The Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine Summer school is a one-week interactive school for advanced undergraduate, master and PhD students who want to learn about the complexities of regenerative medicine in cardiovascular biomedical research. In the field of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering scientific disciplines including medicine, biology, materials science, engineering and chemist
ry to name a few, are joint to tackle the challenging problem of restoring tissue function. This process comprises of a microenvironment in which an intricate interplay of cells, mediators and extracellular matrix accomplish regeneration. The post-damage microenvironment of tissues requires a stringent regulation, without which adverse reactions, such as fibrosis may develop. In several diseases tissue damage may extend beyond the intrinsic repair capacity of the human body. Therefore, Regenerative Medicine aims at the regeneration of damaged tissues or organs by employing and augmenting physiological regeneration mechanisms by application of stem cells, mediators and biomaterials. During this summer school on cardiovascular regenerative medicine, the problem will be addressed from various angles. Guest lectures from clinically oriented scientists with a variety of different backgrounds ranging from e.g. medicine, cell biology, materials science and chemistry are combined with visits to companies which are involved in commercializing regenerative medicine one way or another. You will take part in an interactive programme designed for students with different scientific backgrounds, needed to address regenerative medicine, to jointly provide innovative solutions for cardiovascular problems. These solutions are formulated during and presented at the end of the event. The process is supported by excellent lectures and workshops provided by experts in the field. To enhance the general knowledge, a Journal Club is organized in which teams provide their fellow CAVAREM-students with additional information obtained from pre-selected high profile reviews. Interpreting and presenting these reviews on the different general topics discussed during the Summer School will assist in the development of novel concepts for “curing” cardiovascular disease via regenerative methods as will be presented by each group at the end of the Summer School. The summer school combines a scientifically challenging topic that is highly relevant for society with an easy-going atmosphere and an excellent social program with plenty of possibilities to enjoy the exciting city of Groningen. The program is organized by the University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG, Faculty of Medical Science) and the University of Groningen (RuG, Faculty of Science and Engineering) at locations within the Hospital and on the Zernike Campus (Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials (ZIAM) and Engineering and technology Institute Groningen (ENTEG)).
