International Summer School in Global Health
Registration open
- Dates
- 16 - 20 September 2024
- Schedule
- Monday - Friday
- Timetable
- 9:00 - 11:00; 11:30 - 13:30; 16:00 - 18:00 CEST
- Mode
- Online - Synchronous
- Language
- English
- Length
- 5 days
Registration is open.
The online ISGlobal Summer School in Global Health proposes a unique interdisciplinary teaching program, organized in six different modules from which participants can choose up to three.
Each offered module is designed to satisfy the needs of international students with a specific interest in citizen science, physical activity in research, climate change, sustainable work practices and green jobs, health impact assessment, extracellular vesicles in pathogen infections, and implementation science.
Students who attend a minimum of 80% of the online sessions of a Module AND pass an online quiz will be awarded a Certificate of Participation (per module). Attendance will be determined from Zoom participant reports.
Learning objectives
The Summer School is designed to empower postgraduate students, researchers, and young professionals to:
- Explore and acquire knowledge in current Global Health issues.
- Describe approaches, concepts and frameworks used in Global Health studies and interventions.
- Apply integrated knowledge to solve Global Health issues.
- Apply key methodologies used in Global Health to better design, conduct, analyse and interpret research studies.
- Expand participants' personal and professional network by e-meeting colleagues from diverse fields from around the world.
Summer 2024 Modules and Schedule
Modules in the same time slot are held in parallel. Therefore, participants may register for a maximum of three modules in total, one per time slot. All modules are based on synchronic and interactive online lessons.
Module 1. How to Create Citizen Science Projects
Time Slot 1 · Teaching Language: English
- Coordinator: Raül Torán
- Other lecturers: Anne-Sophie Gresle, Laura Gimenez, Pamela Blanche, Florence Gignac, Marina Tarrús, Celia Santos
- Aim: This course will explain how to design, develop and promote participatory / citizen science projects in Global Health.
- Time Slot 1: 9 to 11 h CEST
- Teaching language: English
Module 2. Physical Activity in Research
Time Slot 1 · Teaching Language: English
- Coordinator: Joren Buekers
- Other lecturers: Sarah Koch
- Aim: Physical activity is a key determinant of health and the lack of physical activity is one of the most important risk factors associated with the development of chronic diseases. Still, more than 25% of adults (> 18 years) and more than 80% of adolescents (11-17 years) are not meeting the World Health Organisation guidelines to be considered sufficiently active. Physical activity is also a key component in many health-related studies. Nevertheless, the use of physical activity data in research requires a profound understanding of the concept of physical activity, and how it can be measured and analysed. Therefore, this module aims to improve the understanding of the key components of physical activity in research.
- Time Slot 1: 9 to 11 h CEST
- Teaching language: English
Module 3. Climate Change, Sustainable Work Practices and Green Jobs: Research Methods in Occupational Health
Time Slot 2 · Teaching Language: English
- Coordinator: Michelle Turner
- Other lecturers:
- Aim: This introductory course is addressed to researchers and practitioners in public health, epidemiology, occupational health and safety, and policy makers with an interest in how work environments are rapidly changing due to climate change, implementation of new sustainable working practices, and work in green jobs and their potential impact on mental and physical health of workers. The course will focus on occupational epidemiological research methods applied in the field, with a particular focus on epidemiological study design, occupational exposure assessment, case studies in priority industries, current debates and defining future global occupational health research needs. Although the course will be largely based among ongoing research being conducted as part of the EU-funded INTERCAMBIO project, it will also highlight global perspectives in the field.
- Time Slot 2: 11.30 to 13.30 h CEST
- Teaching language: English
Module 4. Health Impact Assessment: Principles and Practices
Time Slot 2 · Teaching Language: English
- Coordinator: Davide Rasella and Natalie Mueller
- Other lecturers: To be announced
- Aim: This module aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the main theoretical and methodological approaches for HIA, applied to different health topics and outcomes.
- Time Slot 2: 11.30 to 13.30 h CEST
- Teaching language: English
Module 5. Extracellular Vesicles in Pathogen Infections: From Basics to Clinical Applications
Time Slot 3 · Teaching language: English
- Coordinator: Carmen Fernandez-Becerra and Hernando A del Portillo
- Other lecturers: To be announced
- Aim: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membranous structures released by cells into the extracellular environment that transport a variety of bioactive molecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. They are mainly classified into exosomes and microvesicles, based on their cellular origin and size. These particles play a key role in cellular communication and information transfer between distant cells. The field of EV research has experienced significant growth in recent years due to their ability to reflect the physiological and pathological state of cells, as well as their influence on numerous biological processes and diseases. EVs have been recognized as fundamental players in the development and progression of human diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and infectious diseases. Their role in modulating the cellular microenvironment, immune response, and genetic information transfer has generated great interest in their potential as novel therapeutics. Additionally, EVs offer a promising avenue for discovering new biomarkers due to their molecular diversity and ability to reflect cellular heterogeneity. Their cargo loaded with bioactive molecules provides a unique molecular signature that can be analyzed to identify disease-specific markers, potentially revolutionizing diagnostic and prognostic methods. In summary, EVs represent a novel pathway for understanding human diseases due to their involvement in intercellular communication and their potential as valuable biomarkers and vaccines. Continued study of these structures can have a significant impact on personalized medicine and the development of new therapies.In this course module, we will review the state of the art of EV research in the context of human infectious diseases; the biology and biogenesis of EVs will be detailed, along with the methodological strategies currently used for their study and their importance in the pathophysiology of clinically relevant infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, Chagas disease, geohelminthiases, and pathogenic bacteria.By the end of the course, participants are expected to have acquired theoretical knowledge in the field of EV purification and characterization and to be able to analyze the pros and cons of each methodology used to implement them in infectious disease models of interest.
- Time slot 3: 16.00 to 18.00 h CEST
- Teaching langauge: English
Module 6. Implementation Science
Time Slot 3 · Teaching Language: English
- Coordinators: Caterina Guinovart and Laura de la Fuente
- Other lecturers:
- Aim: This on-line course offers an introduction to Implementation science and its main goals, methodologies and approaches, using real case studies. The course is based on 5 synchronous sessions and additional readings with illustrative case studies.
- Time slot 3: 16.00 to 18.00 h CEST
- Teaching language: English
Application & Fees
Registration is open.
To apply, candidates should complete the Summer School 2024 application form and include:
- A current CV (English /.pdf format)
The revision of applications and notification of admissions will be carried out on a rolling basis. Once the maximum number of participants for a module has been reached, the module will be closed and a waiting list will be opened.
Registration deadline: 15 July 2024
Fees: This activity is offered free of charge to all participants thanks to the support of the Centre of Excellence Severo Ochoa Programme.
The Summer School is supported by funding from our Centre of Excellence Severo Ochoa Programme, grant CEX2023-001290-S funded by MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033.
Participants in the 2024 International Summer School in Global Health will be invited to attend a keynote lecture and a workshop (details to be announced.)
