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Training

CaSR Biomedicine implements a multidisciplinary, intersectoral and transdisciplinary training programme to develop a generation of excellently trained and well-connected scientists. The Training Programme is based on the scientific profile of the research projects, taking into account individual needs of the young researcher.

Main training events:
The training programme will offer each ESR a multidisciplinary research project; teach them state-of-the-art research techniques, and provide training in essential, complementary skills, such as project planning and management; technology transfer, intellectual property rights; communication and dissemination skills; teaching and supervision; entrepreneurship; prepare them for successfully applying to high-profile jobs; and introduce them into an effective network. Most of the ETN Schools are open for external students.

The progress on Network training will be monitored with the aid of an on-line “Traffic Light" spreadsheet.

Lead: J. Pauschenwein (FHJ), R. Mentaverri (UPJV), A. Dinnyés (BIOT)

Objectives: To promote "learner- and team-oriented" learning; online reflection, discussion, and knowledge creation.

Only for ETN members • ECT:14 • Month 6-42

Socialisation: (responsible J. Pauschenwein) • Familiarising and on-line team - building through small E-Tivities.
Network Journal Club: (responsible R. Mentaverri and the EB): • to be up-to-date with the CaSR literature; • to learn to recognise the strengths and weaknesses of a paper. Six papers per year will be analysed. Each article will be assigned to an ESR for initial analysis before being discussed by the group at large. PIs will give feed-back. The first paper will be a CaSR review article, co-authored by the ESRs and PIs of the Multifaceted CaSR ITN9.
Creative and effective scientific communication: (responsible I. Ellinger, F. Hannan, E. Kallay, A. Dinnyés and the Educational Board): • A general/theoretical module will focus on accuracy, and precision of style, definition of the main message, organisation and presentation of data. • How to edit and polish a report: • Avoiding common writing errors and procrastination in writing; • Methods for correct referencing; • selecting appropriate journals, answering reviewers’ comments; • Practical task 1: write your abstract; • Practical task 2:prepare your poster; • Practical task 3: prepare an oral presentation; • Practical task 4 write your thesis report; • Practical task 5: write your manuscript. (Each ESR will receive critical feedback from two peers, and one PI who is not a co-author; on-line live discussion of the feedbacks. At every AM the poster- and oral presentations will be evaluated and feedback given by the members of the AB.)
Laboratory skills: (responsible D. Ward and all PIs): Weekly 1 hour long lectures/presentations, video protocols • to optimize research protocols relevant for the analysis of CaSR expression and function; • basic tissue culture protocols: quality control in cell culture (cell line identification) • quality assurance in PCR, primer design; • molecular biology techniques; (Mo 8-12).
Management Systems & Internal Auditor Training: (responsible A. Hollo-Tas) • Value of Quality Management in research. • Management Systems based on ISO Standards. ISO9001 (sector schemes, e.g. AQAP, ISO13485); ISO14001; ISO22000; ISO27001; ISO50001; BS OHSAS18001; • Basic shared principles and differences arising from objectives of application; • How to be an Internal Auditor of management systems.

Lead: R.V. Thakker (UOXF)

Objectives: To promote “learner- and team-oriented” learning; online reflection, discussion, and knowledge creation.

Open to external students • ECT: 2.5 • 12-14.12.2016

Course: CaSR and beyond: (responsible R.V. Thakker): • How it all began: short history of the CaSR (E. Brown, D. Riccardi) • GPCR-signalling from biophysics to intracellular networks (F. Bruggeman, H. Bräuner–Osborne); • structure, function, and signalling through the CaSR (L. Pugliese, G. Breitwieser);• Ligand-biased signalling and conditional efficacy of the CaSR (D. Ward, A. Conigrave). • CaSR-dependent genetic disorders (F.M. Hannan).
Workshop (WS): From diagnosis to therapy: (responsible M.L. Brandi). The role of the CaSR • in developmental tumourigenesis (C. de Torres), • diabetes, (F. Hannan); • genetic disorders of mineral metabolism and congenital bone diseases (M.L. Brandi); • neuronal diseases (A. Dinnyes) • Endocrine diseases caused by CaSR mutations (R.V. Thakker). Aetiology, clinical manifestations and treatment options will be presented.
WS: Ethics in Scientific Research: (responsible S. Baumgartner-Parzer): • principles and rules of Good Scientific Practice; • general aspects of hypothesis generation, study protocols; data management and documentation; • publications, authorship criteria and sequence, • scientific misconducts, conflicts of interest, etc
WS: Quality Management in research: (responsible A. Hollo-Tas) • Closing event of an e-Learning course that will have examined the possibilities offered by applying Quality Management principles to this ETN.

