Closing session of the Second INFOBIOMED Training Challenge

Today, 2nd of June 2006, has taken place the closing session of the Second INFOBIOMED Training Challenge, an initiative coordinated by the GRIB and organized by the European Network of Excellence INFOBIOMED to promote the consolidation of Biomedical Informatics (BMI).

Ten young students from 25 to 34 years and from six different countries (France, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Greece and Romania) have participated with successful results in this innovative experience, that has mostly taken place in Les Avellanes Monastery (Ós de Balaguer, Lleida).

During all the week (from 29th of May to 2nd of June 2006), the ten participants have been working together in two teams of 5 participants with different but complementary backgrounds: Biology, Chemistry, Medecine, Computer Science, etc., all relevant to Biomedical Informatics. The team 1 has been asigned a case study entitled "Get insights into the relation between CMV and atherosclerosis" while the Team 2 has been working in a case study entitled "Commonalties of, and differences between hormonal pathways in breast, endometrium, and prostate cancer".

In the closure, each team has defended a research plan for the case study assigned. After having made an assessment of each teams’ presentation, the Jury of the Training Challenge has decided to award team 1 with a mobility grant of one month in one of the INFOBIOMED partner organisations for each participant of the group. Additionnally, taking into consideration the individual work of each of the students and their contribution to their team, the Jury has also awarded two of the members of the team 2 with a mobility grant of 15 days.

The closing of this training activity has taken place in the new building of the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB).