ONKOLOSKI INSTITUT LJUBLJANA

Their core work

The Institute of Oncology Ljubljana is Slovenia's leading cancer treatment and research centre, specializing in cancer screening programmes and clinical oncology. In H2020, they contribute expertise on organizing population-level cancer screening (breast, cervical, colorectal) and managing cancer patients with complex comorbidities. Their work focuses on improving screening equity across European populations and addressing treatment side effects like cardiotoxicity in elderly cancer patients.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their H2020 journey started with EU-TOPIA (2015), focused on improving cancer screening across all of Europe. By 2021, their work branched in two directions: EU-TOPIA-EAST extended screening expertise specifically to Eastern Europe with an equity focus, while CARDIOCARE moved into the intersection of oncology and cardiology for elderly patients. This shows a shift from broad screening research toward more targeted, underserved populations and complex patient management.

They are moving toward addressing cancer care complexity — combining screening equity in underserved regions with interdisciplinary management of treatment side effects in vulnerable patient groups.

How they like to work

They participate exclusively as partners, never leading consortia, which is consistent with a specialist clinical institution contributing domain expertise to larger research networks. With 21 unique partners across 13 countries from just 3 projects, they operate in large, diverse consortia. Their continuation from EU-TOPIA to EU-TOPIA-EAST suggests they build lasting relationships and are valued enough to be re-invited.

Despite only 3 projects, they have collaborated with 21 distinct partners across 13 countries, indicating they operate within well-connected pan-European health research consortia. Their geographic reach spans both Western and Eastern Europe.

What sets them apart

As Slovenia's national oncology institute, they bring real-world clinical screening data and patient cohorts from a Central-Eastern European context — a region often underrepresented in large screening studies. Their dual expertise in population-level screening programmes and individual patient cardiotoxicity management is an unusual combination. For consortium builders, they offer both public health and clinical oncology perspectives in a single partner.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EU-TOPIA-EAST
  Extends cancer screening research specifically to Eastern Europe with an equity lens — addresses a documented gap in organised screening programmes across the region.
• CARDIOCARE
  Largest single grant (EUR 251,000) and represents a strategic pivot into interdisciplinary onco-cardiology for elderly multimorbid patients, combining cancer treatment with cardiovascular risk management.