United to study current
and emerging variants of concern
We seek to determine the impact of viral mutations
Our consortium comprises 19 partners who’ve joined efforts to understand the global circulation of current and emerging variants of concern and evaluate their impact on diagnostics, treatment, long Covid, and vaccination strategies.
We bring together major research groups with a proven track record in different aspects of COVID-19 research, gathering experts on virology and computational biology, immunology, clinical management, social science, and public health policies. This interdisciplinary team will work closely with different existing networks including EGHRIN (the European Global Health Network), the ReCoDID project (Reconciliation of Cohort Data in Infectious Diseases) and the ANTICOV clinical trial platform in Africa.
Synergies between complementary groups will ensure our expertise is aligned with our goals and covers the full value chain from participant recruitment into cohorts, through diagnosis, sequencing, and treatment, to policy impact.
University College of London
Role in ENDVOC: UCL contributes expertise in research coordination, informatics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, genomics and phylogenetics, and virology. UCL leads WPs 1, 3, 4, 7 and 11.
Team:
- Prof Ibrahim Abubakar – i.abubakar@ucl.ac.uk
- Prof Robert Aldridge – r.aldridge@ucl.ac.uk
- Prof François Balloux – f.balloux@ucl.ac.uk
- Dr Yohhei Hamada – y.hamada@ucl.ac.uk
- Prof Marc Lipman – marckipman@nhs.net
- Dr Clarissa Oeser – c.oeser@ucl.ac.uk
- Dr Lele Rangaka – l.rangaka@ucl.ac.uk
- Dr Lucy van Dorp – lucy.dorp.12@ucl.ac.uk
Policlinico di Milan
(IRCCS)
Policlinico of Milan
Role in ENDVOC: Using multiple cohorts based in the hospital and associated centres, IRCCS contributes to the clinical expertise and the evolution of treatments and vaccines for each variant. It leads the WP6.
Team:
- Dr Laura Alagna – laura.alagna@policlinico.mi.it
- Prof Andrea Gori – andrea.gori@policlinico.mi.it
- Dr Lara Manganaro – manganaro@ingm.com
University of Milan (UMIL)
Role in ENDVOC: The team at the University of Milan leads work on the evaluation of treatments bringing expertise in the design and analysis of observational data to assess treatment efficacy
Team:
- Prof Alessandra Bandera – alessandra.bandera@unimi.it
- Prof Mario Raviglione – mario.raviglione@unimi.it
University of Heidelberg
Role in ENDVOC: The university’s expertise in global health and informatics including the ReCODiD consortium will contribute to this consortium through novel data platforms, quasi-experimental analytical approaches and experience in bringing together multiple cohorts into a coherent study. UKHD leads WPs 2 and 9.
Team:
- Prof Till Barnighausen – till.baernighausen@uni-heidelberg.de
- Dr Claudia Denkinger – claudia.denkinger@med.uni-heidelberg.de
- Dr Thomas Janisch – thomas.jaenisch@uni-heidelberg.de
- Dr Lauren Maxwell – lauren.maxwell@uni-heidelberg.de
Barcelona Institute for Global Health
Role in ENDVOC: ISGlobal contributes expertise in cohort studies in Spain and low and middle-income countries, immunology, and epidemiological study design, as well as its expertise in dissemination and translation of research results. It leads WPs 5 and 10.
Team:
- Dr Quique Bassat – quique.bassat@isglobal.org
- Dr Elisabeth Cardis – elisabeth.cardis@isglobal.org
- Dr Carlota Dobaño – carlota.dobaño@isglobal.org
- Dr Alberto García-Basteiro – alberto.garcia-basteiro@isglobal.org
- Dr Elisa Lopez – elisa.lopez@isglobal.org
- Dr Gemma Moncunill – gemma.moncunill@isglobal.org
- Dr Jose Muñoz – jose.muñoz@isglobal.org
- Dr Denise Naniche – denise.naniche@isglobal.org
- Dr Paula Petrone – paula.petrone@isglobal.org
- Dr Adelaida Sarukhan – adelaida.sarukhan@isglobal.org
Hospital Clinic de Barcelona (HCB)
The Hospital Clínic de Barcelona carries out basic, translational and clinical research, forming the Barcelona Clínic Campus, a leading biomedical research centre in Catalonia and Spain for ongoing research into diseases and their treatment, clinical applications and their dissemination.
