EDI-MSK · Equitable musculoskeletal health driven by inclusive models

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners. CORDIS does not always give exact coordinates for projects before 2014. These points are placed at city or country level.

Project objective

Musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders are a leading global cause of disability, affecting people of all demographics (age, gender, ethnicity…) and contributing significantly to reduced quality of life, loss of productivity and healthcare costs. The complexity of their pathophysiology across scales eludes healthcare professionals, and treatments remain mostly palliative with predominantly one-size-fits-all approaches. As the concept of digital twins in health develops, in silico modelling and simulation provides unique opportunities to integrate heterogeneous information coherently, for precise stratification and targeted treatment and prevention. However, and despite the broad impact of MSK disorders, the models simulating MSK function and disease remain largely derived from homogeneous data biased, as per sex, age, health status, and ethnics. This lack of diversity limits applications in precision medicine and risks reinforcing systemic healthcare inequities in diagnosis and treatment.The EDI-MSK MSCA Doctoral Network aims to train a new generation of professionals in in silico medicine with expert culture and skills to include diversity at the core of model developments for MSK health and disease, across scales. Specifically, by using data from experiments, and from population and patient cohorts, stratified by sex, age, and co-morbidities, also integrating social sciences and coproduction with communities, the DN will uniquely define diversity hallmarks to be incorporated into MSK models. It will generate and test methodological blueprints to incorporate life habits, sex, including women’s health, age, rare and chronic disease, and ethnicity. The EDI-MSK consortium includes seven beneficiaries and 13 associated partners. It benefits from the experience of non-profit institutions and SME that are significant players in the in silico medicine ecosystem and will make the EDI-MSK Doctoral Candidates become leaders of the transformation of MSK model towards inclusivity.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

• UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS · LeedsCoordinatorUnited Kingdom
• Black Biomechanists Association · SalisburyCity levelUnited States
• ESQLABS GMBH · SATERLANDGermany
• International Women in Biomechanics, Inc. · DundalkCity levelUnited States
• KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN · LeuvenBelgium
• NHS BLOOD AND TRANSPLANT · WatfordUnited Kingdom
• Replasia BV · LeuvenCity levelBelgium
• Simulation Solutions Limited · Heaton MerseyUnited Kingdom
• TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFT · DelftNetherlands
• THE LEEDS TEACHING HOSPITALS NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE TRUST · LeedsUnited Kingdom
• THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO · ONTARIO - LONDONCanada
• TWINSIGHT · La TroncheFrance
• UNIVERSIDAD POMPEU FABRA · BarcelonaSpain
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PADOVA · PadovaItaly
• UNIVERSITEIT MAASTRICHT · MaastrichtNetherlands
• UNIVERSITEIT UTRECHT · UtrechtNetherlands
• UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN · RondeboschSouth Africa
• UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE · MelbourneAustralia
• VIRTUAL PHYSIOLOGICAL HUMAN INSTITUTE FOR INTEGRATIVE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH VZW · HeverleeBelgium
• latinx in Biomechanix · UrbanaCity levelUnited States

Links

• View on CORDIS
• DOI: 10.3030/101311648