Research
14 Early Stage Researchers to research the causes and mechanisms of aberrant vascular function
The project
V.A. Cure is a European MSCA-ITN network aiming to uncover core mechanisms of initiation and maintenance of Vascular Anomalies (VAs) and to leverage this information for establishing novel therapeutic strategies. The network consortium consists of 7 academic laboratories and 2 companies from across Europe, and is supported by 8 partner organisations (5 companies, one university, one hospital and a patient organization). The 14 Early Stage Researchers (ESRs), recruited by the network, will enjoy a unique international training program, consisting of a challenging individual research project, the network’s training programme, intersectoral secondments and visits and outreach activities, ensuring a comprehensive perception of research and drug/technology development in pharma industry/biotech and academia. The individual projects are part of the V.A. Cure research programme, which will follow an intersectoral four-step approach: (1) identification of novel genes involved in VAs in patients, (2) dissection of molecular mechanisms behind the diseases by in vitro modelling, (3) in-depth analysis of tissular mechanisms in pathophysiological conditions through in vivo models, and (4) pre-clinical testing of identified treatment strategies. The knowledge gained will not only be relevant for VAs but also for understanding aberrant vascular function in other vascular-related diseases.
Training
A comprehensive training programme provided by experts in vascular biology from across Europe
Networking
Intensive international cooperation on vascular anomalies research with participating organisations from across the whole chain
Vascular anomalies
Vascular anomalies (VAs) are a heterogeneous group of over 30 rare vascular diseases, affecting more than 500.000 people in the EU. The localized developmental defects are present at birth or appear in early childhood. VAs require life-long clinical management by multidisciplinary teams, including surgeons and interventional radiologists, geneticists etc. The gold-standard treatments induce non-specific death of vascular cells, generating significant collateral damage and non-perfused scars. Management is often partial, leaving patients with chronic pain, dysfunction and lowered quality of life. Therefore, there is a pressing need to develop new therapeutic modalities.
Deadline extended
The deadline for applications for the PhD student positions has been extended to 22 May 2019. Early Stage Researchers are invited to apply for the 14 positions. Please see elsewhere on this website for an overview of the positions and how to apply.
PhD positions open for application
Applications are invited for the 14 PhD student positions in the V.A. Cure network. Have a look at the advertisement for more information and an overview of the positions. The deadline for application is 1 May 2019.
When medical research changes patients’ lifes
Prof. Miikka Vikkula, coordinator of V.A. Cure, was awarded the Generet Prize for his research on rare diseases. An article on how a new medicine, based on his work, improves the life of a VA patient has been published by the King Baudouin Foundation. https://www.kbs-frb.be/en/Newsroom/Stories/20190226ND