VILNIAUS UNIVERSITETO LIGONINE SANTAROS KLINIKOS

Their core work

Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos (VULSK) is Lithuania's largest university hospital, operating as both a clinical care provider and a clinical research center. They contribute clinical trial infrastructure, patient cohorts, and medical expertise to European health research — particularly in rare diseases, childhood cancers, and pandemic vaccine trials. Their work bridges hospital-based patient care with translational research, making them a key partner for projects needing real-world clinical data and trial sites in the Baltic region.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

VULSK's H2020 engagement began in 2019 with a focus on rare diseases, data sharing (FAIR principles), omics, and public-private partnerships through EJP RD. By 2021, their focus shifted decisively toward oncology (childhood tumours), pandemic preparedness (COVID-19 vaccine trials), and cancer survivorship informatics. This evolution shows a hospital moving from broad rare disease participation toward targeted cancer research leadership and emergency response readiness.

VULSK is building toward becoming Lithuania's primary clinical research hub for oncology trials and digital health record interoperability, making them increasingly relevant for cancer-focused and eHealth consortia.

How they like to work

VULSK operates predominantly as a participant (4 of 5 projects), contributing clinical infrastructure and patient access to large European consortia. Their one coordination role — the TREL twinning project — was specifically designed to build their research capacity, suggesting they are actively growing into a more central role. With 197 unique partners across 39 countries, they connect broadly rather than deeply, typical of a clinical site that joins large-scale multi-centre studies.

VULSK has collaborated with 197 unique partners across 39 countries, reflecting participation in large pan-European health consortia. Their network spans nearly all EU member states, giving them unusually wide geographic reach for a Lithuanian institution.

What sets them apart

VULSK is the largest university hospital in Lithuania and one of very few clinical research institutions in the Baltic states actively embedded in major European health consortia. Their TREL twinning project demonstrates a deliberate strategy to close the gap between Baltic and Western European clinical research capabilities. For consortium builders, they offer access to Baltic patient populations, clinical trial sites in a widening country, and a motivated institution investing in capacity building.

Highlights from their portfolio

• TREL
  Their only coordinated project and largest grant (EUR 465,902) — a twinning initiative to strengthen Lithuanian paediatric oncology research capacity, signalling institutional ambition.
• VACCELERATE
  Positioned VULSK as a COVID-19 vaccine trial site in the European accelerator platform, demonstrating rapid-response clinical trial capability.
• PanCareSurPass
  Bridges oncology with digital health — implementing electronic Survivorship Passports using interoperable health records, their most digitally oriented project.