4 ECTS credits
120 h study time
Offer 1 with catalog number 4023434ENR for all students in the 2nd semester at a (E) Master - advanced level.
This course is an extension of the course General Toxicology in which the basic principles and risk evaluation analysis for chemicals are explained. Here, students will learn the practical implementation of toxicological concepts including “Adverse Outcome Pathways” (AOP) and Integrated Approaches to Testing & Assessment of Chemicals (IATA), the OECD guidelines for toxicological test methods and the risk assessment of chemicals based on toxicological dossiers by a mix of interactive classes (HOC), practical exercises and group assignments (WPO). During the interactive classes, students will become familiar with more specialized types of toxicology including immune, developmental and nanotoxicology as well as endocrine disruption.
The applied character of the course is guaranteed due to students 1) working in teams to create an Adverse Outcome Pathway, write a corresponding scientific article, on a predefined toxicological topic; 2) the students will perform the practical procedure of refinement, reductive and/or replacement alternative toxicity testing methods; and 3) the students will take part in hands-on seminars and interactive classes about risk assessment.
Attendance to the practical (WPO) seminars is compulsory.
Background information and protocols must be studied before the start of each lab day and active preparation for the interactive seminars is required.
The student:
- knows the OECD testing guidelines and how alternative methods are being validated
- knows the 3R principle of Russell and Burch and can apply this principle on new test methods
- knows, understands and can explain how toxicological test methods that were discussed during the HOC and WPO work ((bio)chemical and biological principles) and can explain this in a scientifically sound way
- knows how to extrapolate in vitro toxicological data to the in vivo human situation
- knows what “adverse outcome pathways” (AOP) and Integrated Approaches to Testing & Assessment of Chemicals (IATA) are, can explain these to a third person and can apply these concepts in a toxicological context
- searches, reads and understands scientific articles concerning the discussed topic of the WPO assignment
- creates together with the team members an AOP (network) for a predefined topic, writes a scientifically correct paper about it, and can assess the quality of the AOP using the ‘Tailored Bradford-Hill’ criteria
- can practically perform toxicity tests
- can perform a basic risk assessment of a medical product or other chemical risk substance using the gained knowledge through the HOC and WPO and can critically discuss this with others
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 50% of the final mark.
PRAC Teamwork determines 25% of the final mark.
PRAC Presentation determines 15% of the final mark.
PRAC Report determines 10% of the final mark.
Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Within the PRAC Teamwork category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Within the PRAC Presentation category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Within the PRAC Report category, the following assignments need to be completed:
English:
The evaluation of the WPO occurs during the WPO session.
The final score of the course "Applied Toxicology" at 20 points is calculated as 50% Written Exam and 50% WPO assignments.
More specifically, the students will become practically familiar with toxicity testing methods. The reports of these practical tests will account for 10% of the total score of the course "Applied Toxicology".
In the context of the WPO, student teams will work on a predefined topic in the context of Adverse Outcome Pathways about which they will write a scientific paper and present it (±15min). A discussion about this topic will immediately follow the presentation (±10min). At the end of the WPO, the students need to hand in a peer-assessment about the individual contribution of their team members to the team effort. The peer-assessment will be used as correction factor to adjust the team score to each of the individual team members according to their contribution. The evaluation of the team assignment [presentation (15%) + paper (25%)] will account for 40% of the total score of the course "Applied Toxicology".
The exam will consist of all the lessons (HOC) and the WPO risk assessment seminars, and comprises a written exam. It accounts for 50% of the end score of the course "Applied Toxicology".
When one of these values (HOC or WPO) is lower or equal to 7/20, the lowest mark is communicated and this part has to be redone.
Whenever a student is illegitimate absent during the practical courses, he/she has to follow the WPO session again during the next academic year and will as such be automatically referred to the 1st exam session of the next academic year.
Nederlands:
De evaluatie van het werkcollege (WPO) gebeurt tijdens de WPO-sessie.
Het eindcijfer van het vak “Toegepaste Toxicologie” op 20 punten wordt berekend als 50% schriftelijk examen en 50% WPO opdrachten.
De studenten zullen kennismaken met het uitvoeren van toxiciteitstesten. De verslagen van deze praktische proeven tellen voor 10% mee van het totale eindcijfer van het vak “Toegepaste Toxicologie”. In het kader van het werkcollege zullen de studenten een “Adverse Outcome Pathway” ontwikkelen rond een welbepaalde toxicologische topic waarover ze een wetenschappelijk artikel schrijven en een presentatie zullen geven (±15min). Tevens zal er ook een discussie/evaluatiemoment (±10min) voorzien worden. De peer-assessment zal als correctiefactor dienen om het groepscijfer per individuele student aan te passen naargelang hun bijdrage aan het groepswerk. De evaluatie van het groepswerk [presentatie (15%) + artikel(25%)] tijdens het werkcollege zal voor 40% meetellen van het eindcijfer van het vak “Toegepaste Toxicologie”.
Het examen over de geziene leerstof tijdens het HOC en de WPO risk assessment oefeningensessies bestaat uit een schriftelijke examen en vertegenwoordigt 50% van het eindcijfer van het vak “Toegepaste Toxicologie”.
Indien 1 van de eindquoteringen voor HOC of WPO kleiner dan of gelijk is aan 7/20, moet het betreffende onderdeel herdaan worden. Het meegedeelde cijfer is dan het laagste cijfer.
Indien de student(e) onwettig afwezig is tijdens het WPO, dient hij/zij de WPO-sessie opnieuw te volgen in het volgend academiejaar en wordt hij/zij dus automatisch verwezen naar de 1ste zittijd van het volgend academiejaar.
This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Drug Development: Pharmacist (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Drug Development: AR without officinastage (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Biomedical Sciences: Management and Business (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Biomedical Sciences: Clinical Biomedical Sciences (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Biomedical Research: Standaard traject
Master of Teaching in Health Sciences: standaard traject (120 ECTS, Etterbeek) (only offered in Dutch)