IrsiCaixa

Consulta el programa (en PDF):

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection and its strong impact on the world's population have meant a quantitative and qualitative change in research on retrovirology. Advances in the last 25 years have allowed to expand our knowledge about this virus and to define treatment regimens while establishing the bases for the development of vaccines and eradication strategies. Human retrovirology has become one of the most dynamic areas of biomedicine and its strong development requires specialized professionals with extensive virological and immunological knowledge.

The University Master in AIDS pathogenesis and treatment provides a broad view of the field of virology and immunology, and explores in depth the antiretroviral treatment and the paths for virus eradication. Furthermore, it gives special emphasis on other retrovirus and their potential implications in different human pathologies.

The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and the Escola Universitària d’Infermeria i Fisioteràpia Gimbernat in collaboration with the Institut de Recerca de la Sida IrsiCaixa strive to provide an excellent education with a global perspective by acquiring specific skills and competences. Graduates will be capable to develop their career path in multicultural and multidisciplinary working groups from international research organisations, in pharmaceutical companies or to provide technical advise on advanced instrumentation and adaptation of new techniques.

The program is structured in seven modules in which different topics are going to be studied; namely the molecular and cellular bases of the HIV-1 infection and its associated pathogenesis, the clinical fundamental aspects of the infection, emphasizing the recommendations of antiretroviral treatment and drug resistance in antiretroviral treatment, the interactions, similarities and differences between HIV and other viruses related, and the present, past and future of the HIV vaccine trials.

With the main aim of providing a global vision and offering students with an updated knowledge on the research activities related to HIV; the program integrates a module that pretends to announce the different research areas of some of the most important USA research centres. To achieve this purpose, and in order to provide a proper theoretical background, the program offers master classes which will be complemented with a Visiting Student Program that will take place in those centres. Thus, the master is conceived with the collaboration of the Ragon Institute (MGH, MIT and Harvard University), the Section of Retroviral Therapeutics of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Harvard Medical School), the Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine (University of Miami) and the Center for AIDS Research (University of California San Diego).

The master also enclose the topic on knowledge translation of research findings by including concepts such as knowledge economy, patents, data protection, intellectual property rights, etc. Esteve, leader health group that focus its efforts on innovation and excellence, has been involved on the definition and development of this topic within the Master’s program.

Organitza:

Col·labora:

Competences related to the different modules of the University Master in AIDS pathogenesis and treatment

OBJECTIVES

The main objective of the program is to provide professionals with the competences and knowledge required on the virology and immunology fields while promoting the development of retrovirology research. Thus, the general objectives of the master are:

• To familiarize students with the most innovative techniques in retrovirology research
• To acquire the capacity to critically evaluate results with scientific rigor
• To prepare reports on the work undertaken and defend the results obtained in the master thesis
• To give new graduates the opportunity to learn the overall functioning of HIV research.
• To help recent graduates to join the labour market

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

• R&D of project development
• Educational studies; Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Integration in multidisciplinary teams in the pharmaceutical industry
• Integration in research teams
• Technical advises of advanced instrumentation
• Process adaptation of new techniques

PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Dr. Bonaventura Clotet
Director of the Institute for AIDS Research IrsiCaixa
President of the Fight Against AIDS Foundation
Codirector of the HIVACAT Porgram for HIV/AIDS vaccine development
Head of the HIV Unit at the University Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol
Professor of Medicine at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
bclotet@irsicaixa.es

MODULES AND SUBJECTS

Module 1	Virological, immunological and clinical bases DR. JAVIER MARTÍNEZ-PICADO
Module subjects:
Virology and retrovirology
Functional anatomy of immune response
Basic and applied Immunopathogenesis
Immunology in HIV-1 infection
Immunopathogenesis in HIV-1 Infection
Host genomics in HIV-1 Infection

Module 2	Antiretroviral treatment DR. ROGER PAREDES DEIROS and DRA. EUGÈNIA NEGREDO PUIGMAL
Module subjects:
Introduction to HIV infection clinical practice
Methodological basis of clinical research
Evidence-based antiretroviral therapy
Antiretroviral toxicity and complications of HIV infection
Antiretroviral drug resistance
Pharmacokinetics

