THE BLOG

University of Côte d’Azur and CHU of Nice at the forefront of research on healthy aging

University of Côte d’Azur and CHU of Nice are the winners of the project call “Autonomy: Aging and Disability Situations” launched as part of the France 2030 Plan by the National Research Agency. They secured funding of 3.5 million euros for their innovative Pré.S.Age project, aimed at enhancing the autonomy and health of seniors.

An innovative project for the well-being of seniors

University of Côte d’Azur and the Nice University Hospital (CHU Nice) have been recognized for their Pré.S.Age initiative (Prevention of the Aging Subject) within the project call “Autonomy: Aging and Disability Situations”. With funding of 3.5 million euros, this project is part of the “Aging Well Together” (BVE) program and aims to make the Côte d’Azur region a center of excellence for the prevention and health of the elderly.

Under the leadership of Professor Raphaël Zory, Professor Olivier Guerin, and Dr. Frédéric Prate, Pré.S.Age aims to generate groundbreaking knowledge on programs to prevent loss of autonomy. The project brings together experts from various scientific fields and enjoys the support of both institutional and private partners, including the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, the City of Nice, the Alpes-Maritimes Departmental Council, as well as committed associative players like Azur Sport Santé and WeTechCare, and innovative companies such as Malakoff Humanis, Activiti, and Tech2Heal.

A participatory approach centered on the individual

Pré.S.Age adopts a participatory science approach, offering seniors tailored prevention pathways. Through a digital platform, Alakin by Tech2heal, 5,000 participants will receive a year-long follow-up, with online sessions, video conferences, or in-person meetings. This initiative emphasizes accessibility, individualization, and commitment, encouraging seniors to take an active role in their own health.

Studying the impact of the environment on the loss of autonomy

In addition to prevention programs, Pré.S.Age will examine the effects of environmental exposures on the loss of autonomy in seniors. The study of the exposome, which encompasses all exposures experienced throughout life, could reveal biomarkers to anticipate the risks of losing autonomy.

University of Côte d’Azur is proud to be the winner of this innovative project. This success reflects the university’s expertise in the field of ‘Aging Well,’ a priority theme for our region. Our university supports this through its Initiative of Excellence (Idex) and actively leads it within its university research school on Health Ecosystems (Healthy). Internationally, this is part of the momentum driven by the Ulysseus European Alliance.

Jeanick Brisswalter, President of University of Côte d’Azur

“As Chairman of the Supervisory Board of CHU of Nice, I am once again proud of our hospital-university teams that have won this ambitious project, at the intersection of health, innovation, and research. This is a recognition of the collaborative efforts of our teams and the policies we have implemented to make the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis a unique territory for experimentation and innovation in preventing the loss of autonomy.
This project aims to address human, social, demographic, and health challenges and to include, within the next 5 years, 30,000 elderly individuals to offer them personalized prevention pathways, while allowing businesses and researchers to test innovative solutions in the field of aging. »

Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice, President of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis