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European Research Network initiated at the Third Faculty of Medicine Charles University

On 18-19.1. 2019, the newly founded European Network for Research on Plant Based-Diets held their kick-off meeting at the Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University under the patronage of the Dean. The project was initiated as a result of a cooperation between the Center for Research on Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes, the 2nd Department of Medicine of Third Faculty of Medicine, CU, the Nutritional Epidemiology working group at the German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany and the University of Applied Sciences in Cologne, Germany. The initiative brings together scientists from a wide range of medical disciplines (from basic research and nutritional physiology to research on the intestinal microbiome and metabolism as well as nutritional epidemiology). The involved scientists plan to evaluate the health effects of plant-based diets on both pediatric and adult populations, with the goal to become the leading scientific network in Europe in the field of plant-based diets.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the fifteen leading European institutions from eleven countries. The opening speech and moderation were in the hands of the Organizing Committee (Jan Gojda [3rd faculty], Eliška Selinger [3rd faculty], Tilman Kühn [Heidelberg, Germany], Markus Keller [Cologne, Germany]). Key note lectures were given by two invited speakers: Prof. Timothey Key (University of Oxford) introduced results from his research group during a lecture entitled “Health of Vegans and Vegetarians: EPIC Oxford and beyond”. Prof. Wendy Russell (University of Aberdeen) subsequently gave a lecture on “Microbiome and plant-based diets”, in which she presented her comprehensive research activities in the areas of diet, microbiome, metabolism and gut health, but also plant breeding.

All representatives gave an overview of their experiences, resources and expectations from future networking. Moreover, working groups on nutritional epidemiology, adult and pediatric vegan cohorts, microbiome / metabolome, and physiology / clinical trials were established. The possibilities of joint projects and publishing were discussed. An important aspect of the meeting was an initiative to harmonize methodological approaches in individual research segments, and the identification of gaps of scientific knowledge. Last, but not least, options for further European funding were presented and discussed. The network agreed to have biannual follow-up meetings.

Special thanks go to our students (Anna Krejčová, Gabriela Řimnáčová, Martin Světnička, David Megvinet) who helped organizing the event.

Jan Gojda, Eliška Selinger