Dario Cecilio Fernandes
  University of Groningen, The Netherlands
  
 Dario Cecilio Fernandes is a psychologist with broad experience in psychological assessment. He received his Master degree in Psychology at Universidade São Francisco (Capes 6). He is PhD candidate at the Center for Education Development and Research in Health Professions (CEDAR) - University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen – working on medical simulation training and assessment. He is supervised by Prof Debbie Jaarsma, Dr René A. Tio and Dr Fokie Cnossen. He also has been collaborating with Prof Cees van der Vleuten, Dr Carlos Fernando Collares and Dr Jimmie Leppink from the University of Maastricht and Prof Lambert Schuwirth director of Prideaux Research Centre. Regarding the simulation training, his research has focused on improving instructions to medical students. This research is based on Cognitive Science, more specifically ACT-R. He main interested in this field are the integration between the motor part and clinical reasoning as well improving medical skills long-term retention. Regarding the knowledge assessment, his research has focused on the students’ cognitive processing development in undergraduate medical students. Besides that, Dario has been conducting psychometric analyses of the Dutch Progress Test and Cumulative Assessment.

  Manuel João Costa
  School of Medicine - University of Minho, Portugal
  
 Manuel João Costa is an associate professor since 2011 and coordinates the Unit of Medical Education since January 2004 at the School of Medicine, University of Minho. Is responsible for monitoring the educational quality of undergraduate medical education, for faculty development and for research in medical education. Director of the Longitudinal Study of alumni competences (SHS-UMinho). Visiting Scholar at the Center for Research in Medical Education and Health Care (Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia). Coordinator of the Administration of NBME's exam of medical knowledge "International Foundations of Medicine" at SHS-UMinho. Author or co-author of articles on education published in international journals. Regular presenter at international conferences since 2007. Member of the Education Commission of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB). In 2007, the Commissioner for Education in the international conferences "Critique of the Contemporary" promoted by the Serralves Foundation in 2007, in Oporto. He is a member of the panel of editors of Biochemical and Molecular Biology Education (BAMBED) of the Digital Library of Educational Technology Laboratory at the University of Campinas (Sao Paulo, Brazil), and BioQuest Library. Guest editor of special issue of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education devoted to recent developments in the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America (2009). Degree in Biochemistry (University of Porto, 1991) and Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences (University of Porto, 1997). Has education as main scientific interest since the year 2000.

  René Tio
  University of Groningen, The Netherlands
  
 René Tio is a cardiologist with a broad clinical experience. He received his MD degree at the Erasmus University Rotterdam and earned his Ph.D. degree at the Department of Clinical Pharmacology of the University of Groningen (Thesis title: Bradykinin-dependent effects of ACE inhibitors on the heart). The clinical part of this research, carried out under guidance of Prof. Mancia at the hospital of the University of Milan, dealt with the effects of ACE inhibitors on the autonomic regulation of the coronary circulation. After completing his training as a cardiologist, Dr. Tio was appointed to the staff of the Catheterization laboratory of the Thoraxcenter at the University Hospital Groningen, where he has worked as an interventional cardiologist for more than 10 years. At present he is member of the acute cardiac care team and involved in cardiovascular imaging. As a clinical Postdoctoral Fellow in the dr. E. Dekker Program of the Netherlands Heart Foundation between 1995 and 1999, Dr. Tio studied the influence of the endothelium on coronary physiology and the relevance of endothelial dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease. During this period, with support from the Interuniversity Cardiology Institute of the Netherlands, he was trained in molecular cardiology in the Experimental Cardiology Laboratory of Dr. J. Isner at St. Elizabeth Medical Center, Tufts University, Boston. There he studied the basic principles of angiogenic gene therapy in patients with endstage coronary heart disease. After this fellowship he started the first study on myocardial gene therapy for angiogenesis in Europe. His research field within cardiology is vascular function and failure with a focus on imaging. At present he is active in Medical Education as lecturer as well as chairman of the task group for faculty development, chairman of the joint board of examinators Medical and Dental school and as project leader of a large curriculum renewal project at the King Faisal University at Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, and he is board member of the European Board of medical assessors (EBMA). He is former chairman of the Dutch working group on inter-university progress testing, and a former member of the education and training committee of the Acute Cardiac Care Association of the European Society of Cardiology. He was an active member of the project group for setting up an International Bachelor in Medicine Groningen, which implemented a new completely English taught medical curriculum. In medical education his research interests lie in assessment, (cultural aspects of) curriculum renewal, faculty development and simulation training.