Today, 30 May 2016, a 5-day course with international participation entitled "Innovative Technology in In Vivo Corneal Regeneration and Methods of Monitoring and Follow-up" was launched at auditorium 816 at the Faculty of Pharmacy. The event is a part of the European Programme COST Action BM 1302, Joining Forces in Corneal Regeneration Research /19 November 2013 - 18 November 2017/, in which Medical University - Varna is a partner as well.
The main event organizer is Prof. Dr. Hristina Grupcheva, D.Sc. – Vice-Rector for Innovations and Translational Medicine at MU-Varna and a world-renowned specialist in the field of Ophthalmology.
15 specialists from Bulgaria, Germany, UK, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland and Norway, specializing in corneal regeneration will be trained in the summer school. Their diverse programme includes both lectures and practical exercises at the University and clinical facilities of Medical University-Varna, and an intense cultural programme and plenty of entertainment.
Besides Prof. Grupcheva, among the lecturers involved stand out the names of Prof. Anton Tonchev - Head of Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Dr. Tsvetan Popov from Department of Medical Genetics, Prof. Bistra Galunska - Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Medicine and Nutrigenomics, Assoc. Prof. Petar Genev - Department of General and Clinical Pathology, Forensic Medicine and Deontology, as well as Charles Cheng-Hung Chou - PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Aeon Astron Europe – a high-tech international company dealing with research, production and marketing of biomaterials and medical products for Regenerative Medicine in the field of Ophthalmology. The summer school programme includes also on-line lectures by Dr. Andrew Hopkinson from the University of Nottingham and Dr. Ricardo Gouveia from the University of Newcastle, UK.
"Hopefully, the COST Summer Training School 2016 would prompt further movement of innovative ideas for multidisciplinary joint projects between Medical University of Varna and your universities. I wish you all beneficial studies and a pleasant stay in Varna," said in his welcome speech the Rector of MU-Varna Prof. Dr. Krasimir Ivanov.
COST Action BM 1302, Joining Forces in Corneal Regeneration Research combines scientific, clinical and industrial knowledge in the field of corneal regeneration. It unites researchers in the field of biomaterials, manipulations of stem cells, tissue engineering, Ophthalmology and Immunology. This planned cooperation will result not only in creating a unique European knowledge base that will give great impetus to the development of biodegradable artificial corneas from the stage of fundamental research to clinical use, but will also provide the basis for creation of a new generation of specialists interested in Regenerative Medicine, especially in Ophthalmology.
