The second meeting of the LifeLongJoints EEAB took place on the 2nd of February 2016 in Amsterdam. Our photo shows the EEAB Members and our LifeLongJoints Workpackage Leaders during our pre-meeting dinner at a typical Dutch family restaurant during which the EEAB members and LLJ Work Package leaders discussed topics of common interest.

At the EEAB meeting itself, under the Chair of Prof. Andrew Carr (Nuffield Professor of Orthopaedics and Head of the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences at the University of Oxford) the EEAB Members present Professors Maria Grazia Benedetti (Bologna), Tom Joyce (Newcastle) and Dr Catherina van der Straeten (London) discussed the project’s progress with the WP Leaders.

Presentations were given on the most recent project results in the analysis of coating biocompatibility and the methods applied. There was a lively discussion of both project work details and the broader context of medical device development, its regulation and the challenges of introducing new technologies into this field.

The next meeting of the EEAB will be held in February 2017 and will provide an opportunity of a hands-on visit of the mechanical simulation laboratory at the University of Leeds, focussing on the simulation aspects of the LifeLongJoints project and the comprehensive approach it is taking to this subject.

LLJ’s 5th Partner Assembly was held at the The Ångström Laboratory, at Uppsala University and hosted by Professors Håkan Engqvist and Cecilia Persson who are leading Work Package 1 (Synthesis and Characterization of Silicon Nitride Coatings)

Partner Assemblies provide the opportunity for the full LLJ partnership to come together and discuss not only progress, but also share views and discuss issues arising from current developments both inside and outside the project. At this Partner Assembly, aside from presentations of each WP, the comments of the EEAB were presented as preparations for the forthcoming second milestone and review discussed. Those present also discussed the Biomaterials for Health Strategic Roadmap published as a discussion paper by the European Commission in December and available here. The major points of discussion will be communicated by LLJ Coordinator Richard Hall to the Commission at the Cluster meeting on the same topic to be held in February 2015.

Document (PDF): Biomaterials Roadmap December 2014

The 4th LLJ Partner Meeting was held at Imperial College in South Kensington, London, 26-27 November. Partner Assembly meetings are held regularly to provide a communication platform for all partners in the project to be informed of work going on across the project. Operational management is provided by the Technical Management Committee (TMC) comprising work package leaders which meets by telephone conferencing several times between PAs.

Aside from reporting on progress, a key topic of the PA has been Data Management and the matter of Open Access to data. The PA also provided a platform for young researchers in the project to speak about their research.