Virtual Physiological Human Institute for Integrative Biomedical Research
The Virtual Physiological Human institute is an open community of scientists, clinicians and other healthcare professionals, focusing on the development and uptake of computer modeling & simulation in healthcare. The VPHi represents many of the largest in silico medicine research groups worldwide. It has established collaborations with sister societies and organisations such as ESB (biomech), JRC, CAAT, etc. Besides the organisation of typical scientific society activities such as a bi-annual conference, summer schools, webinars and mentoring activities, the VPHi has also been very active in policy development and stakeholder interaction. These activities have been enhanced through the establishment of a formal collaboration in equal partnership with software, device and pharmaceutical industry called the Avicenna Alliance. Additionally, the VPHi is actively interacting with members of the European Commission (DG CNECT & RTD) to further develop the field of computer modelling and simulation to advance healthcare and to discuss the research and infrastructure challenges ahead to further facilitate in silico medicine.
The VPHi is coordinator of the EDITH CSA that brings together the entire ecosystem to develop a roadmap determining the path towards the integrated virtual human twin. The VPHi is a regular participant in Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe projects, where it takes on roles related to communication and dissemination, stakeholder assessment and outreach, regulatory science, policy work as well as acting as connector with other in silico medicine (EU) projects.
Role within REALM
The VPHi contributes to REALM by participating to both work package 7, contributing to the communication and dissemination of the project, and work package 4, providing inputs to set up a federated cloud-based data repository and a catalog for hosting anonymised real-world data. The VPHi brings to REALM an extra added value taking advantage of its key position as coordinator of the EDITH CSA.
