While the 20th century was the century of physics, we have now entered the century of the genome. Twin studies and more recently molecular genetic studies have highlighted the influence of our genetic code on our behavior and health. To adequately understand and influence behavior and health, we need to increase our understanding of the way our genes play their part, by itself and in interaction with our environment.... [-]

VU University Amsterdam is the first university in The Netherlands (and probably in the world) to offer a dedicated scientific Master’s programme in clinical experimental research in musculoskeletal physiotherapy. This Master’s programme is unique in its multidisciplinary focus on clinical experimental research in musculoskeletal physiotherapy. It addresses both biological and psychosocial factors and allows you to conduct a physiotherapy-related research project yourself. It is an excellent stepping-stone to a successful clinical or research career.

The programme is spread over 6 blocks. The first 2 blocks (September – December) are reserved for courses that focus on specific knowledge and skills regarding research methodology and movement analysis. In blocks 3-6 (January – June) you will prepare and perform a substantial, individual research project under the supervision of one of our qualified staff members. In addition, you can select two elective courses based on your individual interest. Another course in this period focuses on the process from lab research to clinical implementation. Throughout the programme, seminars are organized to introduce you to national and international state-of-the-art researchers in physiotherapy research. Various teaching formats are used, such as lectures, practicals, work groups, seminars and directed self-guided learning. These different formats enhance your theoretical knowledge and research skills and integrate those within the context of relevant physiotherapy-related problems.... [-]

Master in Oncology

Could the common cold virus give us a vaccine for cancer? Dendritic cells are specialized cells that alert the immune system to danger. Tumours interfere with this function, thereby managing to escape detection by the immune system. Dr. Tanja de Gruijl at the VUmc immunotherapy research group is trying to develop new cancer vaccines by using the common cold virus. This is just one example of the innovations being carried out in addition to traditional treatment methods.

Training a new generation of specialists to meet future challenges

Cancer is one of the main causes of death in the Western world. In our aging society, the number of cancer patients will continue to rise in the coming decades, since the incidence of the disease is higher among the elderly. Research into preventing, detecting and treating this disease will, therefore, become even more important in the future. Research into how cancer develops and the long-term effects of cancer treatment is also essential, especially now that more people are living longer after being successfully treated.Cancer research is multidisciplinary and takes place within a global network. Researchers must be well equipped to function effectively in such a demanding environment. The Master’s program in Oncology will provide you with the training you need to carry out this vital interdisciplinary work. ... [-]

Master in Neurosciences

Brain disorders, in particular neurodegenerative diseases and mental illnesses, are among the most prevalent and debilitating diseases of our time. They are typically caused by the interplay of environmental factors and genetic variation in multiple genes, which is currently being mapped by major international initiatives. Future brain research should therefore focus on integrative projects as a next step in characterizing this complex environmental/genetic interplay and in revealing how it translates into brain function and/or disease. To succeed, we need a new generation of neuroscientists capable of integrating information from genes and proteins to synapses, and from networks up to complex brain function and dysfunction. Are you ready for the challenge?... [-]

Master in Medical Natural Sciences

The Master’s program in Medical Natural Sciences is a multidisciplinary program that combines natural sciences with medicine. This combination will introduce you to innovative ways of conducting medical research. A multidisciplinary background like this will equip you perfectly for tomorrow’s approaches to medical research, in all their complexity.As a Master’s student, you will choose one specialization: Medical Physics, Medical Physiology, Molecular Clinical Diagnostics or Physics of Life. Each specialization has its own specific focus on the medical world. Medical Physics focuses on the technological issues behind modern medical instrumentation. Medical Physiology examines clinical approaches to the treatment of life-threatening diseases. Molecular Clinical Diagnostics studies the role of biomarkers in clinical chemistry, while Physics of Life explores fundamental physical and chemical phenomena that are relevant to a better understanding of living organisms.The Master’s program in Medical Natural Sciences is a unique opportunity for students who want to combine scientific subjects with practical application. Market research suggests that, as a graduate of this program, you can look forward to a bright future. For example, you will be able to:... [-]

Master in Human Movement Sciences: Sport, Exercise & Health (Research)

The Research Master’s Human Movement Sciences: Sport, Exercise & Health (research) is a two-year full-time program that teaches you how human movement works and how performance can be improved. The multidisciplinary program stretches from molecular biology to cognitive neuroscience and human motor behavior. Teaching and research go hand in hand: the vast majority of our lecturers are researchers at the interdisciplinary research institute MOVE, which is a collaboration between the Faculty of Human Movement Sciences, VU Medical Center, and ACTA (dentistry).

Structure of the program

The Research Master's is a two-year full-time program that aims at integrating fundamental scientific research with relevant questions from clinical and sports practice. You can fine-tune your own profile by focusing on sport, health, or more basic fundamental aspects of human movement. This not only applies to the courses you select but also to the topic of your research internship.Sport... [-]

Master in Health Sciences

In the Master’s program in Health Sciences, you will learn to analyze the various complex factors that contribute to health. You will go beyond individual health issues to tackle health problems in different ways. Obesity can be tackled through medication or stomach reduction procedures. Health scientists, however, look at other methods such as increasing taxes on fatty foods, reducing the number of sweets and soft drinks children can buy at school, designing residential areas so that there are places for children to play and educating people about healthy eating and exercise.

