Course overview
The MSc Advanced Biomedical Science provides the skills and knowledge to create wide-ranging opportunities for employment in fields such as hospital science, biomedical and pharmaceutical industries or public health laboratories within the NHS. The opportunity to develop your research skills, explore specialist areas, and complete an independent research project, provides preparation for careers in research or teaching or to pursue studies towards a PhD. The course aims to produce postgraduates who have the knowledge and skills to become professional biomedical scientists and operate at an advanced level. Core modules will develop knowledge of the biological aspects of disease processes while introducing cutting edge analytical skills.
Our extensive links with NHS and private laboratories, ensure course content is kept up to date and relevant to employers. You are introduced to some of the contemporary issues facing the industry. The course provides hands-on practical experience of both laboratory and bioinformatics techniques. You are trained in biotechnology research strategies and gain a sound understanding of the nature of business based on bioscience knowledge and research, their opportunities for innovation and regulatory requirement constraints, intellectual property and ethical issues. The course develops comprehensive knowledge and understanding of biomedical science in the 21st century. It focuses on genomics and bioinformatics together with emerging clinical biochemistry and diagnostic techniques. You also have the option to explore pathobiology of genetic disorders or neurodegenerative disease or infectious diseases in great depth.
Where possible this course is delivered at the University’s National Horizons Centre (NHC), a new £22m research, teaching and training facility which addresses the growth needs of the bio-based industries set to transform the UK economy, including biologics, industrial biotechnology and bio-pharmaceuticals.
The centre’s imaginative design includes a blend of teaching, learning and collaboration spaces, hi-tech laboratories and a state-of-the-art computing suite. Open innovation spaces provide businesses with the tools for project development using data analytics, modelling and simulation, visualisation and process improvement and control. Next to CPI’s National Biologics Manufacturing Centre and the University’s ATMOS teaching facility, the NHC is at the heart of an ecosystem of life science excellence. Our extensive links with NHS and private laboratories, ensure course content is kept up to date and relevant to employers, meaning students are introduced to some of the contemporary issues facing the industry.
The NHC offers state-of-the-art analytical and digital infrastructure supporting basic and applied research in the biosciences and across disciplinary boundaries, aligned to academic excellence and industry needs. It exposes students to a significant internationally competitive research and innovation capability that is responsive and engaged with industry needs to develop sustainable relationships with regional and national partners to power growth and innovation in the bioscience sector.
- Facilities in the centre enable students to engage with a range of advance and innovative research themes including:
- Provision of a comprehensive genomic, proteomic, metabolomics data acquisition, processing and modelling capability with internationally competitive instrumentation, software and technical support.
- Studies of disease pathways including biomarker discovery, treatment monitoring, development of diagnostics and screening. Supported by bioinformatics modelling and development of predictive models.
- Biopharmaceutical research including product characterisation, metabolism and drug interaction studies.
- Protein structure/function studies including aggregation, modification, activation and inhibition.
- Use of advanced cellular imaging capabilities, including live cell imaging, using light, confocal and Raman, which among other topics, enables the study of; molecular interactions, conformational changes, drug interactions with living cells, tissue characterisation.
To qualify at master’s level, you undertake a research project/dissertation, which may be carried out in the University labs or in the workplace if you are currently employed. We offer a range of projects in biomedical science as well as more specialist research areas.
Course details
Course structure
Core modules
Advanced Biological Aspects of Diseases
You investigate a range of innovative forward-looking research into the basic physiological aspects of disease and the associated pioneering treatments that are currently being developed. The topics include: the mechanisms and treatment of depression, transporter gene acquisition and innovation in microsporidia intracellular parasites, the potential roles of mitochondrial defects and iron accumulation in Parkinson’s disease, the contributions of the structure and function of airway epithelium to asthma and respiratory disease, molecular and cellular portraits of cancer, and sphingolipids as potential drug targets in protozoan parasites. You will fully develop the essential transferable skills of research, communication, and critical thinking by regularly reading and judging the data in primary research articles by formative presentations and in-class debate, as well as the summative written scientific review. These employability skills will be indispensable in your career development whether you progress to posts in research, industry, or hospitals.
You focus on a range of analytical instrumentation used in bioscience research applications. Emphasis will be placed upon chromatography, mass spectrometry and spectroscopy instrumentation. The importance of these practical instrumentation techniques to modern investigations, including proteomics, metabolomics and genomics, will be explored. You will learn advanced laboratory skills for sample extraction, sample preparation, instrumentation methodology and how to interpret spectra. You will develop essential data handling skills, including the use of a range of statistical programmes.
