Course Syllabus

 

 

Semester & Location:	Spring 2020 - DIS Copenhagen
Type & Credits:	Elective Course - 6 credits
Major Disciplines:	Pre-Medicine / Health Science, Neuroscience, Public Health
Course Coordinator:	Kenzie Zimmer mz@dis.dk
Supervisor:	Jeanette Erbo Wern jwe@dis.dk
Mentor:	Troels Kjær
Program Director:	Tina Mangieri tma@disstockholm.se

 

The research in Troels Kjær’s department focuses on health technology, brain plasticity, epilepsy, and electroencephalography.

Three Distinct Research Assistant Roles

Several types of Research Assistantships are offered depending on your background. You will either have the opportunity to do a literature study, a dry lab study at the computer, or participate in the ongoing clinical studies of the group.

The research is currently involved in developing small implantable devices for EEG monitoring 24/7 for months. As a Research Assistant, you would be the first to describe how spikes or sleep varies in our individual patients. It is well-known that sleep pattern varies monthly with the moon and menstrual cycle, but there seem to be other types of periodicity.

Troels Kjær’s department is building two tech-towns. The idea is to measure the effect of health technology in healthy subjects and patients with various specified diseases. This option is for you to do a proof of concept registration on yourself, do literature studies, and when the project is well on its way, do data-driven investigations.
Large amounts of data are available in thousands of EEG recording in their database. Troels’ department is currently building tools to access parts of these data. As a Research Assistant, you can work mainly with data extraction or focus on academic questions such as how posterior dominant rhythm varies with age in our patients or the relation between eye closure and photoparoxystic activity.

References

Weisdorf S, Gangstad SW, Duun-Henriksen J, Mosholt KSS, Kjaer TW. High similarity between EEG from subcutaneous and proximate scalp electrodes in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. J Neurophysiol. 2018 Jul 11. PubMed PMID: 29995605.
Zibrandtsen IC, Kidmose P, Kjaer TW. Detection of generalized tonic-clonic seizures from ear-EEG based on EMG analysis. Seizure. 2018 May 4;59:54-9. PubMed PMID: 29747022.
Larsen LH, Zibrandtsen IC, Wienecke T, Kjaer TW, Langberg H, Nielsen JB, Christensen MS. Modulation of task-related cortical connectivity in the acute and subacute phase after stroke. The European journal of neuroscience. 2018 Feb 21. PubMed PMID: 29465793.
Foged MT, Vinter K, Stauning L, Kjaer TW, Ozenne B, Beniczky S, Paulson OB, Madsen FF, Pinborg LH, Danish Epilepsy Surgery G. Verbal learning and memory outcome in selective amygdalohippocampectomy versus temporal lobe resection in patients with hippocampal sclerosis. Epilepsy & behavior : E&B. 2018 Feb;79:180-7. PubMed PMID: 29306849.
Zibrandtsen IC, Kidmose P, Christensen CB, Kjaer TW. Ear-EEG detects ictal and interictal abnormalities in focal and generalized epilepsy – A comparison with scalp EEG monitoring. Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. 2017 Oct 12;128(12):2454-61. PubMed PMID: 29096220.
Larsen LH, Zibrandtsen IC, Wienecke T, Kjaer TW, Christensen MS, Nielsen JB, Langberg H. Corticomuscular coherence in the acute and subacute phase after stroke. Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. 2017 Sep 22;128(11):2217-26. PubMed PMID: 28987993.
Kjaer TW, Sorensen HBD, Groenborg S, Pedersen CR, Duun-Henriksen J. Detection of Paroxysms in Long-Term, Single-Channel EEG-Monitoring of Patients with Typical Absence Seizures. IEEE journal of translational engineering in health and medicine. 2017;5:2000108. PubMed PMID: 29018634. Pubmed Central PMCID: 5477700.
Schmidt LS, Kjaer TW, Schmiegelow K, Born AP. EEG with extreme delta brush in young female with methotrexate neurotoxicity supports NMDA receptor involvement. European journal of paediatric neurology : EJPN : official journal of the European Paediatric Neurology Society. 2017 Sep;21(5):795-7. PubMed PMID: 28655493.
Kjaer TW, Hogenhaven H, Lee AP, Madsen FF, Jespersen B, Brennum J, Derm L, Moltke FB. Pharmacodynamics of remifentanil. Induced intracranial spike activity in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsy research. 2017 Jul;133:41-5. PubMed PMID: 28414967.

Prerequisite(s)
One year of biology and chemistry at the university level. Laboratory experience at university level is recommended.

What is the 6-Credit Research Assistant course?

The 6-Credit Research Assistant course is an experiential learning opportunity that allows students to develop research skills in a professional research setting. The course requires an average of 20 hours a week of laboratory, clinical, and/or literature-based research in external research groups at local hospitals, universities, or other research institutions. As a research assistant, you perform research under the supervision of a mentor (a lead scientist in the external research group). The mentor is able to offer both academic and professional advice. In addition to acquiring research experience, the goal is to develop a student/mentor relationship that benefits both the DIS student and Copenhagen-based research institutions.

Student Profile

The 6-credit Research Assistant course is designed for highly motivated students with a strong interest in developing their research skills. Students must be willing to commit a significant portion of their semester to an engaging opportunity involving hands-on research in universities and institutes in the Copenhagen region.

