Simona AprileDear Professor Puligheddu,
Thank you for sharing the presentation of your Department. I read with great interest about your clinical and research activities in the fields of neurodegenerative diseases, sleep disorders, and brain ageing, and I was particularly impressed by your attention to the therapeutic potential of evidence-based green environments.
I believe there may be interesting areas of convergence within the Interreg Euro-MED Mission “Promoting Green Living Areas”, particularly regarding the assessment of the effects of Healing Gardens on neurological, cognitive, and emotional well-being, as well as on key neurophysiological parameters.
As a researcher at CREA – Research Centre for Plant Protection and Certification (CREA-DC), Palermo, I am currently developing a project idea focused on the implementation and validation of Healing Gardens and therapeutic green infrastructures as tools to improve people’s well-being and quality of life, with particular attention to vulnerable groups and hospital populations.
The project concept brings together expertise in health sciences, neuroscience, environmental sciences, and landscape design, with the aim of evaluating the contribution of green environments to the prevention and mitigation of risk factors associated with chronic and neurodegenerative diseases. In this context, your expertise in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, sleep disorders, and neurological health more broadly could represent a highly valuable contribution.
At present, CREA-DC Palermo, in collaboration with the Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences (SAAF) of the University of Palermo, is developing an experimental area dedicated to Healing Gardens and psychophysical well-being within a university setting. Additional activities on these topics are currently being carried out through the BIOGARDEN project.
I would be pleased to understand whether there might be mutual interest in exploring this opportunity further and, eventually, in identifying an organisation willing to assume the role of Lead Partner for this call.
It would also be very interesting to know whether the Monserrato University Hospital has green spaces or outdoor areas that could be enhanced through a pilot Healing Garden intervention and used as a demonstration and research site for monitoring and evaluation activities.
Should you consider the timeframe of the current call too limited to build a sufficiently structured proposal, I believe it would nevertheless be worthwhile to remain in contact and take our respective expertise into account for future initiatives. Indeed, the integration of your clinical and neuroscientific expertise with our experience in Healing Garden research and the valorisation of Mediterranean vegetation could provide a very promising basis for future collaboration.
I remain at your disposal for any further information and would be pleased to discuss these ideas in greater detail.
Kind regards,
Simona Aprile
CREA – Research Centre for Plant Protection and Certification (CREA-DC)
Palermo, Italy
