This 10-month MPhil will consist of taught and research training in translational medical research with themed teaching focusing on key areas of research excellence in the Department of Medicine: translational immunology, pandemic preparedness, cardiovascular and respiratory research, and acute and emergency care. Core taught elements will additionally cover transferable skills; patient and public involvement, engagement and participation in research; and interfacing with the pharmaceutical industry.
The key educational objectives of the course are to:
Provide postgraduate-level knowledge and expertise in translational medical research, understanding how this leads to generating discovery research outputs with direct therapeutic applications and impacts on clinical practice and patient wellbeing.
Train students in the clinical and translational aspects of biomedical research, with particular emphasis on clinical trials, bench to bedside research, the patient-physician interface, the academic-pharmaceutical interface, and research involving the NHS.
Provide transferable knowledge and expertise in the design, analysis and critical appraisal of biomedical research.
Develop skills in planning, conducting, and delivering a research project, including the importance of research culture and effective communication.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the programme, students will be able to:
Knowledge and Understanding
Demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of the sciences relevant to their chosen taught modules.
Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the background to their selected research project, including the research methods and data analysis approaches used.
Demonstrate a broad understanding of selected modern research techniques relevant to translational medical research.
Demonstrate knowledge of the theoretical approaches relevant to their specialisation and training in critical thinking in the area.
Demonstrate expertise in research methods, data analysis and statistics, including appropriate computional biological tools.
Demonstrate independence in the application of knowledge, together with the practical understanding of how research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in the field.
Have a broad overview of the context in which medical research sits, as well as a knowledge of career opportunities both in research and industry.
Skills and other attributes
Analyse critically research literature and contemporary topics in the areas of their specialisation and present such analyses in written and oral formats.
Explain the importance and impact of topics in their area of specialisation to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
Demonstrate proficiency in experimental and data analysis techniques.
Demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving approaches to experimental data.
Participate in scientific discourse by discussion, with peers and other scientists, of literature and controversies in the field and of data collected in their research project.
Continuing
Students who take full advantage of the MPhil experience and graduate with good outcomes will be well prepared to apply to PhD schemes in the Department listed here, with entry criteria. Support will be provided to make strong applications but offers of admission and/or funding are not guaranteed.
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