Course catalogue doctoral education - VT24

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Title Translational Paediatric Oncology in the Era of Immunotherapy and Omics
Course number 3022
Programme Tumörbiologi och onkologi (FoTO)
Language English
Credits 1.5
Date 2022-03-21 -- 2022-03-25
Responsible KI department Institutionen för kvinnors och barns hälsa
Specific entry requirements
Purpose of the course This course aims to introduce research on paediatric oncology for doctoral students and junior postdocs, with research projects in this specific area or in an adjacent area. The purpose is to enable students to:

- Obtain a comprehensive overview of the different domains within childhood cancer research and to understand the historical milestones forming the paradigms that have led to a cure of 8 out of 10 children with cancer
- Get an insight into the current limitations and problems of childhood cancer treatment
- To enable to get an understanding of how new methodologies in molecular biology increase our knowledge about tumorigenesis and tumor evolution.
- Get an opportunity to hypothesise and suggest ideas about how to develop treatment for the remaining 2 out of 10 children with cancer.
Intended learning outcomes At the end of the course the students should be able to:

- Summarize the basic epidemiological data, tumor biology and genetics, novel therapy modalities like targeted therapies and immunotherapy, including side effects, late effects and follow up within the field of paediatric oncology.
- Discuss the ethical issues around childhood cancer research.
- Describe and understand the principles of treatment, existing therapies, new targeted therapies and personalized medicine.
- Explain and theorize the link between cancer cell biology, tumor microenvironment, immunology, genetics, and drug treatments - current knowledge and development of new drugs.
- Understand and discuss the current experimental methodology applied to paediatric oncology research such as in vivo, in vitro and in silico models.
- Critically evaluate research findings in paediatric oncology.
- Show the acquired knowledge of mechanisms, principles, and treatment options in pediatric oncology through actively engaging in discussions with course leaders and participants.
Contents of the course The students will be presented with and will discuss problems, possibilities, and research models that are specific for the research area of paediatric oncology. The course will provide a general introduction to the field and focus on distinct, but interconnected topics specific for paediatric oncology, namely ethics, epidemiology, tumor biology and genetics, existing and novel targeted drug treatments as well as immunotherapy, and side effects, late effects and follow up. The last day will be dedicated to a symposium with invited lecturers that are renowned expert in their fields.
Teaching and learning activities Lectures, seminars, group exercises with supervised discussions, either in person or online. To promote active discussion and participation, each student will prepare a poster and a short oral presentation on their current or intended research before the course and submit a short abstract on this no later than two weeks before the course start. The course will include a one-day mini research symposium.
Compulsory elements All course activities are compulsory. Absence can be compensated for by other activities in agreement with the course leaders.
Examination To pass the course the students must show that they have reached the learning outcomes of the course. Each student should prepare and present a scientific poster and an oral presentation on a current or intended childhood cancer research project, and answer critical questions from the course leaders and participants. Each participant in the course needs to be able not only to answer questions in a satisfactory way but also to raise relevant questions and discussion points in line with the intended learning outcomes of the course.
Literature and other teaching material Recommended course literature: Current review articles (sent to the students well in advance), in addition to distributed material, including articles and book chapters.
Number of students 8 - 30
Selection of students Priority will be given to students that previous applied for the course, further selection will be based on 1) the relevance of the course syllabus for the applicant's doctoral project (according to written motivation), 2) start date of doctoral studies (priority given to earlier start date).
More information Monday to Thursday full days are scheduled with lectures and seminars. The course concludes with a research symposium on Friday with several known experts in the field. The course will be located at KI Solna. If it is not possible to have the course on campus it will be given online.
Additional course leader Shahrzad Shirazi Fard, e-mail: shahrzad.shirazi.fard@ki.se
Latest course evaluation Course evaluation report
Course responsible Frida Holm
Institutionen för kvinnors och barns hälsa

frida.holm@ki.se
Contact person Malin Wickström
Institutionen för kvinnors och barns hälsa
08-51772989
Malin.Wickstrom@ki.se


Désirée Gavhed
Institutionen för kvinnors och barns hälsa

Desiree.Gavhed@ki.se


Frida Holm
Institutionen för kvinnors och barns hälsa

frida.holm@ki.se


Shanie Saghafian-Hedengren
Institutionen för kvinnors och barns hälsa

shanie.hedengren@ki.se


Shahrzad Shirazi Fard
Institutionen för kvinnors och barns hälsa

shahrzad.shirazi.fard@ki.se