The ENTWINE network’s final event in Milan

ENTWINE is an EU-funded research network focused on finding ways to better support informal caregivers – that is, the family members, partners, and friends who care for someone they know who is experiencing health difficulties. ENTWINE is made up of 15 early stage researchers (PhD students), experienced researchers, and partners from industry, policy and the non-profit sector.

The event, which took place at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, started with invited speakers from academia, including Dr Joanne Woodford, policy, and industry. Invited speakers shared their expertise on topics ranging from informal care policies, e-Health, and the psychology behind forming relationships between informal caregivers and the person they care for. The range of topics shows how diverse and multidisciplinary the ENTWINE network is!

Given the focus of my own project on implementation, the implementation experiences shared by Anders Henriques and Mattias Colliander from the eHealth company Chorus made the biggest impression on me. They shared the challenges of developing and implementing e-Health solutions and spoke about challenges such as policies that, in some instances, can impede innovation in healthcare, and the lack of resources available in some implementation settings.

But this event was not just about listening – we had work to do! We started with a showcase by all the early stage researchers who make up ENTWINE. Everyone had time to share what they have done in their project. It’s always great to hear about what everyone has been up to, especially as many of the early-stage researchers are approaching the end of their PhDs. While we were together, the ENTWINE network brainstormed about how we want to share what everyone has accomplished with a wider audience. You will have to wait to see what we came up with!

In between all this was gelato, pizza and evenings spent with an amazing group of colleagues and friends. Thank you to the Anne Looijmans, Andrea Gaggioli and the rest of the ENTWINE management team for organizing an incredible event! Let’s hope we find a way to meet again!

Chelsea Coumoundouros
PhD student and early-stage researcher
within the ENTWINE network