Syllabus
1. Biology of Diseases
1.1 introduction - why learning about clinical research, course outline & goals
1.2 disease biology exemplified in cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and inflammatory bowel disease
1.3 understanding disease biology: cause vs. association, past vs. present incidence
2. Tools and Technologies in Clinical Research
2.1 old tools in old times - history of clinical research
2.2 toolbox I: classical approaches from stem cells to bacteria
2.3 toolbox II: novel approaches from genetics to genomics
3. Nuts and Bolts to connect Biology to Medicine
3.1 translational medicine - creating benefit for patients - employing your toolbox
3.2 implementing science in the clinic - current concepts and visions for the future
3.3 go big or go home - the necessity of international consortia in clinical research
4. Textbook Biology versus Clinical Research – how things look in the real world
4.1 can you cure a complex disease? - aiming for realistic goals
4.2 real life examples of research in complex diseases - goals vs. achievements
4.3 Recap of module I-IV & exam tutorial
5. Shaping your Career in Clinical Research
5.1 career cornerstones I: matching your skills and interests to research areas
5.2 career cornerstones II: grants, positions and your future in biomedicine
Annotation
Career planning requires at least some basic knowledge on the different fields available to the students. For students of biology, biochemistry and medicine the field of biomedical research offers many interesting opportunities. At the same time, this field is often underrepresented in biological courses. The course "Biomedical Research" therefore will highlight the relevance of the field by presenting exemplary research projects on cancer research, diabetes and other human diseases with high socio-economic impact. As part of this, the course will introduce key technologies employed in biomedical research, such as next-generation sequencing and functional genomics. At the same time, the course "Biomedical Research" will give students an insight into potential job opportunities, career paths and funding options. It is not unlikely, that a substantial proportion of biology students will decide for a career in biomedical research, which offers interesting salaries and funding options on an international scale. The course is suitable for bachelor students, master students and PhD students. Knowledge on the basic terminology in molecular biology is required to understand the course content. To complete the course successfully, students will have to pass a multiple choice based exam at the end of the course. Aim of the course: After participating in the course "biomedical research" the student will be able to:
1) outline the major fields in biomedical research
2) summarize principles of disease biology
3) describe the technologies employed in biomedical research
4) list fundamental principles of translational research
5) critically assess how realistic specific project goals are in biomedical research
6) connect their own skills and interests with biomedical research fields in order to shape their career