Sex differences in age-related diseases
Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences at University of Copenhagen
This course is free of charge for PhD students at Danish universities (except Copenhagen Business School), and for PhD Students from NorDoc member faculties. All other participants must pay the course fee.
Anyone can apply for the course, but if you are not a PhD student at a Danish university, you will be placed on the waiting list until enrollment deadline. This also applies to PhD students from NorDoc member faculties. After the enrollment deadline, available seats will be allocated to applicants on the waiting list.
Learning objectives
A student who has met the objectives of the course will be able to:
1. Demonstrate knowledge on the historical exclusion of females in clinical research studies and ability to put the current research agenda on sex-differences into perspective
2. Know about potential sex-differences in age-related diseases (focus on neuro- and vascular diseases) in epidemiological studies and in clinical studies
3. Be able to discuss sex differences in the risk factors for age-related diseases
4. Have insights into how different research disciplines may benefit from integration to further our understanding of sex-differences in health and disease
5. Skills to critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of research methods presented in the course
Content
This course is about sex-differences in age-related diseases, with primary focus on neuro- and vasuclar diseases. While primarily taught from epidemiological view-point, the course relates to the broader
public health perspective by including interdisciplinary faculty that will include both the historical perspective on women's health (and studies of sex-differences) as well as the basic clinical study of sex-differences in cardiovascular disease, brain aging, and neurovascular outcomes
Topics covered include:
- Sex-differences in a public health setting
- The representation of women (sex-differences) in research: a historical perspective
-biomarkers for cardiovascular and neurological disease (blood and imaging based)
-sex-differences in cardiovascular disease and dementia
-sex differences in the aging brain
-Neuro-vascular disease and women's unique hormonal transitions (Fertility, pregnancy, menopause)
Participants
(Post)doctoral researchers in the health sciences. All participants should submit a half page about how their current research project (phd studies or postdoc project) view or take potential sex-differences into account.
Relevance to graduate programmes
The course is relevant to PhD students from the following graduate programmes at the Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences, UCPH:
All graduate programmes
Language
English
Form
The core of the PhD course is built as a series of masterclasses (lectures that go in depth). Students will be in charge of "meet the author" session where they will lead a discussion of one instrumental paper introduced by speaker in the morning lecture. All students are asked to 1) submit half page of reflections on how sex-differences are considered in their own work, and we will discuss each project with faculty during feedback sessions.
Course director
Majken K. Jensen, prof. Department of Public Health, UCPH, maje@sund.ku.dk
Teachers
Course co-director
Naiara Demnitz, DPhil
Research Fellow
Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance
Copenhagen University Hospital - Amager and Hvidovre
Majken K. Jensen, professor
Department of Public Health and Center for Healthy Aging
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen
E-mail:maje@sund.ku.dk
Janet Rich-Edwards, Professor
Harvard Medical School
Kristine Frøsig Moseholm, postdoctoral researcher
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen
kristine.moseholm@sund.ku.dk
Vibe Gedsø Frøkjær, professor
Institut for Klinisk Medicin; UCPH
Anne-Marie de Lange, Group Leader FemiLab
University of Oxford, UK
Eilis O'Reilly, Senior Lecturer
University College Cork, Ireland
Dates
20-23 May 2025
Course location
CSS – Centre for Health and Society
The Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, DK-1353 Copenhagen K, https://socialsciences.ku.dk/campusmap/.
Registration
Please register before 6 May 2025
Expected frequency
Annually
Seats to PhD students from other Danish universities will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and according to the applicable rules.
Applications from other participants will be considered after the last day of enrolment.
Note: All applicants are asked to submit invoice details in case of no-show, late cancellation or obligation to pay the course fee (typically non-PhD students). If you are a PhD student, your participation in the course must be in agreement with your principal supervisor.