Experimental Models in Molecular Biomedicine (EMMB)

CIVIS focus area: Health
Open to: Master's

PhD candidates/ students
Field of studies: Medicine and Health
Type: Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP)
Course dates: 30 January to 7 July 2023

If you want to pursue a research career in biomedicine, this course is for you,. It will provide you with knowledge on different experimental models commonly used in current biomedical research, as well as on the principles of scientific method and experimental approaches. Under the supervision of scientists and teachers from seven CIVIS universities, you will practice by designing and discussing experiments to address real research questions.

Teaching is based in team-, active- and peer- learning activities.

You will be able to choose between 3, 5 or 6 ECTS by following virtual face-to-face sessions for nine, fifteen or seventeen weeks respectively (1 or 3h/week, see calendar) and one final week of physical face-to face sessions in Madrid:

Presentation & introductory lectures: 1 week (compulsory: 3h; 1h/lecture)
Research workshops: 4, 6 or 8 models of your choice, 2 weeks/workshop (compulsory: 1h 1st week + 3h 2nd week)
Physical mobility: 1 week, 5 days, 4h/day

Every workshop will have the same structure (as shown in the general schedule), 2 weeks of face-to face work, Monday/Wednesday/Friday 3-4pm (CET); compulsory attendance: week 1, only Friday, week 2, all three sessions for team work & presentations and peer evaluation.

Pre-recorded 1h-lecture (most important concepts behind the scientist project) plus 1h-seminar on the teacher research, available from week before. Teacher will be on-line Monday and Wednesday for doubts and questions (non compulsory).
2 sessions (1h each) of team work (3-4 students) aimed at proposing and designing experiments to address assigned specific research questions raised at the end of the seminar. These sessions will be tutorized by the teacher (teams will be split in different virtual rooms). Teams will also prepare a simple 3-4 slides-presentation.
2 last sessions (1h each), the teams will present their proposals. These will be evaluated by the teacher but also by the peer teams. Both teacher and students will be provided with evaluation rubrics.

In Madrid, the program includes the written and oral presentation individual evaluation, personal feedback from teachers, visits to companies and university facilities, closing ceremony including keynote speeches from young and veteran researchers and diplomas delivery.

Main topics addressed

Introductory lectures: scientific method, different types of experiments, the dynamics of an experimental approach
Research workshops:
- Yeast as a biotechnological tool with multiple applications: a model for dietary toxicology
- Non-coding RNAs and RNA modifications in cell differentiation and disease
- Behavioral phenotyping of Mouse Models
- Single-Cell Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) to study Hematopoietic Stem Cell Aging
- In Vivo and Ex Vivo Cancer Immunity Models
- Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells differentiation for tissue engineering applications
- Models to study Angiogenesis
- Novel approaches to study Human Diseases
Madrid program: written and oral individual presentation (for individual evaluation), general discussions on each of the models, personal feedback from scientists, visits to companies and university facilities, closing ceremony including keynote speeches from young and veteran researchers and diplomas delivery. City tours and local cultural activities will make the mobility experience the most enriching for all international participants.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge of scientific method, experimental approaches, basics of experimental design
Knowledge of the rational and characteristics of different experimental models in biomedical research: yeast, advanced molecular research (epitranscriptomics, single cell-NGS), in vivo (mouse and non-mouse) approaches, novel models for physiological and pathological conditions (patient-derived tumour chips and xenografts, organoids, tissue engineering, 2D- and 3D- cell systems…).
Practice on designing experiments, delineating outcomes, predicting interpretations directed to answer specific research questions
Ability to synthesize and apply all previous theroretical knowledge

Dates: 30 January to 7 July 2023	Total workload: 150 hours
Format: Blended	ECTS: 6*
Location: Madrid, Spain	Language: English (B2)
Contact: carmela.cales@uam.es

* Recognition of ECTS depends on your home university.

Physical mobility

It will take place from 3 to 7 July 2023.

