Immuno-oncology in the spatial omics era

The program will place particular emphasis on the interaction between theory, research, and practice around the problem-based approach. It will include:

1. tutorials
2. theoretical and technical courses, taught by local professors and
3. practical workshops organized in small groups in local laboratories to allow students perform experimental manipulation and analysis of the experimental data.

Guest speakers will punctuate the program by giving both seminars presenting the state of the art of spatial omics as well as in-depth research seminars in the different modules.

• History and development of spatial omics in the context of cancer and immunology research - general introductory module
• The principles and techniques which will be developed during the practical workshops - general technological module
• Spatial transcriptomics
• Spatial proteomics
• Spatial metabolism
• a computational and statistical module.

This training will allow students to:

• develop or deepen technical and theoretical knowledge in cutting-edge spatial omics for the study of questions in oncology and immunology,
• develop critical thinking to support the choice, development and validation of spatial omics techniques,
• develop skills in creating spatial omics data (experimentation),
• develop skills in spatial omics data analysis (bioinformatics analysis),
• organize, analyze and promote a scientific project based on experimental spatial omics approaches.

Moreover, this program will provide a solid background to students, which can be used throughout their master and PhD studies - either in the frame of experimental work, or when reading the scientific literature. Practical workshops and mini-research projects will provide an invaluable experience.

The physical mobility part will be running from 7 to 11 July 2025 in Marseille, France. The 5-day intensive summer school will introduce, in modules, spatial omics technologies and how they are shaping the future of immunotherapy:

• a general introductory module which will provide participants with an overview of the history and development of spatial omics in the context of cancer and immunology research,
• a general technological module which will present the principles and techniques which will be developed during the practical workshops,
• a module on spatial transcriptomics,
• a module on spatial proteomics,
• a module on spatial metabolism,
• a computational and statistical module.

These technologies bring together different techniques allowing omics data to be superimposed on tissue images for the study and analysis of biological molecules and their location in a tissue where the original spatial context is maintained. 

*See program attached.

The virtual part of the program will take place between 1 February - 6 July 2025 and will consist of an EU module “New techniques in proteomics, genomic imaging and cytometry” with an asynchronous format. Students will be able to follow the courses remotely via Zoom before July 06, 2025.

Also, during a period of 15 days, preceding the physical part, a Moodle platform will be made available to students for the introduction of mini-research projects, the “Spatial omics challenges”, as part of the active pedagogical implementation, that the students will present during the physical part once the courses and workshops completed.

Students will work in groups of 5, with research articles provided by the teachers. Each group will be led by an AMU or CIVIS teacher-researcher. Together they will answer "How to design an experimental plan using a given omics technique to answer a given biological question".

Virtual component 

• MCQ examination,
• New techniques in proteomics,
• Genomic imaging and cytometry courses,
• Option genomic,
• active participation to online introduction of the mini-research projects, the “Spatial omics challenge”.

Physical component

• active participation to talks from keynote lecturers and research speakers (asked questions and participation to round tables with speakers);
• poster presentation (best poster selected by a CIVIS jury);
• active participation to the practical workshops;
• mini research project presentation (best presentation selected by a CIVIS jury).

Motivation Letter

CV

Other

Applications will be evaluated based on the above documents.

The programme includes the participation of:

• 23 international speakers,
• 3 keynote lecturers, 10 AMU professors,
• 5 CIVIS visiting professors.