Training4CRM · European Training Network for Cell-based Regenerative Medicine

European Training Network for Cell-based Regenerative Medicine

Training4CRM is addressing existing gaps within Cell-based Regenerative Medicine (CRM) for treatment of neurological diseases such as Parkinson´s, Huntington´s, and Epilepsy, which occur as a result of progressive loss of structure, function and/or death of neurons in the brain. These disorders have a high prevalence and are associated with short- and long-term impairments and disabilities with high emotional, financial and social burden to the patients, their families and their social network. An inter- and transdisciplinary educational program was established for early-stage researchers (ESRs) from different scientific disciplines to equip them with both scientific- and transferable skills, accustoming them to stepping out of their own comfort zones and work together on new ideas and problems, with the ambition to reach new horizons in CRM together. The Training4CRM project vision is shown in Fig 1. To meet the gap within CRM for the mentioned neurological disorders, the overall objective was to recruit, educate and train 15 ESRs in a specially designed Training for CRM program in which the ESRs should become accomplished within and across different scientific disciplines, mastering the design, fabrication and testing of completely new tools and materials relevant to CRM within the fields of micro-and nanoengineering, biotechnology and pre-clinincal studies. At the end of the program the ultimate goal was to develop the ESRs into highly inter-disciplinary researchers with transferrable skills, capable of mastering techniques and methods across the borders of their own disciplines, recognizing ideas applicable to their own work, as well as being able to communicate and exploit their research and findings to the benefit for society as a whole. Fig 2 shows all 15 ESRs and how their projects are interlinked with the overall vision of the Training4CRM project. Training4CRM successfully recruited 15 ESRs, who all were trained and active in different scientific disciplines, transferrable skills, and communication and exploitation through dedicated and custom designed Training4CRM research schools (RS), outreach activities and video production, organisation (fully by the ESRs) an international neuroscience conference (finally on-line) in the midst and in spite of the Covid-19 lock-down, as well as participation in business plan contests and start-up activities. Through collaborative and cross-disciplinary efforts of the ESRs, their research has led to highly innovative state of the art results and publications and have in common achieved most of the Training4CRM objectives. Training4CRM has been an exciting, challenging and pleasurable experience for all participants with many new ideas, partnerships and friendships as a result (Fig 3).

Data: CORDIS, © European Union