The LUMC and Leiden University will start the new two-year master’s program Transfusion Medicine and Cellular and Tissue Therapies from October 23, 2023. The accreditation for the master – which is offered together with the Autonomous University of Barcelona (AUB) – has been granted by the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organization (NVAO).
The Spanish version of the master has been around for some time and has been accredited since 2014. Specialists from the LUMC and the AUB have been working together for ten years within this international program. Thanks to the Dutch-Flemish accreditation, the Leiden contribution has now been officially formalized.
Transfusion medicine
The field of transfusion medicine has grown considerably in recent decades. It covers the entire trajectory from development to administration of blood products, such as blood transfusions but also cell therapies. Despite many innovative developments, new challenges have also arisen. Many medical and other similar training courses approach the field differently, causing the knowledge within the field to become fragmented.
In the new master, professors and other experts share the most recent knowledge in the field of transfusion medicine and cell and tissue therapies. Courses taught include: Blood Transfusion, Immunohematology and Project Management in a Blood and Tissue Bank. The collaboration between Barcelona and Leiden forms one of the most powerful international alliances for creating and transferring knowledge in this field.
A globally unique program
The LUMC has a rich history in the field of transfusion and transplant immunology and is considered one of the pioneers in the field of regenerative medicine. For example, LUMC researchers have been working for years on cell therapies for mesenchymal stromal cells, tolerogenic dendritic cells, gene therapy of hematopoietic stem cells and CAR-T cells.
Thanks to the intensive knowledge sharing between Leiden and Barcelona, the two institutions have set up a program that is unique worldwide. Participants of the master’s program can play a leading role in transfusion medicine in the future. In this way, they acquire knowledge and skills with which they can analyze and implement the latest developments in the field of transfusions and cell therapies in practice.
The Master’s program is offered entirely online in English or Spanish and can be followed part-time by professionals and (international) students with a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine, Pharmacy, Biomedical Sciences and Biology. Nurses can also follow the Master’s program if they have at least four years of experience in transfusion medicine.
More information about the new joint master’s programme can be found on the Leiden University website .
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