EU-LIFE Strategy Meeting held in Oeiras, Portugal

The second EU-LIFE strategy meeting was held on October 27-29, 2014 in Oeiras, Portugal.

Gathering the Board of Directors, the Strategic group of EU-Life and the Chairs of the EU-LIFE Working Groups, the meeting aimed at discussing EU-LIFE strategy and strengthening the EU-LIFE community.

During the meeting, there were plenty opportunities to discuss the results and future challenges of ongoing EU-LIFE initiatives on science policy and research exccellence, as well the achievements within the EU-LIFE Working Groups on Grants and Funding Strategies, Technology Transfer, IT, Translational research, Science communication and Core Facilities.

We were honored by the presence of two distinguished guest:

Cecilia Aversa, representing the National Directorate of International Relations, Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation, Argentina

And

Carlos Negrão, member of the Adjunct Coordination for Life Sciences, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), Brazil

who presented the strategy of Argentina / Brazilian State of São Paulo in external collaborations and opportunities of collaboration for European research.

A scientific session presented by the host institution, the IGC, allowed discussing the glue that brings EU-LIFE institutions together: excellent research. The scientific topics presented were: “Eco-Evo-Devo: the making and sorting of variation” (Patrícia Beldade),  “Physiology: the fat link between neurons and immunity” (Ana Domingos) and “Epigenetics: Lessons from the Centromere” (Lars Jansen).

We now look forward to EU-LIFE next meeting in March 2015!