The "Biological Basis of Ageing and related Diseases" programme is designed to explore the fundamental biological mechanisms that underlie ageing and its associated diseases. It integrates key concepts from molecular biology, genetics, epigenetics, physiology, and pathophysiology to provide a comprehensive and holistic understanding of the ageing process and its impact on human health.

The participants of the BIP will:

• understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms underpinning ageing; 
• explore the physiology of ageing: analyze how aging affects different organs, systems and physiological functions; 
• examine pathophysiological aspects of aging-related diseases: identify major diseases associated with ageing, such as cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, neurodegenerative disorders and cancer; 
• develop practical research skills: learn and apply techniques for studying ageing and agerelated diseases; 
• foster critical thinking and scientific communication: critically evaluate scientific literature on aging and disease; 
• internationalization and networking personal communication.

Moreover, this BIP is synergistic with a range of EU COST network activities (e.g. BenBedPharma) and EU Marie Curie International Training Networks ( e.g. MINDSHIFT), which involves participation from applicants in the BIP application. These offer a potential for further networking and potential training and career pathway and progression for students in this BIP to further their training in European labs of excellence, addressing a major EU healthcare and socio-economic challenge.

The physical mobility part will take place between 23 to 27 June 2025 in Glasgow, Scotland. The activities involve 20h of face-to-face activities, distributed across workshops and seminars where students can interact with experts in the field, participate in hands-on activities, and network with fellow learners.

Proposed schedule:

23 June 2025

• registration and reception
• overview presentation
• Aging in the animal kingdom: why, how and how not to age.
• Aging and Planetary health

24 June 2025

• The Geroscience Hypothesis: future interventions in aging
• The Hallmarks of aging
• interactive session on canonical hallmarks and non-canonical hallmarks of aging
• discussion of translational use of hallmarks and exceptions to the rule
• exercise for students on identifying hallmarks and way they might have evolved.

25 June 2025

• Genetic disorders and aging:
• group Interactive session/ tutorials/ Meet the experts session ECRs – face to face

26 June 2025

• Lifecourse trajectories and comparative aging
• Longitudinal studies in aging
• Biomarker identification and validation
• Biomimetics to study aging- what the natural world tells us about human aging
• Animal models and human clinical trials
• Computational modeling and big data analyses
• exercises

27 June 2025

• tutorial/ presentation and discussion of Day 4 exercise
• wrap-up and perspectives
• farewell

Social events will also be organized for students and teachers, allowing exchanges of opinions, cultures and creation of networking for further collaboration. These events include visits to the Hunterian Museum, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery, The Burrell Collection, The People’s Palace and a traditional Scottish Celiidh.

The program includes 15h of face-to-face virtual meetings, spreaded between 10 March - 30 May 2025 (1.5 h/week). 

Video lectures and webinars on state-of-the-art topics will be a relevant but limited part of the course (30%). Instead, problem-based learning and presentations by the students will be implemented (guided by the tutors):

• to study and present key publications and critically assess strengths and limitations of seminal papers in aging research;
• to resolve interactive quizzes to reinforce understanding;
• to present themselves and apply for a fellowship;
• to produce and present a visual abstract or a public engagement poster. 

Students will be provided once a week with virtual activities such as video lectures, webinars, discussion of seminal papers in aging research, group discussions, self-paced learning activities in Moodle, interactive quizzes to reinforce understanding.

A series of webinar masterclasses/ meet the expert will be provided in advance of the face to face activity.