Programme Structure

The details provided are subject to any restrictions related to Covid-19 being imposed. Should any restrictions be put in place on the International campus in Haining, China, changes to the delivery of the programme may be required.

The programme includes:

• core skills
• seminars
• taught modules
• research projects with research groups and in our well-resourced laboratories, which are at the forefront of biomedical research.

Research subjects

You will carry out two 20-week long research projects selected from three overarching research subject areas and submit a dissertation for each project.

Your projects can be ‘wet’ laboratory-based projects and ‘dry’ analytical or modelling projects.

Either project will form the basis of a final assessment in the form of one of:

• a research project proposal
• a proposal for industry funding, or
• public communication

Research subject areas include:

• Stem Cell and Cancer Biology (for example: regenerative medicine, diagnostics and development of therapies)
• Infection and Immunity (including infectious and inflammatory diseases, immunology, vaccine development and microbiology)
• Molecular Biomedicine and Bioinformatics (for example: models of disease, bioinformatics, reproductive biology, cardiovascular science, imaging and neuroscience)

Core taught component

The programme is underpinned by a core taught element providing development and training in key biomedical science research skills.

You will have approximately two contact hours per week for each semester to include key training activities such as:

• experimental design and data analysis
• bioinformatics, programming, modelling
• science communication, presentation skills and project planning

Inspirational Research seminar series

The Inspirational Research seminar series is designed to address questions from within each of the three research areas (Stem Cell and Cancer Biology, Infection and Immunity & Molecular Biomedicine and Informatics).

Seminars are delivered by staff associated with the programme and you will be expected to attend seminars from one of the three topics linked to your second research project.

Research projects

At the beginning of semester 1, you will choose your first research theme and meet supervisors and discuss the research projects available.

A diverse choice of projects is offered specifically to provide experience in a wide range of experimental techniques and research laboratories.

At the end of the first research theme, you will again meet supervisors and discuss the projects available and choose your second research theme. You will carry out a research project based on this theme

Research proposal

The proposal is the final piece of assessed work. You will reflect on your experience and evidence your learning and write a proposal for a future related research project (out-with the MSc).

This will be based on the research area of either project 1 or project 2, in the form of a grant application, public communication piece or a proposal for translational application in industry.

You will carry out two 20-week long research projects selected from three overarching research subject areas and submit a dissertation for each project. Projects can be ‘wet’ laboratory-based projects and ‘dry’ analytical or modelling projects. Either project will form the basis of a final assessment in the form of a research project proposal, proposal for industry funding, or public communication.