VPH for researchers
What is the Virtual Physiological Human?
The Virtual Physiological Human (VPH) is a methodological and technological framework that, once established, will enable collaborative investigation of the human body as a single complex system. The collective framework will make it possible to share resources and observations formed by institutions and organisations creating disparate, but integrated structural and functional models of the living human body. This system will enable academic, clinical and industrial researchers to improve their understanding of human physiology and pathology, to derive predictive hypotheses and simulations, develop and test new therapies, with the eventual outcome of better disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention tools in healthcare.
What is the VPH NoE?
The Virtual Physiological Human Network of Excellence (VPH NoE) was launched in June 2008. The VPH NoE aims to provide the necessary infrastructure including computational methodologies, tools and databases that will enable academic, clinical and industrial researchers to communicate, and to exchange data and technologies in a standardised way. To achieve this, the VPH NoE has several key objectives:
- Support for inter-institution and interdisciplinary research projects;
- Development of a VPH ToolKit - shared and mutually accessible computational resources and infrastructure;
- Development of standards and ontologies as a means towards achieving interoperability and modularity of developed models.
- Progression in horizontal and vertical model/data integration;
- Development of interdisciplinary training activities and VPH careers;
- Creation of Industrial, Clinical and Scientific Advisory Boards for consultation.
The VPH NoE will connect the diverse VPH projects, from those funded as part of the VPH initiative (VPH-I) to encompass related projects funded under previous EC frameworks and national funding schemes, industry, healthcare providers and international organisations.
What will the VPH NoE do?
The VPH NoE will play a part in strengthening and supporting increased interdisciplinarity and integration of European biomedical research. This is to be achieved by fostering cooperation between disciplines and institutions. The following aims will be addressed:
- Creation of a more cohesive VPH research community,within and beyond the EU
- Enhanced recognition at a national level of the importance of modelling and simulation in biomedicine
- Increased emphasis on interdisciplinary training in both biological and biomedical-engineering physics curricula.
By involving clinical and industrial stakeholders, the VPH NoE also plans to create a reliable foundation to support sustainable interactions and collaboration between research and healthcare communities.
Who is part of the VPH NoE?
The VPH NoE is comprised of 14 Core Project Partners and an extended Associate (for industrial bodies and organisations) and General (for academic institutions) Membership.
Anyone can get involved in VPH NoE activities by applying to join this extended membership. For more information please click here.
- University College London, United Kingdom
- The Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the
- University of Oxford, United Kingdom
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France
- Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
- Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en
- Automatique, France
- The University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
- University Pompeu Fabra, Spain
- The University of Auckland, New Zealand
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Germany
- The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
- Institut Municipal d’Assistencia Sanitaria, Spain
- GEIE ERCIM, France
- IOR, Italy
For links to the institutions within the consortium please click here.
What is the VPH Initiative (VPH - I)?
The European Commission has, to date, allocated over 72 million euros to projects funded under the Objective ICT – 2007.5.3: Virtual Physiological Human. The main target outcome of this objective is: patient-specific computer models for personalised and predictive healthcare and ICT – based tools for modelling and simulation of human physiology. Collaborative projects within this call will meet specific research objectives related to computational modelling of human physiology. VPH-I projects range from those developing advanced computational models of the heart, predictive models for dementia, osteoporosis and drug safety, through to projects furthering a common health information infrastructure to facilitate easier access to European supercomputing power. The VPH NoE will lead the coordination of diverse activities within the VPH-I, with the expectation that this will deliver:
- integration of basic research findings across organ systems and levels of investigation
- acceleration of device and drug intervention
- development through predictive in-silico modelling,
- improvement of efficacy and safety and the creation of
- new environments for predictive, personalised evidenced
- based healthcare.
VPH Training Opportunities
One of the aims of the network is to address training and career development for both early and in-career VPH researchers. Activities of the network will also pay special attention to the outcomes generated from other VPH related projects and existing EC iniatiatives (e.g. Marie Curie) in order to ensure complementarity. Work Package 4 (WP4) is responsible for the development of VPH research education and careers through interdisciplinary training activities.
For further details on WP4, including upcoming study groups and training opportunities, please click here
VPH Job and Studentship Opportunities
Job and study opportunities within the VPH NoE network are regularly updated on our website. For further information and to view current opportunities, please click here
Funding opportunities
The Virtual Physiological Human Network of Excellence was funded by the European Commission under the FP7 (Seventh Framework Programme).
FP7 - the Seventh Framework programme.
What is FP7 - the Seventh Framework programme?
The Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development is the European Union’s main instrument for funding research in Europe. It will last for seven years from 2007 until 2013. The programme has a total budget of over 50 billion euro’s and the Virtual Physiological Human iniative is a leading figure in the budget for ICT healthcare.
Grants for this research are determined on the basis of calls for proposals and a peer review process, which are highly competitive.
CORDIS (Community Research and Development Information Service for Science, Research and Development) is the official source of information the 7th Framework Programme and is the place to check for upcoming calls for proposals.
What do I do first?
Visit the CORDIS projects database check what has already been done. Visit the VPH I section on our website for further information on the projects already funded under the FP7 framework. All these projects have been funded under the FP7 programme
To visit the CORDIS database, please click here
For further information on VPH I projects please click here
To find potential project partners at the CORDIS interactive database please click here
When do I apply?
There are frequent upcoming calls for proposals on the CORDIS webpage. The CORDIS website gives extensive details and guidance on preparation and submission of your proposal. Once you are ready you can begin an online proposal.
For information on the current calls for FP7 please click here
Where do I go for further help on the FP7 framework?
For guidance and help for newcomers please click here
To further understand the legal aspects of FP7 and to increase your chances of building a competitive proprosal please click here
Useful Links
The Virtual Physiological Human Network of Excellence supports a cross disciplinary and International approach. We aim to help create links between organisations on an International level. Please find details of similiar International initiatives.
The Neuroscience Information Network
The Neuroscience Information Network in the United States enables discovery and access to research data and tools worldwide. For further information please click here
The National Biomedical Computational Resource
The mission of the National Biomedical Computation Resource is to conduct, catalyze, and enable biomedical research by harnessing, developing, and deploying forefront computational, information and grid technologies. For more information please click here
MITACS
MITACS was created in 1999 to harness the power of mathematical tools and methodologies in order to address the inherent complexity of modern industrial and societal problems for the benefit of all Canadians. For more information please click here
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
Information on research, funding, training opportunities in the United States. For more information please click here