RISE at the Stay Healthy Cluster Symposium: Connecting Research, Partners, and Citizens

On 1–2 December 2025, RISE took part in the Stay Healthy Cluster Symposium in Berlin through its involvement in the IMMEDIATE and miGut-Health projects. The event was organised by IMMEDIATE and brought together six Horizon Europe projects that explore how long-lasting inflammation influences the shift from a healthy state to illness. The two-day event offered a space for scientific exchange, presentations of digital tools, and open discussions with patients and families.

As a partner in both IMMEDIATE and miGut-Health, RISE supported the organisation, coordination, and communication efforts behind the symposium. Josip Luša, IMMEDIATE Project Manager organsed the event with support from Valentina Guštin, Communications Manager for both projects. Together, they helped create opportunities for partners to meet, share ideas, and build connections across the cluster. The event also highlighted how research can be presented in ways that are accessible and meaningful to citizens, which is an important goal of the cluster.

The Stay Healthy Cluster brings together projects working on different diseases affected by chronic inflammation, from gut health and the microbiome to cardiovascular, neurological, and immune-related conditions. While their topics vary, all cluster members share a common interest: understanding the early signs of chronic inflammation that may appear years before symptoms or disease develop. By identifying these early inflammatory signals in blood, stool, microbiota, or other biological samples, researchers aim to develop approaches that help people take more control of their health through lifestyle, diet, stress management, and personalised prevention strategies.

Throughout the symposium, partners from IMMEDIATE and miGut-Health presented their latest findings, digital tools, and clinical studies. Sessions also included conversations with patients living with inflammatory bowel disease, offering a chance to hear directly from those who benefit most from more personalised and preventive approaches to health. Sessions like this bring science closer to the community and ensure that research responds to real needs.

For RISE, the symposium was an opportunity to strengthen collaboration across Europe and support dialogue between researchers and citizens. The work carried out across IMMEDIATE, miGut-Health, and their cluster partners contributes to the broader ambition of developing a European Blueprint for Preventive Health, where early detection, personalised prevention, and citizen engagement play a central role in shaping healthier futures.