Lead: H. Bräuner-Osborne (UCPH)

Objectives: Overview on drug discovery and development; CaSR-specific case histories; Basics of imaging mass spectrometry.

Open to external students • ECT: 4.0 • 15.-19.05.2017

WS: Fundamentals of Drug Discovery and Development: (responsible E.F. Nemeth, K.Seuwen, E. Durchschlag): Day 1 • Identifying a drug target; • Target-based vs phenotypic screening, compound libraries and molecular modelling; • Selecting the clinical candidate; pharmacokinetics; • Primary and secondary pharmacology, toxicology; • Design and performance of clinical trials in conformance with EMEA and GCP guide-lines; Day 2 • Discovery and development of calcimimetics for hyperparathyroidism, second generation calcimimetics; • Calcilytics for osteoporosis; • drug repurposing of calcilytics for rare diseases; • Next generation of calcimimetics.
Protein Structure-Based Drug Design: (Responsible: F. Bruggeman, L. Pugliese): • Pipeline of drug target selection; • Drug design via protein modelling, drug synthesis, and high-throughput testing; • homology modelling and dynamical behaviour of GPCRs.
WS: Imaging: (responsible A. Cissoko and R. Ecker) • Imaging mass spectrometry workflow i.e. sample preparation, matrix application, instrumentation, and image and data processing.
WS: Management Systems: (responsible A. Hollo-Tas) • Evaluation and discussion session summing up what has been learned during the e-Learning Course that preceded it.

 

Lead: D. Ward (UM)

Objectives: To give ESRs experience of running both conventional tutorials as well as EBL sessions.

Open to external students • ECT: 3.0 • 11-13.09.2017

WS: Introduction to Academic Teaching: (responsible D. Ward, Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy) "Enquiry-Based Learning" (EBL) an innovative, learner-centred teaching method. Day 1: •Academic Trainers (Senior Lecturers from UM) will explain how to run a successful tutorial, and introduce the ESRs to EBL. • ESRs will deliver an EBL session in the afternoon within groups. Day 2: • Using pre-prepared teaching materials, the ESRs will deliver a tutorial to UM undergraduates who will provide feedback on the quality of the session. • Academic Trainers will also give feedback; • a session on successful lecturing.
WS: Review of Quality Management: (responsible A. Hollo-Tas) • Review of how Quality Management actually is working in the ETN and at host organizations.

 

Lead: A. Dinnyés (BIOT) and S. Baumgartner-Parzer (MUW)

Objectives: Strategies for job application; Effective communication to the society.

Open to external students • ECT: 2.5 • 23-25.05.2018

WS: Training for successful job hunting: (responsible: T. Baumgartner, McKinsey & Company) Day 1: • Qualities a large company is looking for: mock interviews and “admission marathon”; • Tests for quantitative problem solving; IQ-tests and cognitive function tests; Day 2: • How to prepare an attractive, professional CV? • Self-branding, professional network building, bridging the employability divide between academia and industry (A. Dinnyés); • What should a convincing letter of motivation show? • Differences in requirements for academic and industrial research (L. Pugliese).
WS: Communications and Media Training: (responsible I. Ellinger, F. Hannan): • How to write a press release; • Control over communication; • Elevator speech; • writing for social media; print media, on-line, radio, or TV.
WS: Review of Quality Management: (responsible A. Hollo-Tas) • Review of how Quality Management actually worked in the ETN. Lessons learned for the future.

 

Lead: K. Seuwen (NVS, Basel)

Objectives: Significance of the research – enterprise relationship
How to become an entrepreneur?

Open to external students • ECT: 3.0 • 21-23.01.2019

WS: Innovation and Entrepreneurship: (responsible K. Seuwen) Day 1: • “Start-up entrepreneurship - rules for revolutionaries” (L. Bauer, Medela AG) • “From University to business” (R. Ecker TG); Day 2: Research in a large multinational pharmaceutical company; • Development of novel molecules inhibiting the CaSR (calcilytics); • Grant writing workshop Marie Curie Fellowship (S.Martinelli); Day 3: • Visit to Novartis Pharma AG
WS: Internal Auditor Training: (responsible A. Hollo-Tas) • Closing event of an e-Learning course on Internal Auditing of Management Systems; • Practical audit sessions with role play; • Test to measure the effectiveness of this training.