Interview about INDEEP Project

The Lusófona University is part of the INDEEP Project, funded by the highly competitive Marie Curie Doctoral Networks program — a milestone that, according to professors Marlene Silva and António Palmeira, represents “the Champions League of European funding.”

The project brings together partners from several European countries and aims to study, in an unprecedented and standardized way, the multiple determinants of physical activity in the young population — including genetic, environmental, and policy factors.

Throughout the study, 300 families will be assessed using a harmonized methodology that will allow for comparison of results across different contexts. Marlene Silva and António Palmeira emphasize that this standardization is crucial to overcome the lack of consistency across previous studies and to create a toolbox that will support future research and more effective public policies.

The INDEEP Project also includes the training of 10 international PhD candidates, who will rotate among several leading universities, contributing to a new generation of highly skilled researchers. Data collection is expected to begin next year, following the completion of ethical and operational procedures.

According to the professors, INDEEP will leave behind a robust scientific infrastructure capable of strengthening investment in prevention and improving physical activity promotion policies — key to public health across the lifespan.

See more, here.