PhD Courses in Denmark

Why do we age? Molecular and cellular mechanisms of ageing

Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences at University of Copenhagen

Aim and content

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. Understand current concepts and theories of ageing
2. Discuss advanced experimental methods to study molecular and cellular processes in ageing
3. Have an understanding of current literature on ageing theories
4. Reflect on ageing theories used in the field
5.


Content
In a society where age-related disorders are responsible for the vast majority of disease and mortality, there is an ever-increasing interest in understanding and alleviating the processes forcing the organism to age.
This course is a mix of a series of in-depth lectures on molecular and cellular processes in ageing as well as facilitated group work covering advanced ageing hypothesis and experimental methods used to study ageing processes. By completing this course, you will gain insight into the fundamental biology of ageing in humans and other organisms that you can use to study ageing in your project


Participants
The PhD course is intended for students who has an age focus in their PhD project or has an interest in the field.


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 course will feature lectures and group exercises on ageing research. Participants will hand in a short review of a defined area of age-related litterature


Course director
Claus Desler, associate professor, BMI, cdesler@sund.ku.dk


Teachers
Claus Desler, associate professor, BMI


Dates
1 - 3 September 2025


Course location
Panum


Registration
Please register before 1st of August 2025

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.