
This interdisciplinary lab course gives students a realistic insight into the life of a biomedical researcher. We provide advanced bachelor students (with backgrounds in medicine and/or life sciences) the opportunity to conduct authentic and real-world biomedical research in small interdisciplinary groups. The research is carried out in a well-equipped (wet) laboratory and focuses on urgent medical cases or ongoing translational medicine research problems. Each group will study the same hypothesis from different perspectives by applying different research methods. At the end of the course, course participants will collectively write a short research report and present the outcomes of their project.
This interdisciplinary lab course gives you a realistic insight into the life of a biomedical researcher. During this intensive two-week course, we provide advanced bachelor students (with a background in medicine and/or life sciences) the opportunity to conduct authentic and real-world research in a well-equipped (wet) laboratory. This research topic will focus on an urgent medical need, e.g. on an actual patient case with an unknown medical problem or on an ongoing translational medicine research problem. All participants are divided into subgroups that will all study the same problem from different perspectives by applying different research methods.
In the first two days of this course, together with your peers, you will define a hypothesis through conducting a brief literature study, using (unpublished) research documents or a medical patient file. Then, you will all test the same hypothesis in a biomedical laboratory by using different approaches and research methods. You will be extensively supervised by experts in the field and qualified laboratory staff. You will have work meetings with the supervisors and the other students where the obtained data and plans are discussed.
At the end of the course, together you will write a brief research report using the acquired data. In addition, you will present the final outcomes of your project to your peers and the staff, just like professional researchers do at research conferences.
The interdisciplinary nature of this course will bridge the gap between biomedicine and (translational) medical research to further enhance ongoing and actual medical (research and patient) problems.
Utrecht Summer School Welcome Day 2023_22.pdf
Lecturers
Dr. Toine ten Broeke, Dr. Sandra Crnko, Emma Pijnappel, BSc.
Target audience
This course is open to advanced bachelor students with a medicine and/or life science/ biomedical sciences background. We are aiming for a balance between the different study backgrounds. Background knowledge on the following topics is recommended: molecular biology, cell biology, physiology, and pathology.
Aim of the course
After completing this course, you will be able to
- Explain, clarify, and discuss the most important theories and research concepts of your research
- Define a research question from a (bio)medical problem
- Perform (translational) research in a research laboratory (cell culture, flow cytometry, Western blot, qPCR, etc);
- Interpret your obtained data, write a research report, and present your data to peers
- Work together in an interdisciplinary team.
Study load
Week 1: Preparation, defining a research question and doing lab research
Week 2: Doing lab research, analysing the data, writing a research report, presenting project outcomes
Costs
Early bird discount: if you apply for this course and pay the course fee before 1 May 2023, you will receive a €100 discount on the course fee.
Additional information
If you would like to make use of the Utrecht Summer School student accommodation, please make sure to check this page. You can check in on or after Sunday 2 July 2023, after 12.00 (noon). More information regarding the check-in is available in the pre-departure and day-to-day document.
Application
Due to the nature of this course, your presence in Utrecht is required. There will be no online substitute course.
For this course you are required to upload the following documents when applying:
Contact details
Prof. dr. Niels Bovenschen | E: N.Bovenschen@umcutrecht.nl