5 ECTS credits
125 h study time
Offer 1 with catalog number 4002173ENR for all students in the 2nd semester at a (E) Master - advanced level.
Antibodies, antibody fragments and peptides have an exceptional competence to recognize specific molecules via their antigen-binding region. As such, they play an important role in disease imaging and therapy. Indeed, imaging with antigen-recognition molecules can provide a sensitive way to non-invasively visualize, characterize and quantify molecular and cellular processes, and antigen-targeted therapies have proven to be successful alternatives to traditional treatments of disease. However, probes based on antibodies, antibody-fragments and peptides each have their shortcomings and limitations and are the subject of molecular engineering to generate more optimal compounds.
This course aims to provide an extensive overview of medical applications of antibodies, antibody-fragments and peptides in various applications of molecular imaging and targeted therapies. The focus will be on the design, preclinical testing, the translation and clinical evaluation of pharmaceuticals based on these molecules.
The core of this knowledge will be provided during a series of lectures where national and/or international experts will give an introduction of their respective research field during 2-3h lectures. Discussions among participants and with the lecturers are highly stimulated. The lectures will be supplemented with practical hands-on sessions, demonstrations, and/or discussion fora that aim to dig deeper in particular research topics.
A separate part of the course will consist of a 'flipping-the-classroom' session. In this session, students prepare and present a self-chosen, peer-reviewed publication of a scientific study, using a short powerpoint presentation, to their fellow-students and supervisor(s). The content of the presentation should be linked to one or more topics that have been presented in one or more of the lectures. The presentation will be followed by a discussion among peers and supervisors to critically evaluate the scientific study, and the knowledge of the presenter on the topic. Students will receive guidance on the selection of the paper, on the format and style of the presentation, and how to ask and answer questions in the discussion round. As such, this 'flipping-the-classroom' session aims to develop students into critical, self-sufficient and confident researchers by stimulating discussions with peers and non-peers on a particular scientific subject in general, and on a topic dedicated to molecular imaging and therapy in particular.
More in particular, the following topics will be lectured and discussed:
The core of this course is a series of lectures by specialists, taught to students in a classroom, using a powerpoint presentation. The lectures are complemented and supported by dedicated hands-on sessions or demonstrations of equipment, methodologies and procedures, discussion fora, and/or guided tours. These lectures and supporting events will take place in the second semester at the Health Campus. A detailed program of the course, including the content and timing of the various lectures will be shared beforehand using the digital student platform.
The 'flipping-the-classroom' session will take place at least one week after the last lecture, to provide sufficient time for the students to select a research paper of interest and prepare for the presentation. Students will receive guidance for this 'flipping-the-classroom session' during a preparatory face-to-face discussion between students and tutor(s).
All lectures and hands-on sessions will be accompanied with powerpoint presentations. A copy or a handout of these presentations will be provided before the start of the lectures using the student digital platform, unless this turns out to be difficult due to logistic reasons. Lectures will be recorded and shared as well with the students using the digital student platform.
The physical presence to the lectures is not obligatory but highly recommended to maintain the interactive character of the lectures. Physical presence to certain parts of the course may be obligatory, but these will be communicated beforehand using the digital student platform.
Physical presence at the 'flipping-the-classroom' session and at the introductory explanation of this session is obligatory.
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Oral Exam determines 60% of the final mark.
PRAC Presentation determines 30% of the final mark.
SELF Practical Assignment determines 10% of the final mark.
Within the Oral Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Within the PRAC Presentation category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Within the SELF Practical Assignment category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Students will be evaluated on 3 aspects: 1) active participation in scientific discussions with peers and non-peers; 2) presentation of a self-chosen scientific paper dealing with several aspects related to the course content; 3) knowledge of the course content. Students will not be scored for the correct use of the english language during the workshop, scientific presentation or oral examination.
1) 1/10 of the grading will depend on the student's active participation in scientific discussion during the 'flipping-the-classroom' sessions. The tutor(s) who will be present during these sessions will make this evaluation. The tutor will evaluate the ability of the student to ask critical questions, the quality of the questions, and the ability to engage in scientific discussions with peers and the tutor.
2) 3/10 of the grading will depend on the presentation of a self-chosen scientific paper to peers and tutor(s) in the 'flipping-the-classroom' session. The student is asked to present in a short powerpoint presentation the key aspects of a scientific paper that involves topics that were discussed during one ore more specialist lectures. The student will be graded on quality of the selected paper, presentation skills, attitude, introduction of the topic, presentation layout, correctness of the presented data and interpretation of the conclusions.
3) 6/10 of the grading will depend on the knowledge of the course content. This will be evaluated during a closed-book oral exam. At least 2 lecturers will participate in the evaluation, and a mean grading of all examinators will be calculated. The student will be examined on knowledge of the course content, based on 2 random questions out of a list of questions in total covering the whole course content. This list of possible questions will be shared with the students using the digital student platform. The student can prepare for this oral examination prior by taking written notes. Extra questions and clarifications will be asked to the student during the oral examination, to evaluate the in depth knowledge of the student on the course content.
This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Biomedical Sciences: Management and Business (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Biomedical Sciences: Clinical Biomedical Sciences (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Biomedical Research: Standaard traject
Master of Teaching in Health Sciences: standaard traject (120 ECTS, Etterbeek) (only offered in Dutch)