ASSOCIACAO PROTECTORA DOS DIABETICOS DE PORTUGAL

Their core work

APDP is Portugal's leading diabetes patient association, operating a specialized diabetes center in Lisbon that combines clinical care with research participation. They contribute real-world patient cohorts and clinical expertise to EU research projects focused on metabolic diseases, particularly non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) — a common complication of diabetes. More recently, they have expanded into behavioral health research, studying how patients adhere to treatment regimens, bringing decades of frontline experience managing chronic disease populations.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

APDP's H2020 involvement began in 2017 with a clear focus on metabolic disease biology — specifically the bioenergetics and mitochondrial dysfunction underlying NAFLD, through two closely related projects (Foie Gras and mtFOIE GRAS). By 2021, their focus broadened significantly toward behavioral and health systems research with the BEAMER project, which addresses patient adherence to treatment — a shift from laboratory-oriented metabolism research toward applied health outcomes. This evolution suggests APDP is moving from being a clinical data provider in biomedical research toward a more active role in health intervention design.

APDP is shifting from biomedical disease research toward health behavior and treatment outcomes — expect them to seek projects combining clinical data with digital health or behavioral interventions.

How they like to work

APDP exclusively operates as a participant or partner — never as coordinator — which is typical for patient associations contributing clinical access and domain knowledge to researcher-led consortia. With 45 unique partners across just 3 projects, they work in large, multi-country consortia rather than small focused teams. This makes them a reliable, low-overhead partner: they bring specific clinical assets without competing for project leadership.

Despite only 3 projects, APDP has collaborated with 45 unique partners across 16 countries, reflecting their participation in large pan-European health research consortia. Their network spans Western and Southern Europe broadly, with no narrow geographic concentration.

What sets them apart

APDP is not a university lab or a tech company — it is a century-old patient association with direct access to a large diabetic population in Lisbon, making it a rare bridge between clinical reality and research. For consortium builders, they offer something hard to replicate: an established trust relationship with patients willing to participate in studies, combined with institutional knowledge of chronic disease management. Their dual experience in metabolic research and behavioral health makes them particularly valuable for projects that need both biological data and real-world patient engagement.

Highlights from their portfolio

• BEAMER
  Their largest funded project (EUR 255,938), marking a strategic pivot from metabolic research into behavioral health and treatment adherence modeling.
• mtFOIE GRAS
  Focused on non-invasive NAFLD diagnostics and biomarkers — directly translatable to clinical tools, with clear links to APDP's diabetic patient population.