The R2D2-MH Project
R2D2-MH is a 5-year project that aims to understand risk and resilience factors associated with mental health and in the context of developmental diversity. Through co-creation, R2D2-MH aims to deliver solutions tailored to the needs of the stakeholders, thus contributing to the improvement of healthcare management and well-being of individuals and their family. The international and interdisciplinary consortium, coordinated by Prof. Thomas Bourgeron at Institut Pasteur, brings together 26 partners with complementary expertise, from neurosciences and computational biology to social sciences, humanities and communication, as well as 2 international associations representing individuals with neurodevelopmental diversities.
The importance of resilience in mental health and neurodevelopmental diversities
Neurodevelopmental diversities (NDDs) include autism, attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), intellectual disabilities (ID) and have a high prevalence of up to 15% of the population. It is well known that neurodivergent people have an increased risk of mental health conditions, although the exact mechanisms are not well understood. So far, researchers have focused on risk factors, omitting the role of resilience in the way individuals positively adapt to adversity even in the presence of risk factors, like genetic mutations or preterm birth. R2D2-MH proposes a double paradigm shift, not only by integrating resilience factors to its research approach and tools, but also by redefining wellbeing and functioning in a neurodevelopmental diversity approach.
%
of the population live with neurodevelopmental diversities
The R2D2-MH Executive Board

Thomas Bourgeron
Coordinator, Institut Pasteur

Sophie Dauzet
Project Manager, Institut Pasteur

Louise Gallagher
Trinity College Dublin

Beate St-Pourcain
Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics

Christine Eckert
University Hospital Frankfurt

Emily Jones
Birkbeck, University of London

Kristien Hens
University of Antwerp

Sven Bölte
Karolinska Institutet

Marie Schaer
University of Geneva

Yair Sadaka
KI Institute

Christian Beckmann
Radboud University Medical Center

Claudia Speiser
ARTTIC Innovation GmbH
What does the R2D2-MH project aim to deliver ?
R2D2-MH will provide the first multiscale dataset of individuals, combining data on genetic risk-factors, brain architecture and identify biological mechanisms of resilience associated with diverse outcomes in individuals with neurodevelopmental diversities. This will lead to the co-development of the first generation of predictive models for NDDs, including not only risks but also protective/resilience factors, building on the input of the co-creation groups (co-development).
Co-creation
The strength of R2D2-MH lies in the involvement, in the implementation of the project, from start to end, of young and adults individuals living with neurodevelopmental diversities, their families, as well as scientists, healthcare givers and industry partners. This is called co-creation and will allow to concretely address the needs of the end-users and develop tools with real-life purposes.
Co-creation is also about involving you in the development of the website. If you would like to suggest improvement for accessibility, design, or content, we would like to hear from you!
Latest News
Interview of R2D2-MH coordinator Prof. Thomas Bourgeron in the French media
World-leading interdisciplinary research groups have committed to provide innovative approaches to improve the quality of life of individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders Continue Reading Interview of R2D2-MH coordinator Prof. Thomas Bourgeron in the French media
Interview of Prof. Sven Bölte in Swedish media
World-leading interdisciplinary research groups have committed to provide innovative approaches to improve the quality of life of individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders Continue Reading Interview of Prof. Sven Bölte in Swedish media
R2D2-MH internal Workshop Series has been launched!
R2D2-MH has launched its internal webinar series. The first three sessions scheduled until May 2023 will focus on Public Involvement in research. Continue Reading R2D2-MH internal Workshop Series has been launched!