About this event
Goal: Translational research requires adequate models to bridge the gap between in vitro experiments and clinical reality. Animal and cell models basically serve 3 aims: 1) to gain mechanistic insights into (patho)physiological processes, 2) to mimic human disease and 3) to test experimental therapeutic approaches, either separately or combined.
The aim of this course is to make PhD candidates familiar with cardiovascular animal models and advanced cell systems used in the different experimental laboratories. This enables the student to get a broader view of animal and cell models, their advantages and disadvantages, which model is appropriate to use for which type of research question, and finally to use these insights to come up with ideas to optimize their own models and research.
Format: The course will be given in such a way that both, the PhD candidates and the teachers are able to incorporate this course in their daily work. The course will provide interactive lectures given by experts that are all connected to UMC focus areas ‘circulatory health’ and ‘regenerative medicine’. In addition, students will prepare an interactive ePoster presenting a research proposal that addresses one of their own PhD research questions. The proposal should include a detailed experimental design based on a model or methodology outside the student’s current expertise, drawing inspiration from the expert lectures provided during the course. The ePoster will be presented during the closing session of the course.
Dates: In this course different animal and cell models, that are available in Utrecht will be discussed in detail. The lectures will be held on Wednesday mornings from 11:00 – 12:30 (08-04, 15-04, 22-04, 06-05, 13-05, 20-05, 27-05, 03-06, 10-06, 17-06), with the exception of the closing session which is scheduled for Wednesday 01-07-2026 from 15:00 – 17:00. The lectures will cover topics including ischemia/reperfusion models, zebrafish models of cardiac disease, multi-organ on-a-chip models, cardiac cellular electrophysiology, animal models of cardio-renal syndrome, advanced in vitro cardiac disease modeling, inherited cardiac disease models, vascular in vitro models, and ex-situ heart perfusion models. The final schedule will be communicated before the start of the course, and the content will be based on the availability of experts and subject to change.
Language: The course is given in English.
Certificate: To qualify for the certificate and 3 ECTS, participants must attend all lectures. Attendance will be registered.
Number of participants: All PhD students can register, however if more than 30 persons register, the organization reserves the right to make a selection. We require a minimal of 10 participants, in case the number of participants is lower the organization will decide if the course will proceed or not.
Costs: No charge for registered PhD students.
Course coordinators: Dr. Saskia C.A. de Jager, UMC Utrecht, Division Heart and Lungs, Laboratory for Experimental Cardiology, email: s.c.a.dejager@umcutrecht.nl and Dr. Alain van Mil, UMC Utrecht, Division Heart and Lungs, Center for Regenerative medicine, email:A.vanMil-2@umcutrecht.nl
Registration: send an email to: j.vd.velde@umcutrecht.nl