Different projects about COVID-19, developed by researchers from CINTESIS – Center for Health Technology and Services Research, obtained funding from the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT).
The researchers obtained financial support for projects on the rapid implementation of innovative solutions in response to the pandemic caused by the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), within the scope of the first edition of the RESEARCH 4 COVID-19 initiative.
Two of these projects are led by CINTESIS researchers. Conceição Calhau (CINTESIS / NOVA Medical School) coordinates the project “Gut microbiota, Spark and Flame of COVID-19 disease”, which receives 30 thousand euros to study the relationship between intestinal microbiota and COVID-19.
Ricardo Correia (CINTESIS/FMUP) is the principal investigator of the project entitled “Development of a COVID-19 risk scale using Monte Carlo probabilistic analysis to provide the Hospital of Ovar with adapted contingency plans to manage Pandemic cases”. The amount allocated amounts to 30 thousand euros.
According to António Soares, executive manager of CINTESIS, several researchers are involved, namely Carla Sá Couto, Wilson Abreu, Acácio Rodrigues, Pedro Rodrigues, Pedro Marques, João Fonseca, Cláudia Camila Dias, Luís Azevedo and Cristina Granja.
Os objetivos desses projetos vão desde a criação de um ventilador de baixo custo (no PNEUMA, liderado pelo INESC TEC) ao desenvolvimento de “a robot that will work on desinfecting hospitals (RADAR – Robô Autónomo para Desinfeção em Ambiente hospitalaR, led by INESC TEC), to the mathematical modelling of the pandemic (COMoMat-PandCovid19, led by the University of Aveiro).
The CINTESIS researchers involved in these projects develop their work at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP), the Nursing School of Porto (ESEP), and the NOVA Medical School.
The second Call of the RESEARCH 4 COVID-19 initiative has already been launched. Applications can be submitted until May 15. Further information is available at the FCT Website.