This program aims to develop and strengthen the knowledge and expertise of clinical nutrition and nutritional epidemiology in cancer. It also entails on the recognition of the adequate nutrition for cancer patients and correct guidance, screening, referral, planning, implementation, and monitoring of nutritional support/therapy. Those are central issues to optimize response to anti-neoplastic treatments, symptoms’ modulation, and nutritional status improvement.

The students will be stimulated to acquire skills in nutrition associated with cancer, but also in public health and nutrition, mechanisms of nutritional deterioration, pathophysiology of cancer cachexia, psychology and nutrition, physical activity, body composition, and also in areas such as patient self-instruction (virtual acquired information). Besides greater knowledge and specialized competence in nutrition, this program also entails on enabling and stimulating research in all scenarios related to the scientific domain in cancer: clinical, translational, fundamental and epidemiological.

The results obtained with all 6 editions of this Course, with works published internationally and carried out in the context of this post-graduation, advise its re-edition in this area of knowledge. These course outputs have received increasing visibility and recognition with the participation of students in national and international congresses, with presentation of original works, scientific publications in international journals with peer-review and high impact factor, awards, scholarships, and scientific distinctions, as well as the interest in the deepening of various subjects, in the context of multicenter research projects.

It is based in this framework, that Católica Medical School – Universidade Católica Portuguesa, in collaboration with the University of Maastricht, built the re-edition of the present Postgraduation course, this year in a renewed scientific and academic context. The faculty integrates professionals from Research Centers / Reference Centers and Care Delivery in nutrition and oncology, with strong academic background and extensive clinical experience in the area of specialization.

Collaboration Program Católica Medical School – Maastricht University

The recently created Católica Medical Schoolpresents differentiating characteristics that make it unique and innovative: 

• Promotion of excellence in medical education, through a curriculum with a pedagogical methodology based on problem-solving. This method, internationally validated in prestigious university centres, has proven its success also in the educational partner - Maastricht University
• Promotion of research with a culture of openness to the world,
• A culture of proximity to and centrality of the person, in various aspects: teaching; research; community orientation; 
• Opening of medical education to international students, as in other academic units at Universidade Católica Portuguesa.

Maastricht University (MU) is known for its Problem-Based Learning system and international orientation. Its “international classroom” brings together people from all over the world who have different backgrounds and perspectives. Of great value for the collaboration in the present Post-Graduation Course of Nutrition and Metabolism in Cancer, is the MU strong research facilities, top expert teams, science driven learning, and key experts in the field of nutrition, metabolism and oncology.

An additional unique feature of UM is the student-oriented education system, in which the students have privileged chances to debate, discuss, analyze, present and initialize and/or enroll their ideas and projects. It is also a golden opportunity to build a bridge to other specializations offered by the University.

This international Postgraduation course will also have the collaboration of 2 more Universities and Research Units: a Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and Research Unit dedicated to nutrition and metabolism NutricLab, Greece, and HAN University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands.