Project partners showcased major achievements and ongoing work including data harmonisation, long Covid burden, and policy recommendations to support future pandemic responses
The Faculty of Medicine in Lisbon was the setting for the fifth and final general assembly of the END-VOC project, from 8 to 11 July. The meeting, organised by the Portuguese partners at the Gulbenkian Institute of Molecular Medicine (GIMM), was marked by both productive discussions and warm hospitality of the hosts. Over three days, consortium members discussed the main accomplishments of each work package and ongoing cross-cohort studies. Two dedicated workshops focused on the exploitation of the database and virtual biobank beyond the project’s official end, and on developing recommendations to strengthen cohort-based research in future epidemic responses.
This was the last in-person meeting before the project concludes in October 2025. Members of the Independent Advisory Board, who attended the full event, praised the consortium’s achievements: “END-VOC is proving to be a really successful initiative with tangible outputs and outcomes. But it is not over yet, and it’s important to make the most of the time remaining.”
The dataset repository: a key output
One of END-VOC’s biggest challenges has been the successful integration of data from multiple cohorts across countries. This complex process involved securing ethical approvals, uploading them to a safe repository, and harmonising the different variables. “It has been a difficult process, but we are finally there,” explains researcher Alexei Yavlinsky, data manager at UCL. Now the aim is to leverage this effort, so the data can be fully used by END-VOC researchers during the coming months and beyond.
Ongoing analyses across cohorts
Several ongoing analyses across cohorts are expected to be finalised by the end of the project, including the burden of long Covid across different cohorts, the role of socioeconomical factors in COVID-19 outcomes, and a machine learning model to translate and harmonise variables across datasets.
A final push to consolidate END-VOC’s legacy
“There is still work to do, but I am proud of how much we have accomplished in these three years,” said Ibrahim Abubakar, UCL researcher and Principal Investigator of END-VOC. The final months of the project will focus on consolidating its legacy, which will include high-profile publications, platforms and databases, as well as lessons learned to inform multi-cohort collaborations and responses to health threats.
