Establishing a network to catalyse collaboration for reducing immune ageing (CARINA: CAtalyst Reducing ImmuNe Ageing)
Lead Research Organisation:
University College London
Department Name: Medicine
Abstract
Maintaining good health across the lifecourse is influenced by a large range of different factors, and it is important that we understand all these factors to be able to take steps to prevent ill health in older age. Our immune system plays a crucial role in many aspects of health. Most people understand our immune system protects us from infectious disease, and when it malfunctions it can cause autoimmune disease. However, the actions of the immune system can have much wider consequences and it has been implicated in many different diseases such as cardiovascular disease, dementia, diabetes, kidney disease and cancer. Indirect effects occur also, for example inflammation can restrict movement in the joints, which leads to reduction in activity and consequential loss of fitness. Therefore, understanding how to maintain a healthy Immune System throughout the lifecourse is essential to a healthy older age.
There are multiple different components of the immune system itself, which means that specialism in research usually results in individual researchers studying just one aspect of immune ageing in isolation. Moreover, the immune system is itself affected by other systems and a full understanding of immunity needs to consider the effect of other influences such as nutrition, metabolism, exercise, chronobiology, neurobiology, microbiota. Understanding social drivers of health-related behaviour is also critical to communicating information about interventions that have long term beneficial consequences. Therefore, it is critical that we build collaborative teams of researchers to facilitate improved immune health in older age. To sustain the activity through to the long term it is essential that we encourage and support early career academics to take a lead in this area.
The proposed CARINA network will actively engage with researchers from different disciplines, and at different career stages, to facilitate focussing their research towards immune ageing. An initial meeting will showcase a short summary of activities from a number of individuals who have already expressed an interest (2 slides, 5 mins each). Breakout sessions of different groups will be set tasks to discuss how to deliver each of our aims, which are:
A gap analysis of key research questions
Establish new interdisciplinary partnerships
Assimilate new technology and experimental systems
Explore disciplinary cross-over with immunity
Investigate routes for intervention to enhance immunity
Widen stakeholder engagement
Each group will summarize their discussions and we will identify key observations that will be collated and sent to the whole network. This identifies initial key areas of potential for integrated expertise and would potentially deliver research impact.
Subsequently, platforms for information and data sharing will be established. There will be a series of online meetings where we will expand our discussions to further pinpoint areas that coalesce research activity towards a new direction for impact on ageing immunity and identify any further individual/institutional/industrial members of the network. Our early career academics will be encouraged to lead the discussions. A second face to face meeting, within the first 12 months, will intermix the discussion groups and structure the discussions around the promising areas for research - gaps that can ideally be met through interdisciplinary studies. Months 12-24 will follow a similar pattern of meetings, the difference being that we will be able to identify areas for interdisciplinary grants by the partners of the network. Subcontracted support from the British Society for Immunology (BSI) is crucial for effective communication and conference delivery and is more cost effective than recruiting a single Project Manager, as many different experienced individuals from the BSI can deliver support for different aspects of the network.
There are multiple different components of the immune system itself, which means that specialism in research usually results in individual researchers studying just one aspect of immune ageing in isolation. Moreover, the immune system is itself affected by other systems and a full understanding of immunity needs to consider the effect of other influences such as nutrition, metabolism, exercise, chronobiology, neurobiology, microbiota. Understanding social drivers of health-related behaviour is also critical to communicating information about interventions that have long term beneficial consequences. Therefore, it is critical that we build collaborative teams of researchers to facilitate improved immune health in older age. To sustain the activity through to the long term it is essential that we encourage and support early career academics to take a lead in this area.
