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The European PhD program REP-BIOTECH marks its second year in the training of future professionals in assisted reproduction and reproductive health.

This multidisciplinary consortium, coordinated by the University of Murcia and involving five European universities and nine international institutions, has a solid journey and brings together in these countries the latest research on human and animal fertility, reproductive health and reproductive technologies.

The main objective of the project is to create a joint doctoral program between several European universities, combining research and interdisciplinary training.

"The experience has shown us the advantages of mixing students from different degrees such as medicine, veterinary, biology, biochemistry or biotechnology in a common project that includes basic research to applied technologies or epidemiological studies", explains Pilar Coy Fuster, Professor of Physiology of UMU and project coordinator.

With this, it seeks to form "a new generation of creative, entrepreneurial and innovative researchers" continues.

In addition, REPBIOTECH is committed to the training of future generations of researchers in Reproductive Biology and seeks to boost in a relevant way the professional career of these students.

"There is currently no program in Europe capable of training qualified specialists with sufficient training to deal with the broad spectrum of problems related to biology and reproductive technology in mammals. This project is an advantage for students who develop their doctorate in different institutions and several countries, which increases their employment opportunities and expands their training in various techniques to respond to current challenges, "adds Sebastián Cánovas, UMU researcher and project manager.

In addition to the 15 students who have funded the European Union, the project is open to new students.

Students who wish to enroll in this program must have previously taken a master's degree in Assisted Reproduction, Reproductive Biology or an equivalent specialty.

This opportunity not only includes training, but during the PhD will develop research in at least three of the institutions participating in at least two different countries, among which Mount Sinai Hospital in New York or Harvard University in Boston .

In addition, they must publish an article in a scientific journal of recognized prestige and participate actively in two international congresses.

Once the doctoral thesis is completed, the candidates will obtain a joint European doctor degree from different participating European universities.

So far, the fifteen doctoral students who have completed the requirements for enrollment and have been working for more than a year working on their doctoral theses have been positively evaluated by experts from the European Union, who also praised the good progress of the project in during the follow-up meeting which took place on 7 September in the city of Bath, UK.

The University of Murcia is in charge of coordinating this consortium in which different European universities such as Universiteit Gent, University College Dublin, National University of Ireland, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn and Universitá Degli Studi di Teramo participate.

Together with them, nine international institutions collaborate, among them the Harvard University, the Valencian Institute of Infertility or the Center of Surgery of Minimal Invasion Jesús Usón, among others.

Said program received assistance from the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Scientific Excellence Program included in the European Union's Horizon 2020 for its start-up and contract funding for the first 15 students currently completing their PhD.

Source: Universidad de Murcia