A selected set of scientific and non-strictly scientific topics regarding cardiovascular disease (CVD) was the matter of exhaustive learning and critical discussion during the EVGN Second Summer School, that was held in Erice (Italy) from September 10th to 14th 2006. The programme, developed throughout three full days and a half, was carried out by EVGN Senior Scientists convened in Sicily from seven European countries (United Kingdom, Sweden, The Netherlands, France, Germany, Israel and, of course, Italy). Twenty focused lectures offered a hundred attendees - EVGN PhD students close to the discussion of their thesis - a wide angle perspective on who’s who and what’s what issues about: angiogenesis; the use of animal models for the investigation of the vascular system development; gene and cell therapies applied to CVD; procedural aspects of the clinical trials, just to name a few.

2nd
Summer School survey

 2nd
Summer School 
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Anton Horrevoets, on his part, discussed the importance of exploiting data-mining, also combined to other techniques, in the investigation of endothelial cells and their responses to inflammatory and atherosclerotic events from a genomic point of view.

Special attention was devoted to ancillary, but not of less importance, topics: three lectures targeted the management of the intellectual property, patents and commercialization; the importance of communicating science to the public, and the ethical aspects stemming from some clinical applications of the modern technologies, in compliance with the current guidance expressed by the European Union, that is highly oriented towards public understanding of science and public governance.
“This second edition of the Summer School – says Roberto Latini from the Istituto Mario Negri in Milan, organizer with Federico Bussolino of the event – succeeded in offering excellent seminars and a friendly and informal atmosphere, that turned productive in terms of mutual acquaintance among students and the establishment of new work contacts. Logistically we owe much to the Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture, that helped us in providing the right environment. However, for the future editions we certainly aim at implementing a couple of initiatives such as the Poster session - that was underexploited as a moment for true discussion - and the so-called “Meet the expert” session. We will try to make it more one-to-one oriented, to favour a deeper interaction between students and teachers”.

The purpose of this School, recall the organizers, is to provide the students with an all round perception of CVD and all the possible related issues. “We are working to make the current year’s School even more attractive and productive” comments Tedgui, coordinator of the EVGN.