The European Training Network Euroleish.net Meets for the First Time in Barcelona

The first retreat of the European Project Euroleish.net, coordinated by ISGlobal, took place on September 15 to 18 in Barcelona. The event brought together 45 participants, including representatives of the 9 partner institutions, the 15 PhD students hired by such institutions, and representatives of the 20 centres that will contribute to the formation of the young trainees (companies, universities, NGOs).  

The first two days of the meeting focused on general aspects of leishmaniasis control, on organization and management issues, and on the presentation of the 15 PhD projects by the students. During the third and fourth day, the trainees participated in workshops on innovation and knowledge transfer, scientific writing, and oral presentations.   

"This is the first time that the whole consortium comes together: students, mentors and collaborators", explains the network coordinator, Albert Picado. "The work done over these four days has laid the foundations for the 15 PhD projects over the next three years. The students have had the opportunity of interacting with and learning from experts in leishmaniasis, and to improve their capacities as scientists. These Euroleish students are expected to become tomorrow's leaders in leishmaniasis control".   

The network has planned two meetings over the next two years, one in London and another one in Antwerp.  

Euroleish.net is an "Innovative Training Network" funded by the Horizon 2020 programme and its goal is to train the next generation of scientists that will contribute to the control of leishmaniasis. It is a multi- and inter-disciplinary programme that combines basic, applied and translational research to propose integrated solutions in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of leishmaniasis worldwide.