The 20th edition of the international doctoral school on electroporation (EBTT) at UL FE
At the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana (UL FE), in cooperation with the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, we are this year organising the 20th international scientific workshop and doctoral school EBTT (Electroporation-Based Technologies and Treatments), which from 9 to 14 November will bring together experts from around the world at UL FE. The anniversary edition is devoted to the latest research and to the development of electroporation-based technologies and treatments. Alongside traditional topics such as cancer treatment and gene therapy, this year we are devoting special attention to the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias and heart failure.
Electroporation is a versatile method for increasing the permeability of the cell membrane, used in biomedicine for the treatment of tumours, gene therapy and the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, as well as in food, environmental sciences and biotechnology. The EBTT programme is not only about presenting new applications of electroporation, but also about deepening the understanding of its fundamental mechanisms. Participants will pay particular attention to the effect of the electric field on proteins and blood cells.
Round table on electroporation ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation
This year's round table, held on Thursday, 12 November, is devoted to electroporation ablation (Pulsed Field Ablation – PFA) for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. Renowned world experts in cardiology and electrophysiology, together with representatives of the leading companies Medtronic, Boston Scientific and Johnson & Johnson MedTech, will discuss the experience, results and future of this treatment method.
“Three years ago, when this treatment method was not yet approved in the USA, we organised the first round table, which was also attended by representatives of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Now is the right moment to check whether the high expectations of that time were justified. I estimate that around two million patients with atrial fibrillation worldwide have so far been treated with electroporation-based ablation,” emphasises the head of the EBTT school, Prof. Dr Damijan Miklavčič from the Laboratory of Biocybernetics at UL FE.
An international school with a twenty-year tradition
We organised the first international EBTT school in 2003. Over more than two decades it has grown into an internationally established scientific and educational meeting that connects researchers, physicians, engineers, doctoral students and industry representatives. This year's anniversary edition will be attended by 59 participants and lecturers from 22 countries, while a total of 1,375 participants from 48 countries have taken part in the EBTT schools to date.
More information is available at 2026.ebtt.org.
