The first Wednesday of the semester kicked off with a variety of field studies, where current students had the chance to get out of the classroom and visit some of Copenhagen’s most interesting settings. We caught the Complexity of Cancer course on their way out to Herlev Hospital, where the group had the chance to see the inner workings of the Danish CancerBiobank, a facility that furthered students’ understanding of cancer, its biological foundations, and the process of cancer research.
Estrid Høgdall, director of the Danish CancerBioBank and Head of Molecular Unit in the Department of Pathology at Herlev Hospital, shared the important role that the facility plays in supporting clinical cancer research, as they collect, register, and store abnormal and normal cells, as well as tissue, blood, saliva, and hair. The storage of these involve cutting-edge techniques and collaboration – a process that students got to see firsthand in a tour of the labs.
Estrid emphasized the benefits of nationwide Biobanks, in regards to diagnosing and treating both current and future cancer patients. To conclude the visit, she proclaimed to students with the following quote, “Biobanks… The future has begun!”