NEWS
UMC Utrecht,
June 2nd 2022
“Education linked to biomedical research with the patient central. Education in which the students work together in an interdisciplinary way and work practically (also in the lab) with complex socially relevant challenges in health care" "It is education based on the ambition of De Nieuwe Utrechtse School", say Niels Bovenschen and Marco van Brussel. Initially, this innovative form of education was only available to students of Biomedical Sciences (BMW), but this coming academic year, students of Medicine (GNK) from the second bachelor year will also participate. Students are presented with a problem, challenge from the clinic in the presence of treating physicians, researchers and patients,” explains Niels. “Based on this clinical problem, the students are challenged to come up with a research question. After this they will work on this question in a practical way in the laboratory. In the Bachelor Research Hub, a professionally equipped laboratory especially for bachelor students in the middle of the UMC Utrecht. Here, BMW and GNK students work closely together, also closely with involved doctors, researchers and patients.” (article in Dutch)
STUDENTS BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES AND MEDICINE WORKING TOGETHER IN AN INNOVATIVE LEARNING AND RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT
Onderwijs |
October 21th, 2021
Niels Bovenschen is per 15 oktober benoemd tot hoogleraar ‘Biomedical Research-based Education’ bij de faculteit Geneeskunde. Het accent van zijn leerstoel ligt op onderwijs en heeft als doel om de verbinding tussen biomedisch onderzoek, zorg en onderwijs verder te versterken. Multidisciplinaire samenwerking en de connectie met maatschappelijk relevante problemen staan hierbij centraal.
Niels Bovenschen is hoofd van het onderzoekslaboratorium van de afdeling Pathologie (UMC Utrecht) en zijn groep doet onderzoek naar de immuunrespons tegen kanker en virusinfecties. Niels heeft succesvol het Senior Fellow programma doorlopen en hij is in 2020 benoemd tot Principal Fellow van het Centre for Academic Teaching, Universiteit Utrecht. Hij is examinator van verschillende onderwijsonderdelen binnen de faculteit Geneeskunde en CHARM-EU, een alliantie van vijf Europese universiteiten waaronder de Universiteit Utrecht. Hij is de initiator van het concept ‘Bachelor Research Hubs’ om studenten al vroeg in hun opleiding multidisciplinair te laten samenwerken en onderzoek te laten doen aan relevante problemen uit de maatschappij. In 2019 won Niels de prijs voor Docent van het jaar van de Universiteit Utrecht.
NIELS BOVENSCHEN APPOINTED AS PROFESSOR
UMC Utrecht Webinar
July 8th, 2021
Dr. Niels Bovenschen (Associate professor of Pathology, UMCU) and Michael Schakelaar (Master student in Biology of Disease program, UU) talk more about a new form of education that they devised for third-year students of Biomedical sciences, in which multidisciplinary collaboration takes place. (video in Dutch)
A NEW FORM OF EDUCATION IN THE BACHELOR RESEARCH HUB WITH A FOCUS ON MULTIDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION
PROMISING IMMUNOTHERAPY RESEARCH FOR TREATING PAEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOURS
Onderwijs
May 12th, 2021
Undergraduate Biomedical Sciences students at UMC Utrecht discovered a way that might make immunotherapy against medulloblastoma - an aggressive brain tumour that mainly occurs in children - possible in the future. In a new form of education, 12 students have been immersed in a Bachelor Research Hub research project for 10 weeks and discovered leads for immunotherapy against this tumour. A great result, according to coordinator Niels Bovenschen and student Matthias Quist. “This tumour desperately needs new treatment. This could be a starting point for it. ” (text in Dutch)
EDUCATION SHOULD BE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF A PhD TRAJECTORY
Opinie | Floris Valentijn & Niels Bovenschen
May 5th, 2021
By correctly combining teaching with research practice, PhD students not only become better teachers, but also better researchers, argue Floris Valentijn and Niels Bovenschen. They argue for a hybrid PhD trajectory. (text in Dutch)
UTRECHT EDUCATION INCENTIVE FUND: SIX TEACHER- AND INNOVATION-DRIVEN PROJECTS AWARDED
Onderwijs
April 14th, 2021
In order to continue to innovate and improve education, Utrecht University annually makes money available for innovative projects that contribute to the development of academic education. The assessment committee of the Utrecht Education Stimulation Fund (USO) has selected six cross-faculty projects that focus on: interdisciplinarity, education for professionals, laboratory education, learning analytics, intercultural competences and selection.
The aim of this project is to develop an innovative interdisciplinary challenge-based laboratory course in which groups of bachelor students work together on the same urgent medical-social issue. This creates a translational medicine approach: collaboration between different medical disciplines. To realise this, a network of physical laboratory spaces (Bachelor Research Hubs) will be implemented at various locations within the UU. Project leader: Niels Bovenschen
TOWARDS BACHELOR RESEARCH HUB NETWORKS TO FOSTER TRANSDISCIPLINARY CHALLENGE-BASED EDUCATION IN TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
Nature Biotechnology: after the paper
December 1st, 2020
To facilitate transdisciplinary challenge-based education in Translational Medicine the implementation of a network of Bachelor Research Hubs is envisioned. This network will open possibilities to facilitate undergraduate students from different disciplines to work simultaneously on the same wicked and urgent societal problem within Translational Medicine from different perspectives.
BACHELOR RESEARCH HUB STUDENTS INVESTIGATE PLN HEART DISEASE
UMC Utrecht, Hart en vaten
December 9th, 2019
How do we get rid of PLN? Patients, doctors and researchers challenge third-year students to better understand this hereditary heart muscle disease and to come up with research proposals that will bring us closer to therapy. “I am flabbergasted. These are great potential solutions. ”(text in Dutch)
TEAMDOELBEWUST AND KOPPIE AU FOUNDATIONS SUPPORT NEW BACHELOR RESEARCH HUB PROJECT: MEDULLOBLASTOMA IMMUNOTHERAPY
Koppie Au projecten
Medulloblastomas are malignant brain tumours that mainly occur in young children. The standard therapy currently given is surgery followed by radiation and chemotherapy. Immunotherapy is a relatively new form of therapy and is aimed at activating the immune system to attack cancer cells. This research may in the future lead to a new form of immunotherapy for the treatment of medulloblastoma in children. (text in Dutch)
HOW A FOUR-YEAR-OLD BOY CONNECTS HEALTHCARE, BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AND UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION
Nature Biotechnology
September 4th, 2019
Patients with unknown disease can serve as an educational catalyst in biomedical sciences to create strong synergy between healthcare, research and undergraduate education, with the goal of fostering translational medicine and helping patients.
