Cell Communication in Health and Disease

The coordinated communication between cells is the basis for the regular function of an entire organism. If this cell communication is disturbed, affected tissues and organs fail to fulfil their functions and diseases develop. This applies not only to rare diseases with monogenetic causes, but also to more widespread pathologic conditions, such as neurodegenerative diseases, atherosclerosis, or chronic inflammatory diseases. Hence, the understanding of cellular communication is an essential prerequisite for the perception of pathological alterations associated with certain malfunctions and thus the basis for therapeutic intervention and for the development new therapeutic agents. The doctoral training course Cell Communication in Health and Disease` - CCHD - will provide highly talented and well educated students with challenging interrelated research topics derived from one of the following four themes of biomedical sciences: Neurobiology, Vascular Biology, Immunology, and Inflammation Research. Although these topics appear heterogeneous, they all focus on the communication between cells in either health or various disease states. Numerous analogous mechanisms have been described within these research themes, and the CCHD students will learn in interdisciplinary courses how to abstract from their own thesis projects into the other research themes. Moreover, CCHD integrates basic, applied, and clinical sciences to provide comprehensive and thorough up-to-date research training in these important fields of biomedical research. CCHD students will be exposed to the entire spectrum of experimental techniques used in the participating laboratories and will obtain hands-on experience. Due to foreign members in theses committees, international speakers in CCHD workshops and theses symposia, and because of participation at international courses and scientific meetings and spending one semester abroad, CCHD students will become familiar with international research collaborations. Because of additional training by representatives of the pharmaceutical industry, CCHD students will also gain insight into non-academic research. The strong cluster of scientists working in the research fields of CCHD at the Medical University of Vienna provides the critical mass, the infrastructure, and the stimulating research and training environment to ensure success of this doctoral study program. Thus, the graduates of CCHD will be able to acquire all qualifications that prepare them for international careers in biomedical and other life sciences.