Jointly with ISGlobal, the Occupational Health and Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology Services at HCB will contribute with follow-up of health care worker cohort studies. HCB will provide clinical, demographic, epidemiological and microbiological data from the participants’ infection and vaccination status.
IDIAP Jordi Gol
The Foundation University Institute for Primary Health Care Research Jordi Gol i Gurina is a Catalan centre of reference for research and promotion of health at the first level of care that aims to promote and develop innovation, clinical research, epidemiology, and health services in the field of primary care. The Centre is a university institute for primary care research.
Role in ENDVOC: IDIAP Jordi Gol contributes to the evaluation of vaccines and treatments by variant as well as clinical and health service research skills.
Team:
- Dr Anna Berenguera aberenguera@idiapjgol.info
- Dr Josep Vidal jvidal.cc.ics@gencat.cat
- Dr Anna Ruiz-Comellas aruiz.cc.ics@gencat.cat
Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH)
Role in ENDVOC: NIPH provides its extensive research expertise in virology, epidemiology, genomics and phylogenetics, which complements other partners.
Team:
- Dr Karoline Bragstad karoline.bragstad@fhi.no
- Dr Ragnhild Eek Brandlistuen ragnhild.eed.brandlistuen@fhi.no
- Dr Ola Brunildsrud olbb@fhi.no
- Dr Vegard Eldholm elve@fhi.no
- Dr Olav Hungnes olav.hungnes@fhi.no
- Per Minor Magnus PerMinor.Magnus@fhi.no
- Dr Lill-Iren Trogstad lill-IrenSchou.Trogstad@fhi.no
Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD))
Role in ENDVOC: AIGHD contributes expertise in ethics and epidemiology to the consortium and leads WP8.
Team:
- Prof Frank Cobelens f.cobelens@aighd.org
- Dr Anniek de Ruijter a.deruijeter@uva.nl
- Dr Katarina Perehudoff s.k.perehudoff@uva.nl
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)
Role in ENDVOC: NCDC contributes expertise in national surveillance of infectious disease, epidemiology, genomics and evaluation of vaccines and interventions.
Team:
- Prof Ehimario Igumbor ehi.igumbor@ncdc.gov.ng
- Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu chikwe.ihekweazu@ncdc.gov.ng
University of Geneva (UNIGE)
Role in ENDVOC: The University of Geneva team leads the mathematical modelling to inform COVID-19 control.
Team:
- Dr Janne Estill – janne.estill@unige.ch
- Prof Olivia Keiser – olivia.keiser@unige.ch
Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI)
The Public Health Foundation of India is a public-private initiative that has collaboratively evolved through consultations with multiple constituencies including Indian and international academia, state, and central governments, multi & bi-lateral agencies and civil society groups. PHFI is a response to redress the limited institutional capacity in India for strengthening training, research and policy development in the area of Public Health.
Role in ENDVOC: PHFI contributes to major cohorts in India and has expertise in the conduct of studies and epidemiology.
Team:
- Prof Sailesh Mohan – smohan@phfi.org
- Prof Dorairaj Prabhakaran – dprabhakaran@phfi.org
- Dr Prashant Jarhyan – prashant.jarhyan@phfi.org
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FioCruz)
Role in ENDVOC: FioCruz contributes to specific cohorts in Brazil – and analysis of epidemiological data to better understand the effect of treatments and vaccination by variant.
