Biomedical Science

This module will provide you with the key skills and knowledge to pursue academic research at the postgraduate and professional level. You will gain knowledge and understanding of the current ‘big issues’ in the life sciences and will understand how ethics and bioethics can enhance critical thinking in often controversial subject areas.

You will review the cellular basis of diseases including cancer, endocrinology, clinical genetics and pharmacology as well as the current diagnostic methods and novel trends using -omics technologies towards development of personalised medicine approaches. You will develop your critical analysis skills by presenting and discussing several aspects of disease, using specific examples from clinical medicine and by describing disease causes and therapies and further develop theoretical and practical knowledge of the use of range of cutting edge laboratory based research technologies including omics, modelling, molecular biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics techniques and being able to work with pharmacokinetic parameters and to employ bioanalytical techniques.

You will build a systematic understanding of whole genome sequencing technologies and the field of genomics and develop a general understanding of sequence assembly, annotation and analyses using different types of sequence data.The module will demonstrate a range of medical applications of genomics, and genetics counselling, and describe future directions of the field, including employment opportunities and the skills required for research in this field.

You will develop an up-to-date advanced theoretical knowledge base of haematological disorders relating to and underpinning the laboratory diagnosis and clinical management of disorders of the haematological system. You will understand the clinical significance of stem cell research and the possible problems that need to be overcome when working with haematopoietic stem cells in clinical laboratory and gain an understanding of transfusion science into a critical awareness of the disease process and its investigation and treatment. Ultimately you will gain a strong understanding of Immune response of human body in disease.

This module will enable you to design, plan and execute a programme of research and to apply appropriate analysis of research results, it has a strong focus on acquiring laboratory skills prior to undertaking the final research project module and as such will develop your practical skills beyond that of a standard MSc programme. It will provide opportunities for you to develop essential research skills in the discipline and allow you to undertake project work broadly aligned to the focus of your dissertation.

This module will enable you to assess the inflammatory disorders and critically evaluate biomarkers of inflammatory disorders, you will evaluate pharmacokinetics of anti-inflammatory drugs with focus on clinical trials and have opportunities to evaluate mechanism of cardiovascular biology and cutting-edge research that is providing breakthrough in these diseases.

You will gain understanding of detailed information about the major impact of infectious disease on global health and the factors that contribute towards their outcomes. This module will discuss the latest technologies used to investigate key infectious diseases and the current developments in diagnostics and treatment options. We will discuss the limitations of current diagnosis; treatment and control options in light of increasing antimicrobial resistance and genetic mutation and develop practical knowledge and skills in the application of basic and molecular microbiology techniques.

This module provides the opportunity for you to use research skills acquired in the applied context of ‘real world’ project work in a variety of professional settings (companies, charities etc) and develop the skills necessary for successful delivery of project outcomes. You will design, plan and execute a programme of research through active enquiry and to apply appropriate analysis of research results.

Following successful completion of semesters one and two, you will undertake a laboratory-based research project for a minimum of four months. Set projects are available but you are welcome to propose your own project, providing you choose a supervisor and discuss the project with them.

Examples of staff research interests and potential projects:

· Effect of individual and combined therapies on cancer cells

· Alterations in protein degradation in Alzheimer's disease

· Ageing and Metabolic Rejuvenation

· Translational Medicine: Evaluating FDA-approved Drugs as Inhibitors of Cancer Stem Cell Propagation

· Giving drugs a second chance; restoring promising cancer biopharmaceuticals using antibody-drug conjugates

· Designing novel therapeutic strategies to overcome drug resistance caused by tumour heterogeneity in medulloblastoma

· Exploring the link between adipose tissue inflammatory status and hypertension

· Alternative medicines for heart disease

· A clustered MiRNA profile in lung cancer samples

· 1 Screening of SRFBP1 gene as a novel candidate gene for glaucoma

· Synthetic organic and medicinal chemistry: free radical chemistry, asymmetric synthesis of anticancer agents

· Development of spectrometry-based techniques to measure biomarkers of DNA, protein and lipid damage and DNA repair

· Pharmacology: biological evaluation of novel anticancer agents

· Genomics, analysis of microbial genomes (including clinically relevant studies)

· Genome editing (CRISPR/Cas) for therapeutic treatment

· Cancer Studies: DNA repair mechanisms, , protein – protein interactions

· Cancer Studies: glycobiology, anticancer drugs

· Microbiology, antibiotics, anti-microbials