Clinical Biochemistry and Diagnostic Techniques
You explore advanced topics in biochemistry with special focus on clinical applications and diagnostic techniques. This involves the study of clinical analysis of bodily fluids and other biological materials to aid in the diagnosis, therapy and monitoring of a variety of diseases. You will acquire the knowledge necessary for understanding the essential concepts of clinical biochemistry and of the associated diagnostic techniques.
You gain an in depth understanding of advances genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics knowledge and their applications in specific disease state. You learn about the most recent technologies including next generation gene sequencing, genome editing, genomic and bioinformatics analyses. This module also explores the genomic application for disease treatment and prevention (pharmacogenomics), personalised medicine as well as ethical challenges in this field.
You undertake a major independent practical research project in your discipline where you are fully integrated within a research team. Reflecting staff expertise, you will be able to pursue many discipline-related topics, including medical, industrial and environmental microbiology, molecular, cell and system biology, recombinant DNA technology, protein biochemistry, structural biology, fermentation, bioengineering and many other areas, using the state-of-the-art analytical and digital infrastructure at the National Horizons Centre. You will complete a hypothesis-driven project utilising appropriate discipline-specific laboratory, database or computational research methodologies to interrogate a hypothesis in a specialised area of the life sciences. You will be expected to work at a level recognised to be at the forefront of the discipline. Supervisors will provide guidance to support you but a high degree of autonomy is required.
Pathobiology of Infectious Diseases
You gain a deep understanding of infectious disease and will cover a wide range of medically-important human pathogens. Key aspects of pathobiology will be taught including pathogen genomics and evolution, bioinformatics, and the cellular and molecular biology that underpin these host pathogen interactions. Subversion of key mammalian cell biological processes, including immunology, that are targeted by pathogens will also be described. Advanced laboratory techniques and bioinformatics will be introduced that are commonly used to uncover mechanisms of pathogenesis.
The Pathobiology of Neurological Diseases
You explore the pathophysiological basis of diseases commonly associated with the central nervous system, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy and stroke. The module will explore the genetic, molecular, cellular and neurochemical pathways involved in diseases of the central nervous system and how such abnormalities manifest clinically. It will also examine the various treatment strategies available for such diseases.
Modules offered may vary.
How you learn
Making the transition to postgraduate-level study can be challenging. Support with making this transition is seen as an important element.
The Analytical Techniques and Clinical Biochemistry and Diagnostic Techniques modules help you understand the requirements of academic study at postgraduate level, to enhance your skills in academic writing and referencing, and to help you develop the skills necessary to operate professionally, safely and ethically in planning and implementing a master’s-level research project.
By including work-based problem-solving projects and case study exercises this programme emphasises real-world working. This helps to develop your critical thinking skills as well as your ability to design, execute and present findings of research, allowing you to cultivate the skills employers are seeking to set you on a successful career path.
A significant feature of the programme is the opportunity to gain experience of working in state-of-the-art biomedical research facilities within the National Horizon Centre.
How you are assessed
You are assessed on subject knowledge, independent thought and skills acquisition through formative and summative assessment.
Modules are assessed by a variety of methods including examination and in-course assessment with some utilising other approaches such as, oral presentations, technical interviews and technical reports alongside literature surveys, evaluations and summaries.
You are presented with an assessment schedule providing details of the submission deadlines for summative assessments.
Entry requirements
Applicants are normally expected to have at least a UK 2.2 honours degree, or equivalent, in a subject related to life or physical sciences, for example biomedical science, human biology and biological science. If your first degree is not listed above, or you have non-standard qualifications and/or relevant experience, please contact our Admissions Office.
For additional information please see the entry requirements in our postgraduate entry requirements page
International applicants can find out what qualifications they need by visiting Your Country
In addition, international students normally need at least a 6.0, with no component below 5.5, in the International Language Testing System (IELTS) test.
For general information please see our overview of entry requirements
International applicants can find out what qualifications they need by visiting Your Country
Employability
Work placement
There may be short-term placement opportunities, particularly during the project phase of the course.
Career opportunities
This course is the ideal progression route for BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science graduates or other bioscience disciplines. It enhances your career prospects in the bioscience and biotechnology industries as well as preparing you for pursuing PhD positions.
Information for international applicants
Qualifications
International applicants - find out what qualifications you need by selecting your country below.
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Useful information
Visit our international pages for useful information for non-UK students and applicants.