The proposed CARINA network will actively engage with researchers from different disciplines, and at different career stages, to facilitate focussing their research towards immune ageing. An initial meeting will showcase a short summary of activities from a number of individuals who have already expressed an interest (2 slides, 5 mins each). Breakout sessions of different groups will be set tasks to discuss how to deliver each of our aims, which are:
A gap analysis of key research questions
Establish new interdisciplinary partnerships
Assimilate new technology and experimental systems
Explore disciplinary cross-over with immunity
Investigate routes for intervention to enhance immunity
Widen stakeholder engagement
Each group will summarize their discussions and we will identify key observations that will be collated and sent to the whole network. This identifies initial key areas of potential for integrated expertise and would potentially deliver research impact.
Subsequently, platforms for information and data sharing will be established. There will be a series of online meetings where we will expand our discussions to further pinpoint areas that coalesce research activity towards a new direction for impact on ageing immunity and identify any further individual/institutional/industrial members of the network. Our early career academics will be encouraged to lead the discussions. A second face to face meeting, within the first 12 months, will intermix the discussion groups and structure the discussions around the promising areas for research - gaps that can ideally be met through interdisciplinary studies. Months 12-24 will follow a similar pattern of meetings, the difference being that we will be able to identify areas for interdisciplinary grants by the partners of the network. Subcontracted support from the British Society for Immunology (BSI) is crucial for effective communication and conference delivery and is more cost effective than recruiting a single Project Manager, as many different experienced individuals from the BSI can deliver support for different aspects of the network.
Technical Summary
The CARINA network will actively engage with researchers from different disciplines, and at different career stages, to facilitate re-focussing of their research towards immune ageing and intervention. An initial meeting of the listed individuals will showcase a short summary of their activities (2 slides, 5 mins each). Breakout sessions of different groups will be set tasks to discuss how to deliver each of our aims, which are:
A gap analysis of key research questions
Establish new interdisciplinary partnerships
Assimilate new technology and experimental systems
Explore disciplinary cross-over with immunity
Investigate routes for intervention
Widen stakeholder engagement
Each group will summarize their discussions and we will identify key observations that will be collated and sent to the whole network. This identifies initial key areas of potential for integrated expertise and would potentially deliver research impact.
Subsequently there will be a series of online meetings where we will expand our discussions to further pinpoint areas that coalesce research activity towards a new direction for impact on ageing immunity. For these online meetings, we will encourage our early career academics to lead the discussions. A second face to face meeting, within the first 12 months, will use intermixing of discussion groups and structure the discussions around the promising areas for research - gaps that can ideally be met through interdisciplinary studies. Months 12-24 will follow a similar pattern of meetings, the difference being that we will be able to identify areas for interdisciplinary grants by the partners of the network. Subcontracted support from the British Society for Immunology (BSI) is crucial for effective communication and conference delivery and is more cost effective than recruiting a single Project Manager, as many different experienced individuals from the BSI will deliver support for different aspects of the network.
A gap analysis of key research questions
Establish new interdisciplinary partnerships
Assimilate new technology and experimental systems
Explore disciplinary cross-over with immunity
Investigate routes for intervention
Widen stakeholder engagement
Each group will summarize their discussions and we will identify key observations that will be collated and sent to the whole network. This identifies initial key areas of potential for integrated expertise and would potentially deliver research impact.
Subsequently there will be a series of online meetings where we will expand our discussions to further pinpoint areas that coalesce research activity towards a new direction for impact on ageing immunity. For these online meetings, we will encourage our early career academics to lead the discussions. A second face to face meeting, within the first 12 months, will use intermixing of discussion groups and structure the discussions around the promising areas for research - gaps that can ideally be met through interdisciplinary studies. Months 12-24 will follow a similar pattern of meetings, the difference being that we will be able to identify areas for interdisciplinary grants by the partners of the network. Subcontracted support from the British Society for Immunology (BSI) is crucial for effective communication and conference delivery and is more cost effective than recruiting a single Project Manager, as many different experienced individuals from the BSI will deliver support for different aspects of the network.
