The FORTEe consortium met in Lecco, Italy, by the stunning Lake Como at the end of February 2024 to review recent progress in the clinical trial and research outcomes. Leaders of the different work packages shared and deliberated on the current status of their projects. It was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with familiar faces and meet new members in person.

As the year comes to an end, we seize the opportunity to look back at some great achievements FORTEe and its diligent team made during the past 12 months.

The FORTEe clinical trial is progressing well at all 9 established trial sites. On top, we could welcome in October UKESSEN as the 10th trial site and new clinical partner. Up to now, more than 300 participants have been enrolled in the FORTEe clinical trial, since it was initiated.

All work packages are making encouraging progress and in Spring of 2023 we had the chance to discuss the project the first time in person at our General Assembly Meeting in Madrid! All work package leaders reported their progress and we had the chance to take important decisions together.

In September, a successful #GoldSeptember social media campaign was launched with contributions from all FORTEe partners! Our dedicated team members captured moments of solidarity by taking pictures in gold to symbolize the strength and resilience of children battling cancer. We wholeheartedly shared these images across our social media platforms, amplifying the message of hope and the need for continued research and support.

We are looking forward to another exciting year with FORTEe! We warmly invite you to join us in the next phase of our journey. Stay engaged and up-to-date by following our social media channels (Instagram, X, LinkedIn & Facebook) for the latest updates and subscribe to our electronic newsletter via this link to be updated with FORTEe’s ongoing development.

Last week, the FORTEe Team from FORMA3D in Ljubljana, Slovenia, embarked on an exciting journey to visit their counterparts in Monza and Milan, Italy. The purpose of this visit was two-fold: to strengthen the collaborative bond between FORTEe project partners and provide an opportunity for mentor and mentee pairs to meet face-to-face. Everyone was eager to exchange ideas, insights, and experiences that would further enhance the success of the FORTEe project!

Now, let’s read about Meta and Domen’s reflection on the visit:

“We have been looking forward to our visit to Monza and Milan for quite some time, to see first-hand how the FORTEe project works in those centres. It was great to meet our fellow researchers and, of course, our mentors from the mentor-mentee program. They were very knowledgeable and made us feel welcomed there. We shared our experiences and had a lot of fun experiencing their work environment. We took part in cardio-pulmonary exercise testing (CPET) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), which was very interesting to see, because we do not perform these measurements in our centre. We also had the chance to meet their patients, who shared their positive thoughts about the program, so we left Italy with even more enthusiasm for working in the future. Thanks again to the Italian team!”

Thank you, Meta and Domen, for sharing your experience with us!
Together we #GetStrongToFightChildhoodCancer!