Mouse-based studies are essential for all Precision Medicine Initiatives (PMIs), which aim to transform current medical practice to personalized healthcare. Global PMIs will combine tens-of-thousands of human individual genetic profiles, deep phenotyping, and environmental exposures and life style behaviors to guide therapies more targeted and cost-effective than current “one-size-fits-all” strategies. Mouse models will be needed to provide efficient and accurate assessment of the scientific validity of such gene-environment correlations. Furthermore, the success of using genetically engineered mice to evaluate genetic disease hypotheses has encouraged the development of large-scale European and global projects making the mouse the most used animal model. However, the scientific community lacks sufficient human resources and expertise in mouse pathology to effectively and reproducibly characterize and validate these animal models. Despite this increasing demand for mouse experts, there is a proven significant deficiency of specialised training opportunities for veterinary and medical pathologists and biomedical researchers to acquire the necessary expertise, especially formalized and recognized programs in Higher Education. In this scenario, no single European University has all the expertise, resources and personnel required to design and establish a strong educational program in Mouse Precision Pathobiology. For this reason several universities, research institution and companies have come together to establish PATHBIO, a Knowledge Alliance initiative, to develop a Virtual Learning Platform with innovative teaching material and to organize and deliver intensive specialized courses in Mouse Precision Pathobiology. The PATHBIO project also aims to design a Joint European Master Degree. The new degree program aims to become a benchmark Master qualification internationally in Mouse Precision Pathobiology.
The PATHBIO objectives have been: 1. To respond to the increasing need of well-prepared professionals in the area of Mouse Pathobiology 2. To identify the main challenges for professionals working in the area of Mouse Pathobiology 3. To include new areas of knowledge and technologies in the field of Mouse Pathobiology 4. To implement an integrated European educational approach in Mouse Pathobiology
Mouse-based studies are essential for deciphering the genetic basis of human diseases. However, there is a proven European and global significant deficiency of formal and specialized courses to acquire the necessary expertise in Mouse Pathobiology, especially in Higher Education. For this reason, universities, research institutions and companies, have come together to establish the PATHBIO consortium and to develop new training opportunities to change this reality.
<< Background >> Mouse-based studies are essential for deciphering the genetic basis of human diseases. However, there is a proven European and global significant deficiency of formal and specialized courses to acquire the necessary expertise in Mouse Pathobiology, especially in Higher Education. For this reason, universities, research institutions and companies, have come together to establish the PATHBIO consortium and to develop new training opportunities to change this reality. << Objectives >> The PATHBIO objectives have been: 1. To respond to the increasing need of well-prepared professionals in the area of Mouse Pathobiology 2. To identify the main challenges for professionals working in the area of Mouse Pathobiology 3. To include new areas of knowledge and technologies in the field of Mouse Pathobiology 4. To implement an integrated European educational approach in Mouse Pathobiology << Implementation >> The PATHBIO consortium has implemented all of the objectives envisaged in the Erasmus+ proposal, obtaining a significant impact on the target audience that has been confirmed by the external evaluation measures. Due to COVID-19 pandemic and the global restrictions, and after consultation with the Agency, PATHBIO adapted the 2020 and 2021 main events to a virtual and dual (face-to-face and on-line) formats. << Results >> Main outputs of the PATHBIO project have been: a) Organization of three Summer Course editions with the participation of 383 students from 47 countries (28 non-European) and 60 lecturers from 13 different countries (4 non-European) b) Deployment of a Virtual Learning Platform including 270 on-line lectures c) Elaboration of 7 new teaching materials for Mouse Pathobiology d) Design of a Master program on Mouse Pathobiology submitted to the Erasmus Mundus calls in 2021 and 2022