Course description
This advanced doctoral course brings together leading international experts to give students an in-depth, research-oriented view on how genome instability arises, how cells respond to it, and how these processes are exploited in modern cancer therapy.
At the heart of the course are interactive international seminars by pioneers in genome maintenance and cancer biology, covering topics that range from fundamental DNA repair and replication mechanisms to translational advances in targeted therapies. Students will not only learn about the molecular underpinnings of genome instability, but also engage with the latest research strategies—such as super-resolution microscopy, sequencing technologies, and computational modelling—that are reshaping the field.
The teaching format is dynamic and geared towards active learning. Each lecture or seminar is followed by in-depth student–speaker discussions, described by past participants as "the best doctoral course I have attended in terms of organiser engagement and support.”
Small-group journal clubs provide a forum to critically dissect recent papers, while the final individual presentations let students directly apply course concepts to their own research projects. The format has been especially appreciated for its interactivity: “I enjoyed that each seminar was more interactive and the speakers wanted to discuss, rather than a lecture…The exam didn’t feel like a box-ticking exercise which to me is extremely important.”
Prerequisites and Selection
Prerequisite courses, or equivalent
No prerequisite courses, or equivalent, demanded for this course.
Selection
Selection will be based on:
1) the relevance of the course syllabus for the applicant’s individual study plan/research (according to written motivation).
2) start date of doctoral studies (priority given to earlier start date).
Course director
Dr. Bennie Lemmens (MBB, KI)
Dr. Sean Rudd (Onkpat, KI)
Course syllabus
C2F5557
Department
Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics
Doctoral programme
Tumour Biology and Oncology (FoTO)
Type of course
**Other course
Keywords
Genome stability, Cancer cell evolution, DNA repair and replication assays, Therapy resistance , Mutations and Chromosome aberrations , DNA damage signalling