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Postgraduate Study

The MPhil in Translating Medical Device & Advanced Therapy Research is aimed at individuals who are interested in the development and implementation of medical devices and/or advanced therapy interventions. The course would benefit individuals in clinical practice, academia or industry who require the knowledge to translate research in complex interventions through the clinical validation and implementation pathway.

The taught component of the course is delivered by experts in their field through lectures, small group workshops and independent online tasks. There is a particular focus on case studies of successful development and implementation of medical devices and/or cell and gene therapy research. The content will cover:

  • Pre-clinical development and prototyping

  • Innovation and team building

  • Regulatory and ethical frameworks

  • Conducting clinical trials in Medical Devices and Advanced Therapies

  • Statistical analyses for clinical trials

  • Critical appraisal

  • Scale-up and implementation strategy

  • Enterprise and commercialisation

  • Conducting inclusive and patient/clinician-relevant research

The course has the following aims:

  1. For students to acquire broad knowledge and expertise in the translation of medical devices and advanced therapeutics for patient benefit. Information relevant to every stage of development, from initial proof of concept work to commercialisation, will be provided.

  2. To establish students' abilities to map out the stages required to bring a new device or advanced therapy to market.

  3. To provide students with the team-building knowledge and communication skills to effectively implement ideas and successfully attract funding.

  4. For students to acquire transferable knowledge and expertise in the design, analysis and critical appraisal of research and clinical trials.

  5. For students to develop skills in planning, conducting and delivering a research project.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

On completing the course, students will be able to:

  • demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of the pre-clinical development of Medical Devices and Advanced Therapies research.

  • demonstrate a broad understanding of the regulatory and ethical frameworks around Medical Devices and Advanced Therapies research, and the conduct of clinical trials.

  • demonstrate a broad understanding of how Medical Devices and Advanced Therapies are scaled-up and implemented, including the theory behind this process, intellectual property, economics and interactions with industry.

  • demonstrate knowledge and understanding of data analysis techniques, including meta-analysis, as well as an introduction to big data and machine learning.

  • demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of the importance of inclusivity, sustainability and social responsibility, communication and team building in the design and delivery of Medical Devices and Advanced Therapies research.

  • demonstrate originality 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.

  • demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the background to their selected research project, including the research methods and methods of data analysis.

Skills and other attributes

On completing the course, students will be able to:

  • explain the importance and impact of topics in their area of specialisation to specialist and non-specialist/public audiences.

  • demonstrate expertise in research methods, data analysis and statistics, and application of the methods to interpret the data collected during the research project.

  • analyse research literature and contemporary topics in the areas of their specialisation, and present such analyses in written and oral formats.

  • demonstrate expertise in presenting novel data in different formats.

  • gain skills in preparing and presenting a concise proposal to potential collaborators and investors, including a mock pitching event.

  • demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving approaches to experimental data.

  • demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of the clinical trial design and delivery of medical device and advanced therapies research.


Open Days

The University hosts and attends fairs and events throughout the year, in the UK and across the world. We also offer online events to help you explore your options.

Discover Cambridge: Master’s and PhD study webinars

Practical, step-by-step information about preparing a strong application for postgraduate study. Find out more on the Discover Cambridge webpage.

Virtual Postgraduate Open Days

The November Open Days focus on subject and course information. Webinar recordings are available until May.

Events for international students

Join us for Q&A webinars, funding webinars or get in touch with our regional managers. Find out more about events for international students.

For more information about all upcoming events visit our events pages.

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Key Information


Michaelmas 2027
Applications open
Sep. 9, 2026
Application deadline
Apr. 14, 2027
Course starts
Oct. 1, 2027
Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.
Funding Deadlines
Course Funding Deadline
Dec. 8, 2026
Gates Cambridge US round only
Oct. 14, 2026

These deadlines apply to applications for courses starting in Michaelmas 2027, Lent 2028 and Easter 2028.

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