MSc in Molecular Medicine
Pathways in Cancer, Cardiovascular Science, Genetics, Neuroscience and Experimental Medicine
Web address: www.sheffield.ac.uk/molmed
Overview of the Course
Molecular medicine is the study of the molecular and genetic basis of disease through the application of molecular biology and molecular genetics. It incorporates the use of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics for the design of new and novel therapies.
Our one-year MSc in Molecular Medicine is taught in the Medical School of one of the top 100 universities in the world. The course is designed for both life science and clinical graduates. Its primary aim is to teach the latest developments in this rapidly advancing field and to bring you up to date with the technical and scientific advances in biomedical science and therapeutic design. Several of the faculty who teach on the course have their own spinout biotechnology companies.
For the new academic year we are offering established specialist pathways again of Genetics, Experimental Medicine, Cancer, Cardiovascular Sciences and Neuroscience.
Why Study Molecular Medicine?
Molecular biology has proved to be a rich source of new therapeutic agents in the last two decades. Recombinant proteins continue to be developed as successful drugs that principally target extracellular proteins such as cytokines and cell-surface receptors. They are almost always injected. Bioinformatic data can now be used to identify new intracellular target proteins and investigate the networks of interactions that the target proteins participate in. It is becoming increasingly possible to model the surfaces of target proteins and use the information to model the interaction of low molecular weight, orally available drugs and even design drugs from scratch.
The completed Human Genome Project opened up new ways to understand and treat human diseases. The identification of the single gene defects that cause rare inherited disorders is now almost trivial compared with twenty years ago, when such investigations involved years of dedicated work by global consortia of hundreds of scientists. The new challenge is to understand how genetics contributes to common diseases such as cancers and heart disease. Here the normal variation of several genes seems to combine with environmental factors to influence the probability of developing a disease. Genetics also influences the effectiveness of drugs used in therapy and has opened up the prospect of genetically targetted medicines.
To find out more about the core material and the optional pathways, please click on the following links:
Neuroscience Genetics Experimental
Medicine
What do you need to know before you start?
We assume that our students have a general background in the molecular biology of eukaryotes. Test yourself. Can you get a high score on our quiz?
We strongly recommend that you prepare your understanding of how the control of gene expression, from the regulation of genes to the modification of proteins, works in human (or other animal) cells. We particularly recommend the textbook The Molecular Biology of the Cell by Alberts and colleagues or Molecular Cell Biology by Lodish and colleagues.
Please don't neglect to do this preparation otherwise you will be at a disadvantage when you begin the course, particularly so compared with students who do know this material.
Test your background knowledge: Try our quiz
The Taught Component
The taught part of the Course provides you with an understanding of both the background and the scientific methods that are used to investigate human diseases. We emphasise training you to understand how experiments and experimental programmes are actually designed and interpreted.
The Course begins with Core modules that are appropriate to all specialities (click the sidebar for details).
Learning
Modules are generally two weeks in length. Most of the teaching is delivered in the first week but generally we start on Wednesday so that the weekend (Saturday/Sunday) gives you an opportunity to catch up. Modules are continuously assessed by marked assignments.
Assessment
A major objective of the course is to train you to formulate your own ideas and express them logically, and this will be tested in every module assessment. Many assessments involve writing essays.
Pathways
We then offer you one of three specialist "pathways": Cancer, Genetics, Experimental Medicine and Neuroscience. Students decide on their pathway before the optional parts of the course begin in mid-January.
Laboratory Project
A five-month Laboratory-based project will also give you practical experience in
- Planning research
- Laboratory experimentation and record keeping, as well as
- Training in writing a substantial scientific document (your thesis)
Thus the course provides an excellent basis for entering PhD training and careers in research and many of our students go on to do a PhD (see sidebar).
Over the past six years, we have had 265 full-time students from the UK and many different countries.
The Student Experience
The course includes:
- taught two-week modules that are continuously assessed through essays and exams,
- self-directed learning modules that are assessed through dissertations
- five months of a practical project within a laboratory, which is assessed through a thesis,
- continuous assessment and constructive criticism on all work throughout the year
Careers
Most of our graduates have gone to to careers in research, the biotechnology/pharmaceutical industry, academia or hospital-based laboratories (see the sidebar). The experience gained during the course is excellent preparation for a PhD in the UK or elsewhere.