On Tuesday 5th of November 2019, the official Kick-off Meeting of the European COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) Action VascAgeNet (“Network for Research in Vascular Ageing”, https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA18216/) was held at the premises of the COST Association in Brussels.
The Kick-off Meeting was the official start for four intensive years of networking to trigger joint research activities all over Europe. VascAgeNet aims to establish a network which will work to refine, harmonize and promote the use of vascular ageing biomarkers, in order to improve clinical practice and to reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases globally.
The network currently compromises researchers and industrial partners from 26 European countries and two international partner countries (Australia and US) and is open for the expansion to further COST countries. Forty-five nationally nominated Management Committee Members were present at the meeting in Brussels. The meeting was used to present the COST policy and rules by the COST Association, the election of the Action Roles, such as Chair, Working Group Leaders, etc., and to start enthusiastic discussions to reach the Action’s research coordination and capacity-building objectives.
It was a great start for joint activities (e.g., Working Group meetings, training schools, workshops) and research for the next four years and beyond.
Dr. Christopher Mayer and Dr. Bernhard Hametner, Scientist at the Competence Unit Biomedical Systems in the Center for Health & Bioresources, were two of the main initiators of the Action and unanimously elected as Action Chair and as one of the five Working Group Leaders, respectively.
About COST/Acknowledgment: COST Action CA18216 is supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). COST is a funding agency for research and innovation networks. Their Actions help connect research initiatives across Europe and enable scientists to grow their ideas by sharing them with their peers. This boosts their research, career and innovation. COST is supported by the EU Framework Programme Horizon 2020. www.cost.eu