Imaging is increasingly and widely applied in biomedical studies and clinical practice. Imaging enables visualisation of key (molecular) players of health and disease at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and organ levels. Imaging also gives the unique opportunity to study animal models noninvasively at multiple time points and to obtain functional information (e.g. contraction of the heart and blood flow) in order to provide more insight in health and disease, to assess the effectiveness of treatment and to develop new treatments . This course focuses on pre-clinical imaging, which ranges from ex vivo imaging of a single molecule to in vivo imaging of animal models.

You will be prepared for a future in a multidisciplinary biomedical research environment. We will train the students as a key person, linking physiological questions to novel imaging methods. You will be able to communicate within an interdisciplinary team including clinicians and engineers. You will be able to apply state-of-the art imaging methods to biomedical research questions related to oncology, cardiovascular diseases, neuro sciences or metabolism. You will make sure that novel imaging methods can be directly applied in a preclinical research environment.

The course aims to give insight into the basic principles and the biomedical applications of imaging techniques. Techniques that will be discussed are mass spectrometry imaging (MSI), electron and light microscopy (EM and LM), ultrasonography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT), nuclear imaging (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET)) and hybrid and correlative imaging.

Students will be taught to acquire, analyze and utilize complex images at multiple spatial scales that originate from various imaging modalities. Combined, these preclinical research methods pave the way for new diagnostic approaches required for personalized and systems medicine.

The focus is really on the biomedical problem and not so much on the underlying physical methodology/technology. The main question is how we can use advanced imaging modalities to understand biomedical problems? Within this couse, students will learn how to apply novel technologies to biomedical sciences to solve a biomedical research question. You will learn the basic principles of the imaging modalities, to be able to make correct choices of imaging methods for specific questions.

This course offers interactive teaching, hands-on experiments through practicals, lab visits, workshops, project and interactions with experts.

In the region and the Netherlands, no other integrative courses on imaging for biomedical scientists exist. This is a unique course encompassing all type of advanced imaging techniques like Mass spectrometry imaging, Nanoscopy, Advanced Microscopy, PET and MRI imaging. All these technologies are used with the biggest emphasis on biomedical applications.

Within this course you will perform a project to learn how to solve a biomedical research question with advanced imaging.

Students have the opportunities to learn from expert researchers from each discipline and interact with professionals from the Maastricht University Medical Center. The unique molecular imaging infrastructure at the MUMC+ will be available for the students, who will have the opportunity to meet and interact with professionals and experts in preclinical imaging.