EVAN focuses on the integration of new morphological analysis methods from biomathematics, computer science and bioengineering in the context of interdisciplinary studies of anatomical variability in humans, their ancestors, and their close relatives for the purpose of applications in the academic, clinical, industrial, and private&public research sectors. The new methods are integrated in our network with a rich infrastructure from medical imaging, 3D-digitisation, visualisation, software programming and modelling to interlink a new generation of scientists from diverse disciplines with industrial partners and clinics where basic research can immediately be converted into applications. The areas of application include development and growth, early detection of diseases, orthodontics, surgical intervention, forensics, prosthetics, evolutionary biology, human origins, biometric identification, and teaching.

Societal benefits of this proposed network will be the outstanding interdisciplinary and intersectorial training opportunities for young scientists which will draw together a critical mass of researchers,industrial partners, and science journalists dispersed across Europe into a coherent framework, thus developing additional European potential in these areas, at the same time avoiding redundancy.

Our proposed advances in understanding human variability include also improvements in quality of life for European citizens that will arise from better medical diagnosis and treatment planning, improved implant technology, deeper understanding of human growth, development and evolution, and timely
education in these areas.

The network will raise public awareness and provide a data and knowledge archive for restructuring European data resources such as detailed digital representations of rare or precious specimens together with their documentation, and also amplify such efforts already funded by the EU and others (NESPOS, digital@rchive Fossil Hominids).

download EVAN Flyer Page 1, EVAN Flyer Page 2