Period
June 18 - July 6, 2018.
Background
Many research fields are founded in the field of Developmental Biology. One can think of for example basic research into signaling pathways, as pathological signaling often hijacks embryonic pathways, but also towards clinical research into the field of congenital anomalies. Embryos of various species, like mice, chicken, and zebrafish, are often used to investigate genetic, physiological or pharmacological influences on organogenesis or disease progression. And of course there is the growing field of stem cell research which ranges from basic research to clinical applications by using embryonic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, or induced pluripotent stem cells.
Content
In this course the abovementioned aspects will be covered, often with a focus on cardiovascular development. Topics will vary slightly from year to year. The following topics have been addressed previously:
1. Embryonic signaling as blueprint for cardiac pathology.
2. Embryo models for cardiovascular research.
3. Stem cells in cardiovascular disease models, organ on a chip.
4. Early embryogenesis and fertility.
Format
The course design will be based on the TeamBased Learning (TBL) concept. This means that learning is a combination of individual and team effort, and that the learning outcomes will be partly determined by the teams. This concept requires fulltime attendance during the course. The subjects will be discussed and presented successively in blocks of 3-4 days which will each consist of an orientation, testing, meet-the-expert, problem solving, and a presentation phase. Details about this learning method will be provided on day 1.
This course will particularly work on:
Research competences:
Professional competences:
Course objectives
The student can gather and apply knowledge from various disciplines to solve a specific research problem in the developmental biology field at a PhD level.
Mode of instruction
.
Assessment method
During the course there will be multiple assessments which will combine to a final grade.