Organisations
- University College London (Lead Research Organisation)
- Medical Research Council (Co-funder)
- UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH (Collaboration)
- University College London (Collaboration)
- University of Surrey (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM (Collaboration)
- British Society for Immunology (Collaboration)
- Arjuna (Collaboration)
- IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON (Collaboration)
Description | -Formal gap analysis of ageing research in immunology -Established a network of over 70 people -Organised multiple meetings face-to-face and online between members of the network -Formed a new website for the network -Supporting ECRs to become more involved in the scientific objectives of the networks -Published a guide for vaccination for the over 65s |
Exploitation Route | This will identify key areas for research where members of the network can then apply for large grants to fill the gap that have been identified and to include younger investigators in the network's objectives |
Sectors | Healthcare |
Description | Advice for over 65s vaccination documents |
Sector | Healthcare |
Impact Types | Policy & public services |
Description | Wide network of collaboration between scientists and immunologists around the UK |
Organisation | Arjuna |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | We have formulated an advisory board and early career researcher involvement within the network |
Collaborator Contribution | We are supporting ECR and other members of the ageing networks to apply for further funding from the UKRI |
Impact | We are supporting ECR and other members of the ageing networks to apply for further funding from the UKRI We produced a vaccination advice document for the over 65s We produced a document for the gap analysis for research into immune ageing |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Wide network of collaboration between scientists and immunologists around the UK |
Organisation | British Society For Immunology |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | We have formulated an advisory board and early career researcher involvement within the network |
Collaborator Contribution | We are supporting ECR and other members of the ageing networks to apply for further funding from the UKRI |
Impact | We are supporting ECR and other members of the ageing networks to apply for further funding from the UKRI We produced a vaccination advice document for the over 65s We produced a document for the gap analysis for research into immune ageing |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Wide network of collaboration between scientists and immunologists around the UK |
Organisation | Imperial College London |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We have formulated an advisory board and early career researcher involvement within the network |
Collaborator Contribution | We are supporting ECR and other members of the ageing networks to apply for further funding from the UKRI |
Impact | We are supporting ECR and other members of the ageing networks to apply for further funding from the UKRI We produced a vaccination advice document for the over 65s We produced a document for the gap analysis for research into immune ageing |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Wide network of collaboration between scientists and immunologists around the UK |
Organisation | University College London |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We have formulated an advisory board and early career researcher involvement within the network |
Collaborator Contribution | We are supporting ECR and other members of the ageing networks to apply for further funding from the UKRI |
Impact | We are supporting ECR and other members of the ageing networks to apply for further funding from the UKRI We produced a vaccination advice document for the over 65s We produced a document for the gap analysis for research into immune ageing |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Wide network of collaboration between scientists and immunologists around the UK |
Organisation | University of Birmingham |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We have formulated an advisory board and early career researcher involvement within the network |
Collaborator Contribution | We are supporting ECR and other members of the ageing networks to apply for further funding from the UKRI |
Impact | We are supporting ECR and other members of the ageing networks to apply for further funding from the UKRI We produced a vaccination advice document for the over 65s We produced a document for the gap analysis for research into immune ageing |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Wide network of collaboration between scientists and immunologists around the UK |
Organisation | University of Edinburgh |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We have formulated an advisory board and early career researcher involvement within the network |
Collaborator Contribution | We are supporting ECR and other members of the ageing networks to apply for further funding from the UKRI |
Impact | We are supporting ECR and other members of the ageing networks to apply for further funding from the UKRI We produced a vaccination advice document for the over 65s We produced a document for the gap analysis for research into immune ageing |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Wide network of collaboration between scientists and immunologists around the UK |
Organisation | University of Surrey |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We have formulated an advisory board and early career researcher involvement within the network |
Collaborator Contribution | We are supporting ECR and other members of the ageing networks to apply for further funding from the UKRI |
Impact | We are supporting ECR and other members of the ageing networks to apply for further funding from the UKRI We produced a vaccination advice document for the over 65s We produced a document for the gap analysis for research into immune ageing |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Patients and public engagement |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Conference of network members with PPI representative in fire side chats |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |