This innovative and highly multi-disciplinary course has been co-developed and co-delivered with industry partners and puts the students in an advantageous position whereby they will be taught by world-leading academic and industry experts in the field of therapeutic sciences. The taught elements of the course consist of extensive core teaching in the following areas:
- Healthcare Challenges in the 21st Century and Future Shaping Factors
- Drug Discovery, Design, Production, Characterisation and Safety
- New Modalities and Advanced Therapeutics
- Clinical Studies in Therapeutics Development
- Devices, Diagnostics and Convergence Technologies
- Regulatory, Legal, Communication and Policy Considerations in Therapeutics Development
- Business, Entrepreneurial and Leadership Training
These modules will enable students to develop an understanding of the mechanisms underlying human diseases and their treatment, as well as awareness of wider aspects such as demographic changes in society, the rising impact of chronic, infectious and increasingly identified rare disorders, the effect of human genomics, the microbiome, scientific convergence and social media, regulatory issues, policy and the resulting implications for healthcare provision which requires cost-effective and scientifically substantiated new therapies.
As well as taught modules, a research project placement will take place during Lent and Summer terms, in academic departments, institutes or industry.
The course aims to:
- Give students relevant teaching and experience of modern therapeutic science research and translation
- Expose students to a variety of research environments at different developmental stages, instilling the drivers and decision making required at each stage
- Introduce students to the basic and quantitative skills of experimental design, project management, time management and data-handling needed in research
- Familiarise students with the practicalities of laboratory research, imparting an understanding of the nature of bench research, of record keeping and data handling, of standard operating procedures and good laboratory practice
- Introduce students to analytical techniques needed to understand and contextualise their research
- Train students in effective teamwork as well as scientific writing and presentation skills
- Instil within students the importance of the scientific method and the diligence required in the planning and execution of research in the academic or industrial laboratory
- Attract students from a wide range of science, medicine and technology backgrounds
- Give students the necessary broad understanding of current therapeutic developments and trends to prepare them for future employment within the academic and industrial sectors
- Provide students with adequate experience and mentoring in therapeutic sciences to enable them to make an informed choice of PhD project if they so wish or to move into an appropriate commercial environment.
