Second Training School and Mid-term Meeting in Copenhagen

Over three-day Training School, Doctoral candidates(DCs) participate in hands-on workshops and expert-led in-person seminars, providing advanced technical and transversal skills. Highlights from the programme included:

• Cryopreservation of female reproductive tissues (University of Copenhagen (UCPH) / Herlev Hospital)
• Quality assays for culture media in Assisted Reproductive Techniques (University of Murcia (UM) / Embryocloud)
• Gender perspectives in reproductive aging (IVIRMA / UCPH)
• Extracellular vesicles in biological fluids: hands-on training (Ghent University)

Complementing the in-person sessions, a series of online seminars were offered throughout June on topics such as Open Science (UM), Intellectual Property Rights in Life Sciences (Potter Clarkson), Molecular analysis of aneuploidy in eggs (UCPH), and The impact of telomeres on reproduction (IVIRMA).

The Mid-Term Meeting was hosted at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences of the University of Copenhagen. It gathered all 15 DCs, their supervisors, and representatives from the nine beneficiary institutions, as well as associated partners LMPE, CBM, INRAE, and Embryocloud. Also present at the event were Isabelle Aires-Pinto, Project Officer from the Research Executive Agency (REA), Project Coordinator Professor Sebastián Cánovas (UM), and Project Manager Dr. Laura Abril (UM).

The meeting featured institutional addresses, an overview of the project’s scientific, training, and management progress, and oral presentations by the DCs, who showcased their research plans, training activities, and early project experiences. The event concluded with a review of the project officer's overall progress, the recruitment process and doctoral eligibility. This was followed by an open discussion on opportunities for improvement and the project's future success

In line with the MSCA Green Charter and the objectives of the EU Green Deal, particularly the reduction of travel-related emissions, the AFRODITA consortium scheduled its Mid-Term Meeting immediately after the ummer Training School in Copenhagen. This efficient planning allowed participants to make the most of their stay by combining intensive training with a comprehensive project review. The project management team would like to thank all attendees for their active participation and for contributing to a highly productive and enriching experience.