A moment from the visit of Vilnius University representatives to Utrecht / Photo from personal archive.
Vilnius University (VU) is expanding international cooperation in the field of advanced medicine – in early July, VU representatives visited one of the strongest European universities – Utrecht University (UU) and University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), in the Netherlands. These institutions are the key partners of the international Center for Advanced Disease Modeling (CADM). The center is being developed together with VU Hospital Santaros Klinikos and aims to become an internationally competitive translational science platform.
The VU delegation included Assoc. Prof. Dr Karolis Ažukaitis, Vice-Dean for Science and Innovation of the Faculty of Medicine (MF), Dr Dominyka Dapkutė-Sadauskienė, Coordinator of International Projects and Activities of the MF, as well as representatives of the VU Central Administration and the Life Sciences Center. During the visit, the strategy for establishing the CADM, the management model, mechanisms for attracting and selecting talented researchers, as well as planned joint scientific projects were discussed.
During the meetings with various Utrecht research groups topics close to the priorities of CADM were discussed – regenerative medicine, spatial omics, translational oncology, neurosciences, immunology, cardiology. Discussions were also held with the vice-deans of science of the faculties of Utrecht University and the heads of the strategic cluster of life sciences. The mutual motivation to establish a long-term strategic partnership was emphasized.
Assoc. Prof. Dr Karolis Ažukaitis giving a presentation during the visit in Utrecht / Photo from personal archive.
„We received an exceptionally warm and inspiring reception. The visit strengthened the trust in this partnership further and became an important impetus to decisively take the next steps in creating ADMC – an internationally significant center of competence,“ noted Assoc. Prof. Dr Karolis Ažukaitis.
About the Center for Advanced Disease Modeling
CADM is one of five International Centers of Competence approved by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports of the Republic of Lithuania, the goal of which is to strengthen the internationality and innovativeness of Lithuanian science in the fields of advanced medicine and high technologies. The total investment amount planned for these centers reaches up to 40 million euros.
In this center international research groups will be created, and highly qualified researchers from Lithuania and abroad will be involved. One of the exclusive areas of CADM is alternative disease modeling technologies, which will allow reducing or completely eliminating the use of laboratory animals and creating personalized diagnostic and treatment solutions.
A moment from the visit of Vilnius University representatives to Utrecht / Photo from personal archive.