Bologna Local Health Care Trust - IRCCS The Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna
The Bologna Local Health Care Trust is a public organisation based in the region of Emilia-Romagna, covering a population of approx. 873,000 citizens. It is part of the Italian national health care system, a regionally based health service that provides universal coverage to citizens, legal foreign residents and immigrants. The main objective of the Bologna Local Health Care Trust is to promote health and wellbeing of its population, both individually and collectively, by providing high quality health care services included essential levels of care according to national laws. Hospital care is delivered mainly by nine public structures, two of which are located in the city of Bologna and seven in the surrounding area.
The IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna (ISNB) is a Scientific Reference Centre for treatment and research. It forms part of the AUSL. ISNB is a regional and national hub for the study and cure of nervous system diseases. It maintains cutting-edge facilities and professional competencies, ensuring excellent clinical activities and the capacity to deliver innovative techniques and technologies. The Institute performs highly complex neurological, neurosurgical and neuroradiological interventions. ISNB has 113 beds, 20 research laboratories and 8 operational surgical units. The Epidemiology and Statistics unit of the Institute provides highly qualified competencies in epidemiological research focusing on neurologic disorders. The organisation has a dedicated staff for the management of EU projects. The Programme of Neurogenetics is focused on diagnosis and research of neurological inherited disease, in particular with mitochondrial dysfunctions.
Role of the institution within ENLIGHTENme
The Bologna Local Health Care Trust is a project partner. It comprises the Unit of Epidemiology and Statistics and Program of Neurogenetics of the IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna (ISNB). The Bologna Local Health Care Trust and its articulations participate in the project providing its competencies in neuroepidemiology, public health, population epidemiology and neurogenetics, regarding the study of associations between physical and mental health, wellbeing, genomic variability and the impact of outdoor and indoor lighting innovations on entrainment of circadian rhythms and personal light exposure. Clinical history, lifestyle, environment and workplace of participants will be assessed and monitored through record linkage of individual anonymous data and administrative, socioeconomic and health databases of the Region Emilia-Romagna cohorts. The Bologna Local Health Care Trust will recruit 500 individuals in the city of Bologna: 250 living within the pilot area and 250 outside, and perform the mitochondrial genome sequencing on the entire cohort. Causes of individual differences in health and wellbeing in the baseline sample and during follow up will be identified. State of the art (genetic) epidemiological multivariate data-driven approaches and hypothesis-driven multivariate approaches will be implemented. Determinants of differences in health and well-being in relation to baseline genetic variables and light exposure will be identified.
