Early Life Events: Diagnostics and Treatment
Credit load: 7.5 ECTS Course code: BMW33517
Coordinator: Prof. dr. F.E. Hoebeek Period: 3
Examiner: Prof. dr. F.E. Hoebeek Time slot: AD
E-mail address: F.E.Hoebeek@umcutrecht.nl Level: 3
Phone: +31 88 7554359
Lecturers
Dr. Cora Nijboer (NIDOD), Dr. Caroline de Theije (NIDOD), Dr. Jeroen Dudink (Neonatology), Dr. Marijke Achterberg (Veterinarian Medicine), Dr. Heidi Lesscher (Veterinarian Medicine), Dr. Agnes van den Hoogen (Clinical health sciences), Dr. Titia Lely (Gyneacology), Dr. Peter Nikkels (Pathology), Dr. Lotte van der Meeren (Pathology), Dr. Tanja Nijboer (Cognitive neuropsychology), Dr. Olaf Verschuren (Rehabilitation center de Hoogstraat), Dr. Helen Torrance (Fertility), Dr. Casper Schoemaker (Pediatric immunology)
Technical support
Karima Amarouchi, Rebecca Kleisen.
Content
This course adheres to the general theme ‘the first 1001 days’ of Utrecht University and focusses on the diagnostics, treatment and biomedical research of the division ‘Woman & Baby’ of the University Medical Center Utrecht. During the course ‘Early Life Events: Diagnostics and Treatment’ students will be trained by lecturers from the departments of Fertility, Gynecology, Obstetrics, Neonatology and the Department for Translational Research. Students will be provided with a broad overview of the options that bio-medically trained experts have to work in these multidisciplinary research teams. The lecturers have a diverse background (medicine, biomedical sciences, psychology, pathology, biology and bioelectronics), which ensures that the students will gain insights from all relevant points of view.
The main topics of this course are the causes, consequences and (experimental) treatment options for children born pre-term or for a-term born children with pathology, which are known as ‘early life events’. This course particularly emphasizes the multidisciplinary character of diagnostics and pre-clinical research. In a series of lectures, active seminars and practicals the students will be provided with insights in the biomedical and clinical topics relevant to improve fertility, intra-uterine growth and neonatal care. The students will work in small groups as a research team and jointly gain knowledge on how translational experiments work. Upon completion of the course, the students will be able to answer the following questions: what are the most common causes of extreme prematurity? What translational models are relevant for improving fertility, gynecology, obstetrics and neonatology? What diagnostic tools are used to monitor the children? What technological advancements are currently implemented in the clinic? What are the sensorimotor and cognitive consequences of extreme prematurity and fetal growth restriction for children later in life? What biological processes provide options to improve the rehabilitation process?
This course contains introductory lectures by biomedical investigators and physicians providing a (limited) review of background knowledge to support the students in gaining expert knowledge from reviewing case reports. Additionally the students will be given the opportunity for guided tours at the neonatal intensive care unit of the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital and the rehabilitation center ‘De Hoogstraat’. In a series of pro-active seminars the students will learn which aspects of pathology and radiology diagnostics are currently being developed using biomedical research. The students will also be trained in what aspects of rodent behavior are relevant for therapeutic innovations and how computer simulations can be used to support rehabilitation processes.
A substantial part (5 weeks) of this course is reserved for a practical, for which the students will operate in teams of maximum 6 and set up a neuronal cell culture, induce the differentiation of these cells and evaluate the viability and specificity of the cells using immunofluorescent stainings and microscopy. This practical will provide in depth knowledge on how biomedical research develops stem cell treatment to improve cures for the children with perinatal asphyxia and brain damage. During the practical the students will be requested to generate a novel research protocol, a lab journal and a written report (journal paper style). Finally the group should also present their findings.
Number of participants
Maximum of 24 students applies for this course.
Required background knowledge:
Previous knowledge of anatomy, physiology and cell biology is required, as provided by the Biomedical Sciences courses ‘Developmental Biology’ (period 1 BC or period 4 AD) and/or ‘Neuroscience’ (period 3 BC).
Learning outcomes:
Knowledge and insight:
After completion of this course, the student is able to:
- explain what the most common causes are of ‘early life events’;
- determine what complications are likely to occur prior to and during premature birth;
- list which biological processes are monitored at neonatal intensive care units;
- argue what the most common consequences of birth defects are and how they are caused;
- describe the essential components of translational experiments that are used to evaluate the role of social play in the rehabilitation process after ‘early life events’;
- provide an overview of experimental treatment options for children born with brain damage;
- explain how patient participation is optimally utilized to guide future biomedical research on early life events.
Skills:
The student is able to:
- design a histological staining experiment to analyze placenta pathology;
- develop a protocol for neuronal cell culture;
- culture, stain and image neuronal stem cells and name which type of neuron has been cultured;
- systematically analyze and report about the resulting data in a group.
Teaching forms and contact time:
Prior to the lectures the students are expected to gain background knowledge from reading scientific literature and text book chapters. In class, the lectures and discussions will deal with case reports to further develop the understanding of the underlying biomedical processes. The students are expected to actively participate in seminars and provide ideas for novel research lines and experiments. To support a successful neural stem cell experiment, the students will be provided with a limited introductory session to working with biomaterial in flow cabinets and general lab rules.
This course will be in Dutch, unless an exchange student is enrolled. In this case the course will be taught in English. The total contact time is approximately 50%.
Assessment
The students will be assessed based on their individual performance (written exam) and on their participation and performance when working in a group (oral presentation and written report stem cell culture experiment). To provide the students with individual feedback on their work in a group anonymous evaluation forms will be used. The final grade is weighted from the written exam (40%) in which knowledge and insight are tested (partially using case report questions), the level of participation and quality of the presentation (15%), the quality of the novel research protocol generated by the group (15%), the group presentation (15%) and the individually written report (journal paper style) of the neuronal cell culture experiment (15%).
Required material:
A reader will be provided containing the course material.
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