible with current non-invasive technologies, could help in identifying earlier cognitive impairment in people with type 2 diabetes, so that appropriate support can be given.
RECOGNISED will also analyse previously-collected data and samples from registries, cohorts and biobanks. By gaining knowledge on the mechanisms of disease, the project will help to identify new potential therapeutic interventions.
RECOGNISED brings together 21 partners from nine different countries, including academic institutions, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the European infrastructure for translational medicine (EATRIS) and patient organisations, with complementary knowledge and expertise.
RECOGNISED will receive almost €6 million in funding from the EU Horizon 2020 with the final goal of improving the quality of life of people living with diabetes. Basic scientists and clinicians with extensive expertise in diabetes, ophthalmology and neurology will use state-of-the-art technologies to undertake the experimental and clinical studies that form part of this ambitious project.
IDF Europe leads Work Package 9 (WP 9) – Communication Activities – alongside Queen’s University Belfast and Alzheimer Europe. WP 9 will seek to raise the visibility of the project and its potential impact among all key stakeholders.
This project receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 847749.
