Our Activities

The consortium is comprised of researchers at all levels, from PhD students to established PIs, in multiple domains of ageing. The partners have access to and experience in using invaluable resources, including:

• Ageing cohorts and Biobanks
• Environmental data
• Functional datasets
• Biological samples
• Expertise in pre-clinical models (Galway, Basque Country, Groningen, Tartu) and theoretical modelling, metabolic physiology and development of digital biomarkers by means of wearables and digital technologies (Bern, Groningen, Ghent, Galway).

These resources will be integrated and disseminated within our network and to the wider research community, in a sustainable way. Expertise will be consolidated through workshops and networking events, leading to interdisciplinary funding. In addition, the network will facilitate staff exchanges with the aim of fostering collaborations and knowledge exchange leading to enhanced research capacity.

We will create capacity in the field of ageing research to train future researchers and clinical leaders. To achieve this, REACT will facilitate the sharing of research resources and expertise between scientists from academia and industry, through webinars, workshops and staff exchanges. In addition, joint educational programmes will be developed and delivered as micro-credentials, CPD and modules forming part of postgraduate programmes, open to the ENLIGHT community. These will also be available for training of clinicians in ageing research.

REACT will establish local and joint outreach programmes that will enable meaningful engagement with young and older people, family members, caregivers, and communities. We will nurture engagement across sectors and connect stakeholders to share and learn from their experiences. Our portfolio of activities will ensure inclusion and learning from older adults and will challenge ageist misconceptions. We aim to provide momentum for a more inclusive society. Our outreach activities include:

• Public lectures
• Sharing activities through social media
• Science dissemination through flyers and posters
• Community quizzes

The REACT consortium is dedicated to facilitating and promoting the development of Early Career Researchers, ensuring the sustainability of the network through nurturing future leaders in the area of ageing research. The Early Career Researcher Committee is currently leading the organisation of several initiatives:

• Mentoring Programme - ECRs will be paired with Senior Researchers, where ECRs will receive structured career advice.
• Seminars - online seminars are held so that we can continually share our research, learn from each other and foster collaborations.
• Social media and science dissemination - Activities of the REACT network will be shared via social media for the benefit of the science community as well as informing the public.
• Staff/student exchanges - exchanges between research groups will foster knowledge exchange and collaboration.