Multiprofessional Center for Paralympic and Parasport Studies (CMEPP): Health, Education, High Performance, and Technology

• Grant number: 25/07056-9
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Science Centers for Development
• Start date: November 01, 2025
• End date: October 31, 2030
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Metabolism and Bioenergetics
• Principal Investigator: José Cesar Rosa Neto
• Grantee: José Cesar Rosa Neto
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• City of the host institution: São Paulo
• Principal investigators: Ciro Winckler de Oliveira Filho ; Fábio Santos de Lira ; Marco Carlos Uchida ; Rômulo Araújo Fernandes ; Ronaldo Vagner Thomatieli dos Santos ; Thiago Fernando Lourenço
• Associated researchers: Anderson de Rezende Rocha ; Barbara de Moura Mello Antunes ; Bruno Rodrigues ; Camila Buonani da Silva ; EMELY PUJOLLI DA SILVA ; Emer Suavinho Ferro ; Fábio Bertapelli ; Fabrício Eduardo Rossi ; FABRIZIO VELOSO RODRIGUES ; Fernando José von Zuben ; Geiza Aparecida Batista da Silva ; Hésojy Gley Pereira Vital da silva ; Jamile Sanches Codogno ; João Paulo Pereira Rosa ; Júlia Barreira Augusto ; Luciana Pellegrini Pisani ; Luciane Portas Capelo ; Luiz Gustavo Teixeira Fabricio dos Santos ; Maíta Poli de Araujo ; MARIANA SIMOES PIMENTEL GOMES ; Otávio Luis Piva da Cunha Furtado ; Paula Schmidt Azevedo Gaiolla ; Ricardo Antonio Tanhoffer ; Ricardo Ribeiro Agostinete ; Victor Spiandor Beretta ; Vitor Daniel Tessutti ; William Rodrigues Tebar ; William Tadeu Lara Festuccia

Abstract

Our proposal is the creation of the Multiprofessional Center for Paralympic and Para-sport Studies (CMEPP): Health, Education, High Performance, and Technology. We believe that CMEPP can generate a significant impact on the development of Paralympic and para-sports, based on four guiding pillars: Health, Education, High Performance, and Technology. We understand that these areas have the potential to promote inclusion, improve quality of life, and enhance athletic performance for people with disabilities-especially when amplified by the use of assistive technologies.In the Education pillar, the center will promote the dissemination of scientific and practical knowledge, contributing to the improvement of care for people with disabilities both in basic education and in para-sports. This initiative has the potential to enhance existing public policies, as well as support the development of new strategies aimed at more effectively reaching the project's target audience: people with disabilities.Within the scope of the project, we will address not only sports performance but also the health of people with disabilities. Foundational research will be conducted to investigate the mechanisms of the interaction between disability-related skeletal muscle atrophy and its impact on the immune system. We will also assess how physical training can influence inflammatory, immune, endocrine, and metabolic responses in children, adolescents, and adults with disabilities.Another key focus will be the analysis of the socio-environmental conditions of people with disabilities in various para-sport contexts, with the goal of generating data to inform public debate and support the development of more effective inclusion policies. In the Education pillar, we will develop a para-sport development model and offer training initiatives for professionals in the fields of health and education.A strategic component of the project will be the monitoring of athletes participating in Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games events, with a focus on identifying stress and workload markers, considering that the markers currently used are not precise enough for load control in Paralympic athletes.One area still understudied by science, which CMEPP aims to explore, is the immune response of Paralympic athletes-a relevant topic given the higher incidence of illness in this population: five times greater risk of upper respiratory tract infections, 12 times greater risk of urinary tract infections, and five times greater risk of hospitalization when compared to Olympic athletes. Understanding these differences is essential to improve athletic performance and reduce infection risks.Finally, we will evaluate how assistive technologies can help increase adherence to physical activity, monitor health indicators, and how exergames can serve as a strategy to reduce sedentary behavior among people with disabilities.In summary, the CMEPP project aligns with three United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), with the aim of promoting inclusion in the areas of health, education, and quality of life. The proposing task force brings together prominent researchers from the project's different thematic areas, forming a multidisciplinary team linked to public universities in São Paulo (USP, UNESP, UNICAMP, and UNIFESP), with the active participation of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee. (AU)