When Experience Meets Initiative: The First Intensive Training Course “School of Cancer Immunotherapy”, 30.09 – 2.10.2016, Kyiv
INgenius, a platform for the development of medicine and science in Ukraine, organised the “School of Cancer Immunotherapy” as one of their INpractice projects at the National Cancer Institute. This three-day intensive lecture course was initiated and offered in English by an active member of the UKRAINE Network Prof. Viktor Umansky from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). Prof. Umansky leads the Melanoma Immunotherapy research group at the Skin Cancer Unit at the DKFZ and the University Medical Center Mannheim (Heidelberg, Germany). The interest exceeded any expectations: some 150 applicants – students of medicine and life sciences, postgraduates and medical doctors from all over Ukraine and also from Belarus applied to participate in this School. The participants had a rare opportunity to learn first-hand about the latest advances in cancer immunology and also test their knowledge, with the most successful participants competing for a chance to carry out a research internship at the Prof. Umansky’s laboratory in Mannheim. The competition was extremely strong, with 6 candidates achieving 100% test-result, so an extra interview selection was necessary. As a result Igor Arkhipov, a 5th-year student of Bogomolets National Medical University (Kyiv) persevered and won this thought after prize. The second place-winner was his course-mate Evgenii Grechukha, who was rewarded with an opportunity for a fee-free participation in the 5th International Conference of Cancer Immunotherapy & Immunomonitoring (CITIM) taking place on 24-27.04.2017 in Prague, Czech Republic. The INgenious platform was successful to secure the sponsorship for this school from the Pinchuck Foundation Program “Zavtra UA” and the pharmacological company Yuria-Farm. The INgenious Platform’s goal is to advance theoretical and practical knowledge of Ukrainian medical students, interns and physicians. It currently unites more than 30 pro-active and highly motivated students and interns from Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Odesa, Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv. There is a strong hope that this first positive experience will serve as a stepping-stone for organisation of similar intensive courses as well as more extended summer/ winter schools in the future. If you are interested to contribute as a lecturer, practical skills trainer or as an institutional partner – do get in touch!
Contact Ivanka Nebor, the head of the INgenius: nebor93@gmail.com
or Arkadii Vodianyk, co-organiser of the course: arkadii.vodianyk@nmu.ua
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