Doctoral candidates will complete a set of core research courses providing a solid foundation in cerebral vascular function and dysfunction, scientific theory, and responsible research practice. Training covers experimental design, critical thinking, research ethics, Good Scientific Practice (GSP), Open Science, and regulatory requirements for laboratory and animal research, with a strong emphasis on reproducibility.

Candidates receive hands-on training in statistics, pre-registration, and fully reproducible workflows, supported by mandatory instruction in R and Python for data analysis. The curriculum is complemented by data management training, including digital lab notebooks and data sharing strategies, as well as transferable skills courses in scientific writing, presentation, multicultural communication, and public outreach.

Summary of basic research courses:

• History of science and scientific theory
• Good scientific practice (e.g. experimental design, pre-registration, reproducibility)
• Open science
• Statistics
• Programming
• Regulatory requirements (including animal welfare and laboratory safety)
• Data management
• Scientific writing and presentation

Where and how to register for these courses will be announced shortly.

IRTG-BrainVasc Lecture

A dedicated lecture series delivered by CRC principal investigators will provide doctoral candidates with a strong foundation in the neurobiology of neurovascular diseases. Learning outcomes will be assessed through a multiple-choice examination, ensuring all graduates acquire a comprehensive and consistent level of expertise in this field.

Examples of specific topics covered by the CRC PIs will be:

• Neurovascular anatomy and function
• Stroke
• Small vessel disease
• Neurovascular function in Alzheimer’s disease
• Immunology of neurovascular diseases
• Atherosclerosis
• Neuronal reorganization and repair
• Chronobiology of neurovascular diseases
• Genetics of neurovascular diseases
• The role of glia in neurovascular diseases
• Stem cells in neurovascular diseases
• The gut-brain axis in neurovascular diseases
• Imaging of neurovascular diseases
• Clearing technologies in neurovascular diseases
• Cell culture tissue models of neurovascular diseases
• Bioinformatics in neurovascular diseases

Where and how to register for this lecture series will be announced shortly.