Learning Objectives

Through this course, DIS students will learn techniques and skills in their field of interest and as applicable to the research focus. Students will be part of an active research team and experience the dynamics of a European research institution. Throughout the semester, students will keep a research journal recording their daily involvement in the research project. At the end of the semester, all students involved in this course will participate in a Research Symposium to present their semester work to peers and invited professionals.

Structure of Project Work

The student’s research project will be a part of a larger, ongoing research project at the research institution. The student must be able to enhance the research being performed and investigate phenomena of interest to them, their mentor, and the research team. The project should be self-directed and self-motivated under the mentor’s guidance and supervision. A gradual transition toward independence is encouraged as a student gains confidence and is able to self-direct their work.

It is not expected that the student pursues a project where s/he is able to obtain definitive publishable results. The project chosen and agreed upon between the student and mentor should be focused and designed to produce results within the DIS semester calendar. While it is not necessary for the results to be significant (in that the results find a solution to the problem or hypothesis proposed), arguably any results to the proposed question are significant to the next phase of a research project.

DIS Contact

Tina Mangieri, PhD, DIS Associate Academic Director and Director of Research: tma@disstockholm.se

Jeanette Erbo Wern, PhD, DIS Copenhagen faculty and Copenhagen Coordinator: jwe@dis.dk  

Course Location

Location information - click here

This DIS course will be located, primarily, at an external institution. Students will need to arrange a schedule with their mentor which will allow them to complete an average of 20 hours work per week (total hours may vary according to research opportunity and expectation of mentor).

DIS Research Resources

More information can be found on this page.

Assignments

Throughout the semester, students are expected to complete various assignments to verify their involvement and learning; these will be of benefit to both the student and mentor. The students will be expected to compose the following:

A literature summary review will give the student the opportunity to seek out existing peer-reviewed articles and, therefore, enhance their scientific knowledge regarding the specific research field. In addition, it is essential that the student has knowledge of previously produced research by the research institution with which they are working.

An outline of the research project will provide the student with a foundational structure to help guide the project’s completion. By creating an outline, the student will be able to better comprehend the objective of her/his efforts. The mentor will also be able to use the outline to assess areas in which the student’s current knowledge and understanding may be lacking.

A research abstract explaining the importance and overall objective of the research the student has done. The abstract provides the student an outlet to think about their research concisely, thereby gleaning the most essential points from the project completion.

In conjunction with the submission of the research abstract there will be a research symposium where students will present the research they have carried out throughout the semester. Students will create a poster that supports their abstract and outlines the main aspects of their work; the poster is created with the guidance and approval of the research mentor. The poster session is part of a research symposium organized by DIS to showcase end-of-semester work across the curriculum.

The research paper is the final product of the 6-credit research assistantship. The paper will explain the student’s work throughout the semester and will include the overall process, the project’s significance, and the contribution to the field of research in which the student engaged. Please note: this research paper is not produced with the intent of publishing. The final research paper will include the following:

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Background
• Method(s)
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusions

 

Evaluation

Literature Summary Review                               (5%)

Outline of Research Project                                (5%)

Abstract                                                                            (5%)

Research Paper (10-15 pages)                           (60%)

Poster Presentation at Research Symposium       (20%)

Participation                                           (5%)

 

Research Assistants are required to participate in several workshops during the semester. The content of the workshops is subject to change and may include overviews/introductions of skills your mentor will expect you to execute, as well as discussions on the goals of research and the ways in which research questions are culturally and historically-contingent. Workshop examples include, but are not limited to:

• Literature Search and Citation Skills
• Research Ethics
• Interpreting and Analyzing Data and the Significance of Results
• Communicating Research Findings (including poster production)
• Structure of Abstracts and Research Paper

Copenhagen Research Coordinator

Jeanette Erbo Wern

Ph.D. Immunology 2001-2005 (Inst. Of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark). Post doc 2006-2009 (Inst. of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark). M.Sc. 2001 (Inst. Of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark). Senior Scientist 2010-2013 (Immune Targeting Group, Bioneer, Cph, Denmark). Senior Scientist 2013-2016 (Dept. of Infectious Disease Immunology, Statens Serum Institute, Cph, Denmark). With DIS since fall 2016.

Workshop Lecturers (subject to change)

Bettina Hornbøll, PhD

Founder of CogniCation; cognitive communication. PhD in neurobiology doing imaging of the effect of serotonin during emotion processing in the brain, while challenging participant’s natural serotonergic levels. The project has been conducted at Danish Research Center for Magnetic Resonance (DRCMR) and Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging (CIMBI). M.Sc. Neurobiology (University of Copenhagen, 2006). B.A. Biology (University of Copenhagen, 2004). With DIS since 2012

Course Schedule

In addition to these dates, weekly meetings with your mentor are required. It is up to you to find a time with your mentor for these weekly check-ins. If you need more meetings, it is your responsibility as the student to request such from your mentor.

Before Arrival to Copenhagen

Once accepted you will be connected to your mentor(s) via email. You will then contact your mentor(s) and briefly introduce yourself further. Please note some mentors may give you 10 – 15 hours of research literature to read before your semester start.

Arrivals Week

Research Assistant Orientation: Introduction to Research at DIS

Monday, January 13th

Location: DIS, Studiestræde 3 room 21

Time: 16.30-17.30

Powerpoint