Study Programmes 2015-2016
METO0822-1  
Introduction to translational research
Duration :
30h Th
Number of credits :
Master in biomedicine (120 ECTS)2
Master in biomedicine (60 ECTS)2
Lecturer :
Stéphane Berghmans, François Jouret 
Language(s) of instruction :
French language
Organisation and examination :
Teaching in the second semester
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Course contents :
The "Introduction to Translational Research" is a 30-hour course spread over 15 x 2 hours. Two professors share the teaching: Dr Stéphane Berghmans, VP Academic & Research Relations EU at Elsevier, and Dr François Jouret, nephrologist at Liège's CHU and postdoctoral specialist clinician at the FNRS.
Learning outcomes of the course :
The objectives of this 30-hour course entitled "Introduction to Translational Research" are:
  • to present translational research tools, situated at the border between basic sciences and clinical sciences; and the world of research;
  • introduce the broader horizon to which translational research and research in general belongss
  • to explain the main experimental models of human diseases;
  • to rationalise the choice of an animal model depending on the question asked and/or disease studied;
  • to demonstrate the interest of translational research in understanding, diagnosing and treating human diseases;
  • to remind students of the experimental and ethical limitations of translational research;
  • to explain the difficulties of transposing some observations made in vitro and/or in vivo to man, and to identify the reasons why;
  • place translational research in its legal and regulating frameworks;
  • examine the science policy and the financing of translational research;
  • the influence of lobbying, networking and management on translational research.
  • to envisage the future of translational research, especially the position of bioinformatics.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills :
Recommended optional programme components :
BIOL 2025-1 EPID 0430-1 NUTR 0718-1 QUAL 0438-1 SBIM 0451-1 SBIM 0451-2 SBIM 0477-1 SBIM 0481-2 SBIM 0492-1 TOXI 0441-1
Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
The course will be taught as lectures, supported by PowerPoint-type slides.
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
Face-to-face
Recommended or required readings :
Medical Physiology, 2e Updated Edition, by Walter F. Boron, Emile L. Boulpaep - Elsevier Ed.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Paperback by Rebecca Skloot - Crown Books Ed. The American Journal of Translational Research, http://ajtr.org/
Improving your Research Management, by Alan M. Johnson - Elsevier Ed.
At the Helm, by Kathy Barker - CSHL Press
Assessment methods and criteria :
Written exam in the 1st session Written exam in the 2nd session At the end of this course, students will be able to:


  • define the term "translational research" and describe the stages;
  • understand the different applications of translational research;
  • present a typical example of translational research in the fields of physiopathology, diagnosis and the treatment of human diseases;
  • critically examine the limitations of translational research;
  • understand the ethical stakes of translational research, both for animal models and the application to man of discoveries made in the laboratory;
  • envisage the future challenges of translational research.
Work placement(s) :
./.
Organizational remarks :
Classes will be taught in English.
Contacts :
Dr François Jouret : Francois.jouret@chu.ulg.ac.be 04/366.25.40
Dr Stéphane Berghmans, s.berghmans@elsevier.com +32 471.78.19.00