Experimental Models in Molecular Biomedicine (EMMB)
Design and discuss experiments to address real research questions after learning all about the most exciting experimental models used in current biomedical research
← Back to courses- CIVIS focus area
- Health
- Open to
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- Bachelor's
- Master's
- PhD candidates/ students
- Field of studies
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- Medicine and Health
- Type
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- Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP)
- Course dates
- 3 February - 4 July 2025
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 experimental approaches to address real research questions. Teaching is based on 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 9, 15 or 17 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 (3 compulsory hours; 1 lecture hour)
- Research workshops: 4, 6 or 8 models of your choice, 2 weeks/ compulsory workshop (1h/ 1st week + 3h/ 2nd)
- Physical mobility: 5 days (July 1-5)
Every workshop will have the same structure: 2 weeks of face-to face work (Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 15:00-16:00 CET) and compulsory attendance: week 1 - only Friday; week 2 - all three sessions for team work & presentations and peer evaluation.
The students will have:
- a week ahead pre-recorded 1h-lecture (most important concepts behind the scientist project) plus 1h-seminar on the teacher research. He 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) for a team presentation of 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.
At the end of the course, all teachers and students will meet in person in Madrid for the physical mobility part of the program. During this week, the individual evaluation will also take place.
Main topics addressed
1. Introductory lectures: scientific method, different types of experiments, the dynamics of an experimental approach
2. 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
- Riboseq to understand proteostasis in disease
- Adult Stem Cells
- In Vivo and Ex Vivo Cancer Immunity Models
- Models to study Angiogenesis
- Novel approaches to study Human Diseases
Learning outcomes
At the end of this course, the students are expected to have acquired:
- knowledge of scientific method, experimental approaches, basics of experimental design;
- vision on different experimental models in biomedical research;
- knowledge on how to design experiments, to delineate outcomes, predict interpretations;
- ability to apply all previous theroretical knowledge;
- team work skills;
- knowledge on how to make simple, effective, informative, right-to-the point graphic presentations;
- ability of peer evaluation.
| Dates: 3 February - 4 Juy 2025 | Total workload: 151 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
The physical mobility part will be running from 30 June to 4 July 2025 in Madrid, Spain and will include:
- visits to university's facilities and/ or laboratories;
- individual evaluation of each student - written and oral presentation;
- general discussions on each model;
- personal feedback from scientists;
- closing ceremony including keynote speeches from young and veteran researchers.
City tours and local cultural activities will make the mobility experience the most enriching for all international participants.
Proposed program:
- Monday: teachers seminars
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday:
- morning: written exam, individual presentations & individual feedback tutorial (up to six practical cases, similar to those presented and worked on during the workshops, will be proposed. The students will choose two of them for development, and afterwards only one to be presented in the following days. All teachers and students will be present and there will be individual feedback provided to each student);
- afternoon: visits to research facilities; cultural visit of the city; social program.
- Friday: course wrap up, inspirational seminar by an invited speaker and diplomas delivery ceremony.
Virtual part
The online meetings will take place between 3 February - 20 June 2025, as following:
Week 1: General lectures (compulsory)
- 3 February - Presentation
- 5 February - Scientific method
- 7 February - Experimental approaches
Then students will have to attend 4, 6 or 8 workshops (depending on the enrolled ECTS - 3, 5 or 6). Please note that dates are final, however workshops order can be changed, although the final calendar will be updated (if needed) before the enrollment.
10-21 February: workshop Yeast as a biotechnological tool with multiple applications: a model for dietary toxicology
24 February - 7 March: workshop Non-coding RNAs and RNA modifications in cell differentiation and disease
10-21 March: workshop Behavioral phenotyping of Mouse Models
24 March - 4 April: workshop Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells differentiation for tissue engineering applications
13 - 27 April: Easter holidays spanning all different CIVIS countries
28 April - 9 May: workshop In Vivo and Ex Vivo Cancer Immunity Models
12 - 23 May: workshop Riboseq to understand proteostasis in disease
26 May - 5 June: workshop Models to study Angiogenesis
9 - 20 June: workshop Novel approaches to study Human Diseases
Requirements
This course is open to Bachelor's, Master's and PhD's students at CIVIS member universities, with 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).
Participants should have a good level of written and spoken English (B2), but also skills such as critical analysis of experimental design, team work and peer-instruction, self- and peer-assessment, ability to make simple, effective, informative, right-to-the point graphic presentations (synthesis & data interpretation skills), critical thinking, and scientific communication abilities.
NB: Visiting Students - Erasmus Funding Eligibility
To be eligible for your selected CIVIS programme, you must be a fully enrolled student at your CIVIS home university at the time you will be undertaking the programme. Click here to learn more about the eligibility criteria.
Students from CIVIS’ strategic partner universities in Africa cannot apply for participation in this course.
Application process
Send your application by filling in the online application form by 31 October 2024, including:
- CV
- Motivation letter
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Level of English (According to CEFR)
Applications will be evaluated based on the academic performance of the student, Molecular and Cell Biology courses background (ECTS number & grades), motivation letter: career plan, expectations, research interests, reasons to choose the course.
Assessment
Assessment will comprise teacher and peer evaluation (based on a rubric form which will be fully explained):
Continous assessment:
- individual questionnaires: 15%
- team work & presentations (4, 6 or 8 - depending on the enrolled ECTS): 35% (20% teachers + 15% peer teams)
Individual exam & presentation:
- written exam: 20%
- presentation: 30%
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 (UB) engineers yeast and plants to model toxicology studies.
Prof. Alessandro Fatica (SUR) works on epitranscriptomics in different physiological and pathological conditions.
Dr. Thorsten Schmidt (TU) models neuropathologies involving ataxin genes in the mouse.
Dr. Monica Roman-Trufero (CHUV, UNIL) studies proteostasis regulation in cancer using Riboseq and other -omics approaches
Dr. Sorina Dinescu (UB) works in adult stem cells.
Dr. Maud Martin (ULB) studies the role of microtubules during vascular bed-specific angiogenesis.
Drs. Schmidt-Arras and Krenn (PLUS) use innovative ex vivo models to study human diseases.
Prof. Carmela Calés, assisted by Prof. Isabel Sánchez (UAM) coordinates the course.