News

A group of 16 Biomedical Sciences bachelor students, together with researchers from the biotech company Genmab, conducted research into potential new forms of cancer therapy. This challenge-based learning took place in the Biomedical Research Lab (BRL) course at the Biomedicine Student Research Hub at UMC Utrecht.

Global health challenges require innovative and collaborative solutions. With its first edition, CHARM-EU offers a unique elective module that enables master’s students to work across disciplines and cultures to address urgent health issues. “I’ve learned a lot beyond science, including international communication and the importance of speaking up when things aren’t right” said Dann, one of the students of this module.

Biomedical science-based PhDs are often research-focused, designed to hone a candidate’s expertise in a specific field. However, subsequent careers in university settings frequently entail substantial teaching responsibilities, with PhD graduates unprepared for the dual roles of researcher and educator. Hybrid PhDs aim to better equip graduates for academic careers by integrating highly specialised scientific knowledge with educational research. PhD candidate Michael Y Schakelaar of University Medical Center Utrecht (Utrecht University), The Netherlands, provides an outstanding example of how this can be achieved.

‘Creating synergy is crucial’
Utrecht University firmly believes that education and business can strengthen each other. Recently, there was a valuable collaboration between bachelor students of Biomedical Sciences and the biotech company Genmab. It not only yielded promising insights into therapeutic targets for cancer, but also formed the basis for a new “Student Research Hub network”.

Honours students from complementary scientific disciplines collaborated to improve immunotherapy for brain cancer. In the first edition of this 20-week interdisciplinary student-led project, cutting-edge research was performed at the Biomedicine and Biotechnology Student Research Hubs, all at the medicine and beta sciences faculties on the Utrecht Science Park.

Preparing for tomorrow's healthcare. We do this at UMC Utrecht by focusing on educational innovations and activities within six current themes of our educational strategy 'The New Utrecht School'. One theme is Translational Medicine & Life Sciences. Colleague Marco van Brussel, Medical Physiologist and Associate Professor of Medical Education, is an ambassador* of this theme and explains.

Coming up with a solution for the rare heart disease SCAD. And then actually implement your idea to help women with this disease. The students were allowed to do this in the Women's Heart Challenge. They presented their findings in the presence of patients, researchers, physicians, and family members of the students. (text in Dutch)

Niels and Noor talk about the health challenge: woman's heart. Click the link below to go to the video and skip to 22 minutes and 49 seconds

Person-centred care. How do we give substance to this in the cycle of 'understanding together, deciding together, looking back together and improving together'? This was the subject of the sixth symposium on Patient Participation together with patients and healthcare professionals. During the symposium, outgoing chairman Margriet Schneider was put in the spotlight. "If anyone has done a lot for patient participation, it's you."

A new concept of public-private partnerships. This is the collaboration between a group of bachelor's students of Biomedical Sciences and biotechnology company Genmab. Together, they conduct research into new therapeutic targets for cancer. It is so promising that Top Sector Life Sciences & Health (Health~Holland), together with UMC Utrecht and Genmab, is funding more than 120,000 euros for this research. The final presentation of the bachelor's students took place on 2 February.

During the Teaching and Learning Inspiration Days on July 4th, the very first UU Team Award was presented. The winning team was CHARM-EU, for the project focused on the CHARM-EU Master’s program in Global Challenges for Sustainability.

In October 2022, more than 400 students of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences were challenged with the Long COVID challenge. The goal: to take research into the causes of Long-COVID a step further. At the time – and still today – there was insufficient biomedical research into the causes of Long COVID. The best idea is now being implemented in the Bachelor Research Hub of UMC Utrecht by sixteen students. Watch the video about the challenge and watch the item about it in the Executive Board webinar update of 8 June.

By stimulating Medicine and Biomedical Sciences students to work together on scientific research early in their education, we can better address complex social problems. That is what Professor Niels Bovenschen stated in his inaugural lecture, which he gave yesterday in Utrecht University's Academy Building. Read more about his educational model in this interview. Your lecture is titled: Synergy between education, research and society. Why is that synergy important?

In October 2022, more than 400 students of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences were challenged with the Long-COVID challenge. The goal: to take research into the causes of Long-COVID a step further. At the time – and still today – there was insufficient biomedical research into the causes of Long-COVID. The best idea has been researched over the past ten weeks in the Bachelor Research Hub of UMC Utrecht. They shared the results on June 30.

Students of biomedical sciences and medicine will investigate in the laboratory whether the interaction between autoantibodies and immune cells plays a role in the development of Long-COVID symptoms such as fatigue, muscle pain and reduced muscle strength.

“Education linked to biomedical research with the patient central. Education in which the students work together in an interdisciplinary way and work practically (also in the lab) with complex socially relevant challenges in health care" "It is education based on the ambition of De Nieuwe Utrechtse School"

Niels Bovenschen has been appointed Professor of Biomedical Research-based Education at the Faculty of Medicine as of 15 October. The emphasis of his chair is on education and aims to.. (text in Dutch)

Dr. Niels Bovenschen and Michael Schakelaar talk more about a new form of education that they devised for third-year students of Biomedical sciences, in which multidisciplinary collaboration takes place.

Niels Bovenschen en Michael Schakelaar see synergy with other disciplines as the future of education (Text in dutch).

Undergraduate Biomedical Sciences students at UMC Utrecht discovered a way that might make immunotherapy against medulloblastoma - an aggressive brain tumour that mainly occurs in children - possible in the future. In a new form of education, 12 students have been immersed in a Bachelor Research Hub research project for 10 weeks and discovered leads for immunotherapy against this tumour. A great result, according to coordinator Niels Bovenschen and student Matthias Quist. “This tumour desperately needs new treatment. This could be a starting point for it. ” (text in Dutch)