Study program

The aim of this one-year Master’s program in Health Sciences is to provide students with knowledge and skills in the broad field of health sciences. The Master’s program in Health Sciences is an academic program, it is aimed at professional careers inside and outside university research. It comprises 60 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) credits.The program is structured as follows:... [-]

Master in Global Health

Global health is defined as the broad field of study, research, and practice geared towards improving health and achieving equity in health. Global health researchers need transdisciplinary approaches. They need to cross disciplinary boundaries and interact with health professionals, patients, and others to gain an in-depth understanding of global health problems and to set out cohesive and strategic action to solve these problems. In the Research Master’s in Global Health, you will embark on an intensive study of cross-cutting aspects of health systems. You will obtain the latest insights, as well as design and implement interventions and innovation strategies to address these health challenges.... [-]

Master in Drug Discovery and Safety

In the Master’s program in Drug Discovery and Safety, you will examine the interaction between molecules and the human body from a range of perspectives: chemical, medical, toxicological, pharmacological and genetic. You will focus on a specialization that suits your specific interests while working in a multidisciplinary environment where you will be challenged to address key questions about the medicines of the future. Sixty percent of diseases are still incurable, so there are still a great many challenges for researchers to tackle.

The program in a nutshell

The Master's program in Drug Discovery and Safety is a two-year program worth 120 ECs. During this time, you will take compulsory courses in your chosen specialization, plus a number of optional courses. Your own laboratory research is an important part of the program, which you perform in one of the participating research groups. Moreover, you write a literature thesis on a subject within Drug Discovery and Safety research and you acquire general academic skills.... [-]

Master of Cardiovascular Research

This research Master’s programme focuses on research questions aimed at improving cardiac function in heart failure and improving vascular function in diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Cardiovascular research is interdisciplinary by nature and flourishes through close collaboration between clinical researchers and basic scientists. Medical interventions require background knowledge of physiology, molecular cell biology, pathology, and pharmacology as well as knowledge of the design of clinical trials and epidemiology. The interdisciplinary nature of the programme requires out-of-the-box thinking and basic laboratory skills, combined with the ability to communicate clearly with other scientists. During the courses and internships, students’ intellectual attitude will be developed to the level needed to unravel the complex pathophysiological mechanisms underlying cardiovascular disease, their clinical relevance and to find new therapeutic strategies, in vitro, in animals and patients.... [-]

Master in Biomolecular Science

Modern society faces an ever-increasing variety of challenges in the Life Sciences. Improved medical care has resulted in an aging population, creating a greater need to understand and treat age-related disorders such as various forms of cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Bacteria under high selective pressure are acquiring broad antibiotic resistance, so we are constantly forced to develop new and innovative antibacterial drugs. And the potential risks inherent in industrialized food production are only just becoming apparent.It is more and more obvious that a thorough understanding of the molecular basis of the underlying cellular processes is essential to any successful and safe intervention. Moreover, the Biomolecular Sciences are increasingly encroaching into the realm of technology. The MSc Biomolecular Sciences aims to prepare students for a career within the international Life Sciences research community.... [-]

Master in Biomedical Sciences

While pursuing a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences you can opt to study a combination of different specializations. The research-oriented specializations will enable you to embark on a career in research. The societal specialization will equip you for a position as a policy officer. The communication specialization will enable you to work in public relations or scientific journalism, and the education specialization (only in Dutch) will enable you to teach at pre-university or highervocational education level.Are you interested in infectious diseases and do you want to gain a deeper understanding of how the immune system works? Then you can focus on both these specializations. Does your scientific interest lie in cardiovascular diseases and your professional ambition in policy-making? Then you can combine these two. You can tailor your program according to your own desires and interests.... [-]

Which brain drugs does our society need most? Do drugs work the same in everyone? What makes someone vulnerable to brain diseases? What makes them receptive to drug effects? Can we predict drug effects in the brain? Can diet be as effective as drug treatment? How do we translate new R&D knowledge into a start-up company? Drug Development and Neurohealth provides a theoretical background and practical experience in pharmaceutical drug research & development, medicinal nutrition and personalised healthcare. You will interact with industry and regulatory agencies. The overarching theme is the pipeline of drug research & development from design of the molecule to its applications in healthcare settings.... [-]

The Master Biomedical Sciences deals with all normal and abnormal processes in the human body. The primal goal of the program is to better understand diseases in order to improve existing therapeutic interventions and/or suggest new ones.

What does this master’s program entail?

The Master Biomedical Sciences deals with all normal and abnormal processes in the human body. The primal goal of the program is to better understand diseases in order to improve existing therapeutic interventions and/or suggest new ones.

Besides the common program, which teaches you the basic knowledge you need about research in Biomedical Sciences, your program is further defined by one of the specializations:... [-]

What causes disease? What is the (epi)genetic background of disorders? How do microorganisms in the intestine contribute to health and disease? What are the underlying mechanisms of diseases and what novel strategies can be designed to cure disease?

During the Master's degree programme in Biomedical Sciences, you will be trained to find answers to these questions. The programme is strongly oriented towards the scientific background of health and disease and preclinical research. You will encounter an interdisciplinary environment of basic scientific research at the faculty of science and engineering and the more medical oriented environment of the university medical center.

If you have a Bachelor's degree in a relevant biomedical area you can apply for our two-year programme and excel your career as a biomedical researcher or biomedical specialist. We offer specialized tracks in the biology of aging but also offer learning lines related to immunology and cancer and to food and sustainable society. In addition, we offer the unique option to create a custom-made biomedical programme that meets your ambitions.... [-]