This project has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for research,
technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no PCOFUNDGA-2012-600368
ERS/EU RESPIRE2 Fellowship programme
Marie Curie fellow case-study
Fellow: Dr. Anirban Sinha
Host supervisor & centre: Academic Medical Centre (AMC), University of
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Research project: Temporal fluctuations of biomarkers in patients with asthma
and controls: Proof of concept for predicting loss of control - BIOFLUC
Field: Life sciences (respiratory medicine)
Fellowship duration: 24 months (June 2015 – June 2017)
Transnational mobility: India to Netherlands (incoming fellowship)
Funding: ERS/EU RESPIRE2 (FP7 – Marie Curie Actions - COFUND)
Why did you apply for a Marie Curie fellowship?
After completing my PhD in Molecular Immunology of Respiratory Diseases in 2014, I secured my first
postdoctoral position at the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology in New Delhi, India. I worked
there for 3 months and, in parallel, I was part -time assistant professor in biotechnology at a private
university in India. I soon realised that exposure to a European research environment would be highly
valuable to take my career to the next level. Applying for the European Respiratory Society’s (ERS)
RESPIRE2 programme was a natural step as it provided prestigious Marie Curie postdoctoral
fellowships opportunities in respiratory science at top host centres in Europe.
How did you choose your host centre?
While undertaking my PhD in India, I had already come across
the name of Prof. Dr. Sterk in several leading papers as he’s one
of the world’s top experts in asthma and systems medicine. His
institution, the University of Amsterdam’s Academic Medical
Centre (AMC), was also listed among the 65 RESPIRE2 preselected respiratory centres of excellence and offered state-ofthe-art infrastructure for my project.
I thus got in touch with Prof. Dr. Sterk, who was interested in my
project and in becoming my host supervisor. RESPIRE2 is highly Dr. Sinha with his team at AMC @Sinha/AMC
competitive and, unfortunately, my first application was
unsuccessful. I further worked on my research proposal, on the
basis of the feedback received, and I was very pleased to be selected as a Marie Curie fellow through
the second call!
What is the focus of your fellowship research project?
My research looks at the fluctuation patterns of different biomarkers collected from various sources in
asthmatics and healthy controls. The study aims to formulate a better understanding of the fluctuation
patterns of biomarkers involved in pathophysiology of asthma and predict future loss of control
events/exacerbation risks, thereby changing lifestyles to prevent clinical emergency. Asthma remains
a key priority within respiratory science, considering it affects about 30 million children and adults
under 45 years in Europe as recognised by the European Lung White Book (www.erswhitebook.org).
Apart from the host supervisor’s support, I can benefit from the expertise of my scientific mentor, Dr.
René Lutter, another leading scientist worldwide in the field. I also work closely work with Prof. Dr. Urs
Frey based at the University Children’s Hospital in Basel, Switzerland. A dedicated ERS mentor has
also been appointed to offer external support with my project and with career development.
What are the potential implications and results of your research?
This novel, translational study aims to help physicians with predicting the severity of asthma
exacerbations by closely monitoring clinical and molecular biomarker fluctuations. Every asthma
patient is expected to exhibit different fluctuation patterns of these markers, which can facilitate
designing personalized therapeutic regimes. This study thus aims to contribute to the principles of 4P
in modern medicine (Predictive, Preventive, Participatory and Personalized).
This project has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for research,
technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no PCOFUNDGA-2012-600368
What have been the main highlights of the fellowship so far?
My first year in Amsterdam proved a great learning experience professionally and personally. The
RESPIRE2 fellowship focuses on career development while the AMC’s Graduate School offers a
wealth of training opportunities. I learnt new skills thanks to specific courses in “Computing in R” and
“Systems medicine”. I also increased my knowledge of measurement techniques used in assessing
lung function and other procedures essential for the study such as spirometry, assessment of volatile
organic compunds by electronic nose, forced oscillometry, nasal lavage and swab collections.
On another note, the ERS 2015 International Congress in Amsterdam was the first medical event of
this type of scale that I had the opportunity to attend, with more than 20,000 participations from all over
the world. ERS also supported financially my participation during its 2016 Lung Science Conference
(LSC), its flagship event for early stage researchers. It proved an invaluable networking opportunity
and as my abstract was amongst the highest ranked I could share my research during the dedicated
Young Investigators oral presentation session.
What have been the main challenges so far?
Moving to Europe has proved an eye opening experience but also a big change, as it’s the first time
away from my country. One of the main challenges has been to find suitable, affordable housing in
Amsterdam. Luckily, the host centre has provided valuable assistance with facilitating my move.
On the scientific side, we are undertaking innovative, cutting-edge research, requiring a
comprehensive ethics review. For me this meant moving closer to patient oriented research. The
approval process from the local ethical committee took longer than expected, although we were able
to integrate feedback received to enhance our ethical processes while putting in place measures to
maintain the original timeline.
In January 2016, we have started working with the first set of 6
eligible participants after screening almost 60 candidates for the
study. Therefore, recruitment of patients has been more time
consuming than expected. I have also learnt to appreciate the
strict Good Clinical Practice (GCP) regulations for biomedical
studies in patients. Hence, I now recognise that a constant
balance between my operational and scientific activities is
imperative to fruitfully deliver the outcomes of the undertaken
research.
AMC Lung Function Unit facilities @Sinha/AMC
How do you expect the Marie Curie fellowship to shape your career?
This opportunity represents a crucial step within my career pathway in respiratory medicine and is
enabling me to widen my networks in the respiratory domain. By the end of the RESPIRE2 fellowship,
I will have furthered my experience of clinical models of asthma with human volunteers and gained
significant exposure to systems medicine and modelling approaches to biological data. Marie Curie
fellowships are well-recognised internationally, including in India, and this will help to strengthen my
CV and open new doors in the future. As part of RESPIRE2, I will also work with my host centre on a
post-fellowship career plan to maximise the impact of the fellowship and reach my career goals.
What are your future career plans?
My plan is to establish myself as a Principal Investigator in respiratory biology and to apply for major
European large-scale grants to fund my research. Eventually, I would like to return to my home
country and to move forward respiratory research there, fostering knowledge transfer and cooperation
between Europe and India. Scientific excellence knowns no boundaries after all.
Web links
Marie Curie Actions: http://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/index_en.htm
European Respiratory Society (ERS): www.ersnet.org / www.ersnet.org/fellowships
RESPIRE2 programme: www.ersnet.org/ers-funding/fellowships/post-doc/eu-co-funded-respire-2.html
University of Amsterdam’s Academic Medical Centre (AMC): https://www.amc.nl/web/Research.htm