The Neurovascular unit (NVU) is a physiological entity that consists of fine-tuned interactions between cerebral blood vessels, pericytes, astrocytes, immune cells and neurons in order to maintain brain homeostasis. The NVU contributes to brain vessel properties such as blood-brain barrier (BBB) and cerebral blood flow regulation. Several brain disorders are associated with NVU dysfunction. There have been several recent advances in knowledge and in the technologies available to study the NVU. This advanced course will allow students to gain basic knowledge and hands-on experience with various techniques, such as in vivo/ex vivo high-resolution imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, brain vascular pathology rodent models and in vitro BBB models.
Course director & co-directors
- Martin Lauritzen (University of Copenhagen and Rigshospitalet, Denmark)
- Edith Hamel (McGill University, Canada)
- Jérôme Badaut (Bordeaux Neurocampus, France)
Björn Bauer (University of Kentucky,USA)
Jason Berwick (The University of Sheffield, UK)
Craig Brown (University of Victoria, Canada)
Hélène Girouard (Université de Montréal, Canada)
Viki Hurst (UK National Centre for the Replacement, UK)
Keynote speakers
David Attwell (University College London, UK)
Anna Devor (UC San Diego School of Medicine, USA)
Ulrich Dirnagl (Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany)
Britta Engelhardt (University of Bern, Switzerland)
Jean-François Ghersi-Egea (Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, France)
Costantino Iadecola (Weill Cornell Medicine, USA)
Frédéric Lesage (Polytechnique Montréal, Canada)
Mickael Tanter (ESPCI, France)
Robert G. Thorne (Denali Therapeutics / University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA)
Bruno Weber (University of Zurich, Switzerland)