Location & Dates: Champalimaud Foundation, April 15th -19th 

Application deadline: March 1st

Acceptance notification: March 15th

Cost: €150 (payment deadline March 22nd)

Capacity: 20 Students

The course is scheduled to take place at the Champalimaud Institute in Lisbon from April 15 to April 19, 2024, and will be limited to 20 students.

Here, we highlight the observations, the questions, the approaches and strategies that showcase the creativity and critical thinking inherent in scientific research.

In science, creativity stands as a crucial, albeit sometimes underappreciated, skill. Creativity comes in a wide variety of forms and shapes, and often emerges from collaborative interactions among diverse minds, emphasising the importance of inclusivity and varied perspectives in driving forward groundbreaking research.

For some time now, the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer), the world’s body that defines carcinogens, has considered night shift work as a potential carcinogen.

But what about the general population of adults that are not night-shift workers and that sleep too little or go to bed too late – or have “poor quality" sleep, waking up repeatedly during the night? Are they also at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease or cancer and are therefore more likely to die prematurely than people whose sleep patterns are considered healthier?

We are used to hearing about vaccines that prevent diseases, protecting us from them before we ever catch them. They train the immune system to recognise and fight common bacteria and viruses. One or several shots suffice to ensure that, when we are actually confronted with the danger, our body’s immune system will produce the right cells and antibodies to protect us: the disease will be prevented before it ever affects our body. Sometimes the vaccine’s effects are lifelong, in other cases you need a periodical boost to maintain a strong level of immunity.

The objective of this partnership will be focused on research and improvement of medicine dedicated to the treatment of patients with pancreatic cancer.

This collaboration will reinforce scientific exchange between the two institutions and will be led by doctors and researchers from both institutions such as Carlos Carvalho and Sherman Moreira from the Champalimaud Foundation, and Gustavo Guimarães, Bendito Rossi and Fabio Kater from Beneficência Portuguesa de São Paulo.

“HALLO,” Robin typed on the keyboard.
“HALLO, HOW ARE YOU FEELING?” replied ELIZA, the printed words appearing instantly on the VDU [computer screen]. 
“I’M FEELING TERRIBLE,” Robin replied. 
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT PRECISELY?” 
“I’M FEELING DEPRESSED.” 
“WHY DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DEPRESSED?”
“BECAUSE I’M LONELY.” 
“DO YOU LIVE WITH YOUR FAMILY?”
“NO.”
“DO YOU HAVE ANY FRIENDS?” 
“NOT REALLY.” 
“WHY IS THAT?”

But it isn’t only a skin cancer: there exist other, though much rarer, forms of malignant melanoma that can develop in other parts of the body.

For instance, mucosal melanoma occurs on mucous membranes, which line various cavities in the body. Mucosal melanomas can be found in the head and neck, the anorectal region, the vulvovaginal region and the urinary tract. These melanomas have a poorer prognosis than skin melanomas.

Jacques Delors played an unparalleled role in building what the European Union is today. His visionary ideas not only inspired the Union, but he also knew how to guide national leaders towards embracing them.

For all of us in Europe, he stands as a figure of profound admiration and respect.

Imagine you’re teaching a dog to play fetch. You throw a ball, and your dog sprints after it, picks it up, and runs back. You then reward your panting pup with a treat.

These two programmes provide students with an integrative, state-of-the-art education in either Neuroscience or Cancer. A central goal of these programmes is to foster inquiry and discovery by encouraging active participation, critical thinking, and problem-solving among the students.