ICVS

ICVS Seminar "Using an experimental medicine approach to characterise the mechanisms of antidepressant treatment in depressed adolescents"
2023-03-27 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
Monday, march 27th 1 pm, don’t miss Liliana Capitão’s seminar “Using an experimental medicine approach to characterise the mechanisms of antidepressant treatment in depressed adolescents” at the A0.02 auditorium in UMinho’s School of Medicine.
Liliana Capitão is an Auxiliary Researcher at the School of Psychology, University of Minho since September 2022. Previously, she completed a PhD in Neurosciences at Oxford University, UK (2010-2014), and then worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher and subsequently as a Research Coordinator in Experimental Medicine at the Department of Psychiatry, Oxford University (2014-2022), where she still holds a Visiting Researcher position. Liliana has an inter-disciplinary research profile combining expertise in psychology and neuroscience, with a focus on neuroimaging (fMRI) and psychopharmacology. Her research uses a translational experimental medicine approach to investigate mechanisms of antidepressant treatment in adolescence and markers of resilience vs. risk to develop depression.

Seminar | Detection and role of genome-wide chromosomal copy number aberrations in cancer | Prof. Dr. Bauke Ylstra
2023-03-20 13:00 - 14:00
Seminar 20.03.2023 13h A0.02
Detection and role of genome-wide chromosomal copy number aberrations in cancer
Prof. Dr. Bauke Ylstra Pathology department, AmsterdamUMC, The Netherlands
Ylstra is full professor in tumor genome analysis, and research coordinator of the Pathology department of AmsterdamUMC. His lab has a focus on genome analysis from archival (FFPE) materials. This includes copy number analysis by shallow Whole Genome Sequencing (sWGS), in combination with Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) and translocation analysis with an emphasis on archival (FFPE) materials. Dedicated algorithms are developed, some of which have become the ‘industry’ standard for genome analytics. Of particular interest is the analysis of materials from cancer clinical trial series, given strict inclusion criteria and complete clinical follow up for dedicated (marker) discovery and validation. Currently the main focus is on GI, Lung, Head and Neck, Brain and lymphatic malignancies.

The mysteries of the Brain - Brain Awareness Week
2023-03-15 10:00 - 12:00
The International Brain Awareness Week (BAW) is a global initiative, which aims to make the research work around the study of the brain known to the general public. BAW is an initiative of the Dana Alliance, and coordinated in Portugal by the Portuguese Society of Neurosciences in collaboration with Ciência Viva.
ICVS celebrates the Brain Awareness Week by designing an event dedicated to the mysteries of the brain where school students can participate in interactive lectures, institute visits and hands-on activities about the brain.

Finding solutions in a dish: advanced human in vitro modeling approaches for fundamental and translational research
2023-03-13 08:00 - 2023-03-31 17:00
Several groundbreaking discoveries in the past decades have contributed to the exponential increase of in vitro models’ relevance in both fundamental and translational research. In 2007, the possibility of reprograming patient-specific somatic cells into (induced) pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) established the beginning of a new era of in vitro disease modeling studies. The additional development of versatile gene editing tools (e.g., CRISPR/Cas9), biocompatible and biomimetic biomaterials, microfluidics based culture platforms and dynamic culture systems (i.e. bioreactors) have added further complexity to these models. The present course was designed to provide a multidisciplinary discussion environment, mainly dedicated to the use of these innovative strategies and their application in the disease modeling field. For that, we will bring together national and international experts from these different backgrounds to provide students and external participants knowledge on:
Stem cell biology, particularly focused on iPSCs;
Embryonic development process and how is it recapitulated in vitro for obtaining the desired cell types from iPSCs;
Modern gene editing tools and their application in disease modeling context;
2D and 3D culture systems and how can they be modulated to improve cell maturation;
In vitro modeling studies as a tool for understanding organ-specific development and disease mechanisms.
Moreover, we will promote discussion on the advances and future challenges of these advanced in vitro models to support the replacing, reducing, and refining (3Rs) of the use of in vivo experimentation.

Research Methodologies
2023-02-20 08:00 - 2023-03-10 17:00
This course aims to provide students with knowledge and practice in terms of:
1. use of scientific language to communicate ideas and results (scientific writing);
2. definition of a project from a research topic with the formulation of research hypotheses grounded in relevant literature on the theme;
3. critical and comprehensive collection of information relevant to a project;
4. synthesis of information collected in a review work quality in terms of:
a. writing;
b. framework;
c. content;
5. production of a non-systematic internationally publishable literature review (minimum: Journal of Young Investigators – www.jyi.org).
