Dora Janssen launches Paul Janssen Futurelab Leiden
Baroness Dora Janssen-Arts — widow of Dr. Paul Janssen — officially announced the launch of Paul Janssen Futurelab Leiden, an international training program providing blended learning (online and on-campus) to biomedical professionals with an entrepreneurial spirit. This new training program is an initiative of the Leiden University Medical Center in collaboration with the Center for Human Drug Research and Leiden University, sponsored by grants from ZonMw and Health~Holland. Listen to Baroness Dora Janssen's message for the next generation of scientists.
Training a new generation of leaders
The program’s director, Dr. Marcel Kenter, started Paul Janssen Futurelab Leiden ("Futurelab") with a clear mission: to teach a new generation of biomedical professionals to develop new medical interventions more efficiently and more effectively. Kenter explains: "Developing effective medical interventions at companies and university medical centers — and making these interventions available to patients — has become an extremely
complicated and expensive process. Indeed, many new interventions fail prematurely during the development
process. However, oftentimes development is stopped because of poor decision-making. Sometimes the development of interventions is halted too late. Both scenario’s can have dire consequences for both researchers and patients. Thanks to Futurelab, gifted biomedical researchers now have access to a safe learning environment based on real-life scenarios. Futurelab provides training in a wide range of topics, including
biomedical science, clinical research, finance, and intellectual property, each of which plays an important role in the successful development of a new medical intervention. At Futurelab, we believe that 'learning by doing' is the best approach."
Blended learning
Each teaching module Futurelab develops includes a 5-week online course that can combined easily with the participant’s daily schedule. This online course can then be followed by on-campus training in Leiden, where international participants meet and work together on complex assignments based on real-life case studies. Importantly, the participants are guided by experts who actually played key roles in the cases that are discussed.
The first module, Clinical Development, will begin on April 3rd of this year with the 5-week online course entitled Question-Based Clinical Development. Starting today, post-graduate biomedical professionals are invited to register for this course at www.pauljanssenfuturelab.eu.
Dr. Paul Janssen’s legacy
Dr. Paul Janssen, famous scientist and entrepreneur and founder of Janssen Pharmaceutical, inspired us to start this initiative. At Paul Janssen Futurelab Leiden, Dr. Janssen’s legacy will serve to inspire future generations of researchers.
Paul Janssen Futurelab Leiden has no financial ties with the firm Janssen Pharmaceutica or its mother organization Johnson and Johnson.
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