Module 3	HIV related viruses DR. JULIÀ BLANCO ARBUÉS and DR. MIGUEL ÁNGEL MARTÍNEZ
Module subjects:
HIV and HIV-2 diversity
Co-infections (HCV, HBV, HPV)
Other human and non-human retroviruses (HTLV, XMRV)

Module 4	Development of therapeutic and preventive HIV vaccine DR. CHRISTIAN BRANDER
Module subjects:
Cellular immunity
Humoral immunity
Vaccines
HIV vaccines in clinical Trials
Knowledge and products transfer to society

Module 5	HIV Research DR. BONAVENTURA CLOTET
Module subjects:
HIV Research in USA
Visiting Student Program in USA

Module 6	Internship DR. JOSÉ ANDRÉS ESTÉ
Module subjects:
Internship in the laboratory of retrovirology at the Institute for AIDS Research IrsiCaixa

Module 7	Master Thesis DR. BONAVENTURA CLOTET
Module subjects:
Development of a research project which will be evaluated by a collegiate tribunal

ACCES REQUIREMENTS

You have a relevant degree in biomedical sciences: Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Veterinary, Medicine or other equivalent degrees, from a university in Europe or abroad with the previous authorization and/or validation of the university.

LANGUAGE CERTIFICATION

Students must provide recent evidence of their spoken and written command of English and Spanish with a B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEF), through certificate or by easily obtaining the Language Passport EUROPASS.

SELECTION CRITERIA

In the case the number of applications is superior than the available places offered, the following selection criteria will prevail:

• Academic records: 70%
• Statement of motivation: 20%
• Command of English and/or Spanish B3 level (CEF): 10%

A student may be asked to have a personal interview in the case the coordinator of the master considers it convenient.

ENROLMENT

APPLICATION AND ADMISSION

Interested candidates need to submit before the 8 of july of 2013 by mail to the following address eulalia.grau@eug.es the following documentation:

• Currículum Vitae
• Bachelor degree (or equivalent) and transcript of academic records (1)
• Language certificate
• A statement of motivation

All documents must be submitted in PDF files.

Your application will be submitted to the Academic Committee. Candidates will be informed by mail about the resolution of his/her candidature before the 15th of July 2013.

(1) The application procedures for students from abroad vary according to your individual situation (legalització de títols estrangers)

REGISTRATION

It is the responsibility of the candidate to assure his/her candidature acceptance.

COST AND GRANTS

The total cost of the University Master in AIDS pathogenesis and treatment is about 225 €/credit, independently of students’ origin. The total cost of the program is 13.500€. This price includes the cost of theoretical classes, the internship and the visiting student program.

However, this program has obtained sponsorship from “la Caixa” foundation, who provides each student with 7.000€. Thus, students bear only part of the total cost of the program, being the total amount students will have to pay 6.500€.

Payment Methods:

Master students of the Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería y Fisioterapia have the possibility to pay the tuition fee in 5 payments without any additional costs.

• 1.800€ in concept of registration fee (in July)
• The rest, in 5 monthly payments (August - December) of 940€ each of them (the center does not apply any kind of fee in this payment method).

List of public grants for postgraduate studies

TYPE OF MASTER:

Official Master*
* Pendent d'aprovació per l'Agència per la Qualitat del Sistema Universitari de Catalunya (AQU)

ACADEMIC YEAR:

2013/2014

CALENDAR:

from 16/09/2013 to 27/06/2014

CREDITS:

60 credits

PLACES

From 6 to 10

LANGUAGES

Languages in which the program is taught: Catalan (40%), Spanish (30%) and English (30%).

STUDENT PROFILE

Candidates willing to undertake the University Master in AIDS pathogenesis and treatment must hold a university degree in the biomedicine field: Biology, Biochemistry, Veterinary, Medicine or equivalent degrees.

The desirable interpersonal skills, such as attitudes or interests, for a proper adaptation and follow up of the program are:

• Capacity to work in multidisciplinary and multicultural environment
• Predisposition towards active participation in the class
• Working as a team member as well as independently and willingness to knowledge update
• Strong oral and written communications skills
• Keen interest in virology and immunology fields

It is of great importance to highlight the need to understand the languages in which the program is taught. The student must be able to follow correctly theoretical classes, participate in debates, presenting assignment, etc. For this reason, is essential to posses a B2 level of English and Spanish of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEF).