EEA bilateral initiatives at the Faculty of Medicine MU: one successfully finishing, another kicking-off

The main Norwegian partner, prof. Silje Skrede describes: “One day, I just got an e-mail proposing a collaboration on a topic close to my heart, metabolic disturbances induced by antipsychotic medications. I naturally could not resist, we drafted together an EEA project to cover my participation and very soon we had up and running pilot study. And then covid struck.” Despite all efforts, the mobilities were simply impossible for quite a long time and the project seemed to be stuck. However, as the Czech principal investigator assoc. prof. Jana Ruda continues: “We had 60 rats in the lab and our partner skilled in a key technique could not come. So, we shared some videos, read a couple of protocols and finally set up a video call directly from the animal house. And thanks to the efforts of all of us, it worked.” Several hundreds of samples were collected and analyzed during the lockdown. “I could not imagine this collaboration could be this efficient. We proposed several research projects together, have a long publication plan and plan to move it up to the clinical research field, which I always wanted.” Claims a key collaborator on the project dr. Katerina Horska (Faculty of Pharmacy MU), who dedicated her whole research career to this topic.

With the help of the EEA bilateral initiative, so far, one review paper was published, one original paper submitted, and another will be submitted by the end of this summer. Regular mobilities Brno – Bergen and back are being held and now, the collaboration is at a point of a new beginning. Another bilateral project was awarded to the same team and this collaboration will be extended to more research teams within prof. Skrede’s professional network. “We are really enthusiastic about the follow-up project. Currently, we are planning another experiment and we sincerely hope that this one will go as planned. We could use some uneventful time.” smiles assoc. prof. Ruda.

The budget of both projects combined is as high as 920 thousand CZK and the costs are mainly covering the mobility of the team members. So far, five researchers from MU visited Bergen (three of them twice) and prof. Skrede was welcome in Brno three times. The follow-up project will last till the summer 2024.

Projects Pharmacological reversal of metabolic derrangements induced by antipsychotic treatment in animal models and Pharmacological reversal of metabolic derangements induced by antipsychotic treatment in animal models: intensification of the collaboration is financed from Fund for Bilateral Relations within the framework of the EEA and Norway Grants 2014-2021.

Contact for media:

Assoc. Prof. PharmDr. Jana Rudá, Ph.D., Farmakologický ústav LF MU, +420 549 49 4238,
jkucer@med.muni.cz

Ing. Barbora Ježková, Oddělení projektové podpory, +420 549 49 8325, barbora.jezkova@med.muni.cz

Mgr. Václav Tesař, Oddělení pro komunikaci a vnější vztahy LF MU, +420 733 553 215, vaclav.tesar@med.muni.cz