On June 29, 2023, at the College of Trinity, University of Coimbra (UC), took place the launch of "PAS GRAS: reduction of metabolic risks, environmental and behavioral determinants of obesity in children, adolescents and young adults", a project funded with 9.5 million euros by the European Commission, through the Horizon Europe program, led by the UC, with the participation of 16 partners from 8 European countries.

The opening session featured interventions from the Rector of the UC, Amílcar Falcão, and the coordinator of the Center for Innovation in Biomedicine and Biotechnology (which is formed by the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CNC-UC, the Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research of Coimbra, iCBR, and the Center for Health Studies and Research, CEISUC, of the University of Coimbra) Luís Pereira de Almeida. Next, the PAS GRAS project was presented by the project leader, vice-president and researcher at the CNC-UC, Paulo Oliveira.

The PAS GRAS launch event also featured presentations by three distinguished scientists, who are part of the project's external advisory board, namely Philipp Scherer, Casper Schalkwijk and John P. A. Ioannidis.

Philipp Scherer, professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (United States of America), world-renowned for his study of adipose tissue and the role of fat in health and disease, delivered the lecture "The many lives of adipocytes: implications for health and disease in the pediatric and adult population".

Next, Casper Schalkwijk, professor at Maastricht University (The Netherlands) and one of the world's leading scientists in the area of vascular and metabolic complications associated with obesity and diabetes, presented "Advanced glycation end products: friend or foe of human health?"

John P. A. Ioannidis, one of the most cited scientists in the world, professor of Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health, and Metascience, at Stanford University (United States of America), and principal investigator of the European Research Area Chair (ERA Chair) EXCELScIOR of the UC, talked about "Production and evaluation of open, reliable and reproducible science".

Throughout the day, the 16 partners that are part of this 5-year research and innovation project were presented.

PAS GRAS was one of six projects approved by the Horizon Europe program, in pillar II of the health cluster, integrated in the Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness. "The project was born from a common interest between researchers from CNC-UC and iCBR in studying biological, metabolic and environmental determinants of obesity. It aims to calculate the individual risk of obesity and its complications, strengthen innovation of biological basis and the development of new approaches to promote healthy lifestyles, which include the adoption of the Mediterranean diet, and its specific components, increased physical activity, increased literacy in science and health", explains the project leader. "Once the project was approved, we continued to bring together colleagues from several areas of cutting-edge research carried out at the UC, which adds to the excellence of the knowledge and experience of the various partners", adds Paulo Oliveira.

"Obesity is a public health problem. The PAS GRAS project is deeply committed to actions to promote and sustain behavioral changes in food consumption and production patterns, as well as to the involvement of very relevant sectors such as the food industry, retailers, primary producers, catering services, as well as health centers, science centers, sports clubs, among many others. In the end, we hope to contribute with scientific evidence on the biology of obesity, but also to gather the results of the international awareness campaign in order to produce recommendations that are closer to the needs of each and every person," adds the UC researcher.

Original press release here: https://cnc.uc.pt/en/lancamento-pas-gras