Explore this course:
Apply now for 2025 entry or register your interest to hear about postgraduate study and events at the University of Sheffield.
Advanced Cell and Gene Therapies
Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Population Health,
Faculty of Health
Course description
Lead academics: Professor Mimoun Azzouz and Professor Janine Kirby
This course is designed to give you knowledge and training in a cutting-edge area of science, which you can apply to a wide range of roles in a growing industry. Whether you are a recent graduate or are already working in the field of cell and gene therapies, there are a range of qualifications and part-time options available, designed to support your studies.
You can study the genetics behind rare inherited diseases, and how cell and gene therapies provide treatment options that can be tailored to individual patients. In the laboratory, you can explore a range of topics and techniques in molecular and cellular biology. You can also learn how scientists work with industry to translate discoveries into marketable healthcare products, with module content covering topics such as manufacturing, quality control, regulation, safety and clinical trials.
As an Advanced Cell and Gene Therapies student, you will learn from the experts who run our Gene Therapy Innovation and Manufacturing Centre (GTIMC). Researchers at this multi-million-pound facility are working to accelerate the development of gene therapies into life-changing treatments. The Sheffield team works with pharmaceutical companies and other organisations in an expanding global gene therapy network, which creates unique learning opportunities throughout the degree. Some of our collaborators give lectures, and MSc and PGDip students may have the opportunity to be part of a project with one of our industry partners during a 20-week research project.
You will be based within the Sheffield Institute of Translational Neuroscience (SITraN) – an internationally recognised centre of excellence, where top researchers are working on groundbreaking treatments to improve the lives of patients with neurodegenerative disorders.
Modules
Full-time MSc students will take all of the modules listed below over one year.
Part-time MSc students will complete all modules over two years. In the first year, these include Principles of Gene Therapy, Omics Techniques, Beyond Cell and Gene Therapies, and the Literature Review.
Students on the PG Diploma course will take 120 credits from the list below. Students on the PG Certificate course will take 60 credits. "Formulating a Scientific Research Proposal" is only available to PG Diploma students. "Research Project" is not available to PG Certificate students.
If you are planning to study the PG Diploma or PG Certificate over two years, contact us to discuss your module options and which year you would take each module in.
- Introduction to Human Inherited Diseases
-
This module provides a brief introduction to human genetics and the clinical presentation and manifestations of inherited diseases. The module will also illustrate how traditional and current advanced strategies and techniques have been used to identify genes responsible for both common multifactorial and rare inherited diseases. The module will also develop skills for communicating biomedical research to a lay audience.
15 credits - Omics Techniques
-
This module will introduce 'omics' technologies, such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics, and how they are applied in disease areas such as cancer, rare inherited diseases and infectious diseases. Students will experience the experimental and bioinformatic pipelines used to evaluate pathogenicity of variants and learn about the use of different methodologies, such as microarrays and RNA sequencing in estimating levels of mRNA, micro RNAs and long non-coding RNAs. Students will also learn about the advantages and limitations of each method, to assess which is the best method for a particular experimental question.
15 credits - Principles of Gene and Cell Therapies
-
This module will offer a comprehensive overview of the principles of advanced therapies (cell and gene therapies), including introduction to viral and non-viral vectors, vector design, gene editing, gene replacement, gene silencing, vector delivery, stem cell and pluripotency, tissue engineering, ex-vivo gene therapeutics and CAR T cell technology. Gene and cell therapeutics for monogenic rare diseases and other common diseases (e.g. cancer, heart, immune system) will be discussed. Students will be delivered tutorials on cell and gene therapy study design. They will also have a chance to learn about career opportunities in advanced therapeutics.
15 credits - Beyond Cell and Gene Therapy
-
This module will offer an overview of advanced therapy approaches other than cell and gene therapy. These include small molecule drug development, intermediate molecules (protacs, peptide), antibody therapeutics and their variants, electroceuticals and scaffolding for regenerative medicine. The module will focus on the different stages of preclinical drug discovery and highlight any specific issues relating to toxicology and clinical trials for each approach. The module will also cover IP and commercialisation in and explore the growing fields of novel therapeutic modalities such as protacs and bicyclic peptides, applied to therapeutic areas, from neurology to cancer, and how this complements cell and gene therapy.
15 credits - Clinical development in gene & cell therapeutics
-
This module will offer a comprehensive overview of the translational pathway of advanced therapies (cell and gene therapies), including the regulatory requirement overseeing the clinical development of advanced therapies, Good Laboratory Procedures (GLP) pre-clinical regulatory studies, Good Manufacturing Procedures (GMP) for plasmid, vector and cell manufacturing, quality control and assurance. This module will also give an overview on procedures to secure clinical trial approval (CTA) and Market Authorisation for advanced therapy products. Students will have a chance to learn about career opportunities in regulatory and GMP manufacturing through interaction with industry.
30 credits - Formulating a Scientific Research Proposal
-
Students will select a research project title from a list of projects relevant to advanced therapies or translational neuroscience (as appropriate). They will research the scientific literature to identify a gap in current knowledge and with assistance from an academic supervisor, formulate a hypothesis and series of specific aims that could be used to address the research problem.
15 credits - Research Project
-
The aim of the module is to provide the opportunity to learn and apply research methodologies to test a specific scientific hypothesis. A list of projects will be made available and students will be asked to select their top choices. Having been assigned a project of their choice, the students will carry out a 20 week research project, culminating in an oral presentation and dissertation concisely written in the style of a scientific paper describing their research. Students will be expected to join in with the Departmental seminars, journal clubs and supervisor meetings, to learn and experience the role of a scientific researcher.
75 credits
The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.
Open days
An open day gives you the best opportunity to hear first-hand from our current students and staff about our courses.
Open days and campus tours
Duration
- MSc: 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time
- PGDip or PGCert: 1 year, or part-time over 2 years
Teaching
You will learn through lectures by academics and industry experts, seminars, tutorials, student-led group work, practical sessions, and research placements in clinical, regulatory and industry settings. You may also have the opportunity to attend a gene and cell therapies conference.
Assessment
You will be assessed through written assignments, coursework, short answer exams, posters, presentations and blogs. The research project is assessed by a dissertation and presentation.
Your career
Cell and gene therapies are a growing field, and there is a high demand for graduates with the specialist knowledge and skills this course provides. Potential employers include universities and research institutes where scientists are studying cell and gene therapies, organisations in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries that are developing, manufacturing and trialling new treatments, and the government bodies that regulate medical products. The MSc course is also great preparation for a PhD.
Our PGDip, PGCert and part-time options can support the professional development of people who are already working in cell and gene therapies.
Student profiles
Entry requirements
Minimum 2:1 undergraduate honours degree in a relevant subject
Subject requirements
We accept degrees in the following subject areas:
- Biology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Biomedical Science
- Medicine
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
We may consider degrees in other Medical, Engineering or Science subjects.
English language requirements
IELTS 6.5 (with 6 in each component) or University equivalent.
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the school/department.
Fees and funding
Apply
You can apply now using our Postgraduate Online Application Form. It's a quick and easy process.
Contact
Any supervisors and research areas listed are indicative and may change before the start of the course.
Recognition of professional qualifications: from 1 January 2021, in order to have any UK professional qualifications recognised for work in an EU country across a number of regulated and other professions you need to apply to the host country for recognition. Read information from the UK government and the EU Regulated Professions Database.