Team:
- Prof Gisley Melo – cardosogisely@gmail.com
- Dr Marcus Lacerda – marcuslacerda.br@gmail.com
- Prof Maria Paula Mourao – mariapaula.mourao@gmail.com
- Dr Felipe Naveca – felipe.naveca@fiocruz.br
- Dr Fernando Val – ffaval@gmail.com
Fiotec
The Foundation for Scientific and Technological Development in Health (Fiotec) was established as a non-profit private foundation to provide support to the functions of teaching, research, institutional, scientific, and technological development, production of inputs and services, and information and management implemented by Fiocruz.
Fiotec handles the contractual and financial aspects of the project for Fiocruz.
Laboratoire National de Santé (LNS)
Role in ENDVOC: LNS contributes expertise in genomics and virology.
Team:
- Dr Tamir Abderahman – tamir.abdelrahman@lns.etat.lu
- Dr Fay Betsou – fay.betsou@lns.etat.lu
- Dr Guillaume Fournier – guillaume.fournier@lns.etat.lu
- Dr Anke Wienecke-Baldacchino – anke.wienecke-baldacchino@lns.etat.lu
- Dr Tamir Abdelrahman – tamir.abdelrahman@lns.etat.lu
- Dr Amy Parrish – amy.parrish@lns.etat.lu
Arab American University (AAUP)
Role in ENDVOC: AAUP leads local cohorts including the analysis of genomics data in partnership with UCL.
Team:
Dr Nouar Qutob
Institut Germans Trias I Pujol (IGTP)
Role in ENDVOC: IGTP leads the collection and analysis of data in Spanish cohorts in collaboration with ISGlobal.
Team:
- Dr Rafael de Cid – rdecid@igtp.cat
- Rafael de Cid, PhD – Scientific chief rdecid@igtp.cat
- Susana Iraola, PhD – Project manager, contact info siraola@igtp.cat
- Xavier Farré, PhD – Post-doctoral researcher xfarre@igtp.cat
- Natàlia Blay – Early-stage researcher nblay@igtp.cat
- Beatriz Cortés – Early-stage researcher bcortes@igtp.cat
DOPASI
Role in ENDVOC: DOPASI Foundation leads cohorts in Pakistan, including contributing to the analysis and processing of data for the early detection of new variants.
Team:
- Kinz ul Eman – kinza_kz@yahoo.com
- Dr Ghulam Nabi Kazi – ghulamnabikazi@gmail.com
University of Philippines (UPM)
Role in ENDVOC: The clinical, epidemiological and virology team at UP will contribute cohorts from the Philippines.
Team:
- Dr Regina Berba – rpberba@gmail.com
Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM)
Role in ENDVOC: CISM contributes cohort study expertise and data from Mozambique.
Team:
- Mrs Auria de Jesus – auria.jesus@manhica.net
- Mrs Arsenia Massinga – arsenia.massinga@manhica.net
- Dr Inacio Mandomando – inacio.mandomando@manica.net
- Dr Alfredo Mayor – alfredo.mayor@manica.net
Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi)
Role in ENDVOC: Through the ANTICOV trial, DNDi contributes experimental and field study expertise in developing countries which complements the strengths of other partners.
Team:
- Mrs Nabila Ibnou Zekri Lassout – nzekri@dndi.org
- Mr Federic Monnot – fmonnot@dndi.org
- Dr Nathalie Strub-Wourgaft – nstrub@dndi.org
Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi)
The iMM – Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes is a leading Portuguese private non-profit research institute that nurtures innovative ideas in basic, clinical and translational biomedical research. Translational potential of iMM discoveries is streamlined through the Lisbon Academic Medical Centre (CAML), a privileged strategic partnership with the University of Lisbon Medical School (the largest medical school in Portugal) and North Lisbon University Hospital Center (one of the main hospitals of the Portuguese National Health Service), which aims at innovative medical education and facilitated translation of research findings from bench to the bedside.
Role in ENDVOC: The iMM contributes to END-VOC with a large cohort of immunocompromised patients.
Team:
- Dr. Luis Graca lgraca@medicina.ulisboa.pt
