This course will provide a solid knowledge base for PhD students and clinical fellows new to the respiratory field. Secondly, it is a refresher course for researchers and clinicians already working in the field. As such, the course will provide pre-recorded modules that present a brief recap of essential knowledge that is provided in most Master courses at the University level, deepened with current state-of-the-art knowledge by world experts. The pre-recorded modules will be available before the course, participants will be notified once these are available.

During the interactive program days (15-17 May 2023), the audience will be primed by lectures that are aimed to stimulate discussion and will serve as an introduction to a variety of active learning sessions (to be determined by the chairs and discussion leaders). In these sessions, the participants will be able to bring in their own questions and cases, and/or discuss the application of knowledge and techniques to their own research projects.

A CME application has been made to the  European Board for Accreditation in Pneumology (EBAP). The number of credits that you will receive corresponds to your attendance during the onsite course. Please note that you need to sign the register of attendance each day to ensure that you receive the CME credits.

Topics

• The first day is dedicated to lung physiology and addresses respiratory diseases from a physiological perspective.
• The second day is dedicated to lung structures and their cellular composition in health and disease, and throughout life. It addresses processes of repair and regeneration, and their implications in respiratory diseases.
• The first part of the third day focuses on the immunological response of the lungs, on the role of acute and chronic inflammation in respiratory diseases. The second part of the third day zooms into molecular aspects important in lung physiology and disease development, such as mitochondria, proteostasis, and mechanosensing.
• The opening lecture will emphasize the importance of a good start to life through lung development. The exposome is the central concept of the closing lecture and will be used to illustrate lung function trajectories ending in lung aging.

The topics addressed in this course are related to all CPD modules.

Course format

• Pre-recorded modules
• Opening and closing lectures
• Live lectures – priming discussion
• Interactive discussions – active learning sessions