3 July: individual evaluation (written and presentation preparation)
4 July – 6 July:
- Morning: debates on all models, individual presentations; individual feedback tutorial
- Afternoon: visits to companies, big research facilities, cultural visit of the city & social programme
7 July:
- Course wrap up
- Inspirational talks by one young and one senior relevant local researchers
- Diploma ceremony
- Farewell party

Virtual part

Week 1-General lectures (compulsory)

30 January - Presentation
1 February - Scientific method
3 February - Experimental approaches

Weeks 2 and 3 - Workshop 1: Yeast as a biotechnological tool with multiple applications: a model for dietary toxicology

6 and 8 February: Optional tutorial on lecture and seminar
10 and 13 February: Compulsory team-work on proposal & presentation
15 February: Compulsary presentation and peer-evaluation

Weeks 4 and 5 - Workshop 2: Non-coding RNAs and RNA modifications in cell differentiation and disease

20 and 22 February: Optional tutorial on lecture and seminar
24 and 27 February: Compulsory team-work on proposal & presentation
1 and 3 March: Compulsary presentation and peer-evaluation

Weeks 6 and 7 - Workshop 3: Behavioral phenotyping of Mouse Models

6 and 8 March: Optional tutorial on lecture and seminar
10 and 13 March: Compulsory team-work on proposal & presentation
15 and 17 March: Compulsary presentation and peer-evaluation

Weeks 8 and 9 - Workshop 4: Single-Cell Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) to study Hematopoietic Stem Cell Aging

20 and 22 March: Optional tutorial on lecture and seminar
24 and 27 March: Compulsory team-work on proposal & presentation
29 and 31 March: Compulsary presentation and peer-evaluation

From 3 April to 21 April: Easter holidays spanning all different CIVIS countries

Weeks 10 and 11 - Workshop 5: In Vivo and Ex Vivo Cancer Immunity Models

24 and 26 April: Optional tutorial on lecture and seminar
28 April and 2 May: Compulsory team-work on proposal & presentation
3 and 5 May: Compulsary presentation and peer-evaluation

Weeks 12 and 13 - Workshop 6: Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells differentiation for tissue engineering applications

8 and 10 May: Optional tutorial on lecture and seminar
12 and 15 May: Compulsory team-work on proposal & presentation
17 and 19 May: Compulsary presentation and peer-evaluation

Weeks 14 and 15 - Workshop 7: Models to study Angiogenesis

22 and 24 May: Optional tutorial on lecture and seminar
26 and 29 May: Compulsory team-work on proposal & presentation
31 May and 2 June: Compulsary presentation and peer-evaluation

Weeks 16 and 17 - Workshop 8: Novel approaches to study Human Diseases

5 and 7 June: Optional tutorial on lecture and seminar
9 and 12 June: Compulsory team-work on proposal & presentation
14 and 16 June: Compulsary presentation and peer-evaluation

Requirements

This course is open to students at CIVIS member universities. Applicants should have at least 180 certified ECTS of Bachelor Degree in Biochemistry, Molecular & Cell Biology, Biotechnology, Genetics, Biomedicine, Pharmacy or similar in the field of Health sciences.

Application process

Send your application by filling in the online application form by 30 November 2022 with the following documents:

Motivation letter
CV
Level of English (according to the CEFR)

Applications will be evaluated according to the student's:

Academic performance
Molecular and Cell Biology courses background (ECTS number & grades)
Motivation Letter: career plan, expectations, research interests, reasons to choose the course

Apply for this course

Assessment

Assessment will comprise teacher and peer evaluation. A rubric will be provided with all details on the course organization and in the first session a specific time will be dedicated to fully explain it.

Continuous evaluation:

Individual Questionnaires 15%
Team work & presentations (up to 8 in toto) 35% -20% teachers + 15% peer teams

Individual Exam & Presentation:

Written exam 30%
Presentation 20%

Blended Intensive Programme

This CIVIS course is a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP): a new format of Erasmus+ mobility which combines online teaching with a short trip to another campus to learn alongside students and professors across Europe. Click here to learn more about CIVIS BIPs.

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Dr. Lavinia Ruta (University of Bucharest) engineers yeast to model toxicology studies.
Prof. Alessandro Fatica and Dr Monica Ballarino (Sapienza Università di Roma) work on epitranscriptomics.
Dr Thorsten Schmidt (Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen) models neuropathologies involving ataxin genes in the mouse.
Dr Estelle Duprez (CNRS, Aix-Marseille université) studies hematopoietic aging with single-cell transcriptome analysis.
Dr. Maria Tsoumakidou (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens) uses tumor-chips and patient-derived xenografts for oncoimmunology research.
Dr. Sorina Dinescu (University of Bucharest) works in adult stem cells.
Prof. Benilde Jimenez (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid), studies tumor angiogenesis and its relation to hypoxia.
Profs team (Paris Lodron University of Salzburg) search for best models of human diseases
Profs. Carmela Calés and Isabel Sánchez (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid), coordinate the course

Documents

463 KB emmb-infographic.pdf