Utrecht, Netherlands

Advanced In Vitro Models

Learn about how Advanced In Vitro Models (AIM) hold the potential to reduce animal experimentation by scientific breakthroughs. The convergence of science, technology, legislation and extrapolation modelling in Utrecht are highlighted in this week-long course. This course is comprised of meeting experts, hands-on bench work, modelling and demonstrations. The course allows for a high amount of interaction with lecturers, keynote speakers and fellow participants.

Advanced in vitro models (AIM) is a multidisciplinary field that holds much promise for generating innovative technologies for a wide variety of tissues and disorders. AIM focuses on developing model systems that can create fully functional in vivo-like tissue and/or organs. In this way, we intend to reduce animal experimentation in the future. You will engage with other international students on the importance of AIM and how it can contribute to healthcare and you will gain insight into the novel technologies of tomorrow.

In this intensive course you will gain a unique overview of AIM. This field has the ability to recreate all tissues according to good in vitro practice and improve in vitro findings regarding in vivo relevance. This multidisciplinary field incorporates regulatory aspects, stem cell biology, tissue engineering, biomaterials engineering, and in vitro-in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE) science. In addition, it also includes various enabling technologies and clinical application areas, with the ultimate goal of improving existing technologies and reduce animal experimentation. In this interactive course at Masters level, you’ll learn good in vitro practice, regulatory aspects, (stem) cell biology and technologies, as well as how these models can be translated to in vivo relevance. The course combines lectures, tutorials with hands-on experiments, demonstrations and tours.

We encourage you to take this course in combination with the Regenerative Medicine summer school course.

Course leader

Dr. Silvia Mihaila

Course aim

In this interactive course at a beginning Master’s level, you’ll learn the best practices of advanced in vitro models, regulatory aspects, (stem) cell biology and technologies for testing medicine and/or substance safety testing as well as how the results can be validated, translated and implemented into human medicine. Our course aim is to create awareness on the potential of human-based physiological models for human health research and replacement of animal testing.

Fee info

EUR 900: course + course materials
EUR 250: Housing fee (optional)