MSc Molecular Biosciences (Medical Biosciences)
Develop your understanding of human disease and learn to apply cutting-edge methodologies to help tackle global health challenges.
Biosciences research has a huge impact on helping people live longer and healthier lives. With the World Economic Forum identifying healthcare as one of the top 10 Global Challenges for 2030, there is a growing demand for specialists in this field.
This course provides you with a broad understanding of the molecular basis of biological systems, with a focus on how medical biosciences can address some of the world's biggest challenges in human health and disease.
Course highlights
- Study at a Top 10 University, on a course designed in consultation with clinical and industrial partners to give you the skills employers are looking for.
- Develop extensive knowledge in your specialist area of medical biosciences, as well as a broad understanding of molecular biosciences.
- Gain extensive research experience by carrying out two separate research projects.
- Work in dedicated postgraduate labs to give you the laboratory exposure and specialist skills required by industry.
- Work with leading researchers from both the Department of Life Sciences and Milner Centre for Evolution.
- Further strengthen your employability with a project addressing the challenges of global environment sustainability, applying skills related to either entrepreneurship, teaching, media and communication, or public engagement.
- Get support from your dedicated Personal Tutor who you can go to for academic and non-academic support.
Specialise in medical biosciences
By combining remarkable technological advances, with a deeper understanding of the human body, medical bioscience is enabling us to develop treatments that can save and improve people's lives. From creating artificial muscles to developing novel cancer treatments, the field is advancing rapidly. There are exciting developments in a multitude of areas including stem cell therapies, immunotherapies, neuroscience and developmental genetics.
- Based within the Cell and Developmental Biology research group you’ll learn to apply cutting-edge methodologies, such as CrispR, to understanding the molecular and genetic basis of human disease.
- You’ll work closely with researchers, whose work addresses important questions on how molecular, cellular, genetic and epigenetic processes underpin human development (such as stem cell technologies and regenerative medicine), human disease (such as cancer) and ageing (such as neurodegeneration).
Research projects
You'll undertake two research projects; a group project based in the lab and a lab-based or non-lab based project, working with a researcher in the department. These projects will give you extensive research experience, helping you stand out when applying for jobs or a PhD.
Examples of projects include:
- Investigating long non-coding RNA function in the development of resistance to current melanoma therapies.
- Behavioural and neuronal activity mapping analyses of zebrafish larvae overexpressing SNRNP70 specifically in the cytoplasm.
Career prospects
You’ll graduate with the specialist knowledge and employability skills for a career in further research, such as a PhD, or roles in academic, clinical, industrial or commercial sectors anywhere in the world.
Recent examples of graduate roles include a Healthcare Scientist, an Analyst, a Production Technician and an Agricultural Engineer.
Who is this course for?
This course is for you if you’ve graduated from any bioscience, medical, veterinary or related discipline and you’re interested in specialising in a career within the field of molecular microbiology.
We also offer the Molecular Biosciences course with specialisms in Microbiology and Bioinformatics and we have a new dedicated MSc Biotechnology with specialisms available in Healthcare Technologies or Sustainable Biotechnologies.
Develop your understanding of human disease and learn to apply cutting-edge methodologies to help tackle global health challenges.
Biosciences research has a huge impact on helping people live longer and healthier lives. With the World Economic Forum identifying healthcare as one of the top 10 Global Challenges for 2030, there is a growing demand for specialists in this field.
This course provides you with a broad understanding of the molecular basis of biological systems, with a focus on how medical biosciences can address some of the world's biggest challenges in human health and disease.
Course highlights
- Study at a Top 10 University, on a course designed in consultation with clinical and industrial partners to give you the skills employers are looking for.
- Develop extensive knowledge in your specialist area of medical biosciences, as well as a broad understanding of molecular biosciences.
- Gain extensive research experience by carrying out two separate research projects.
- Work in dedicated postgraduate labs to give you the laboratory exposure and specialist skills required by industry.
- Work with leading researchers from both the Department of Life Sciences and Milner Centre for Evolution.
- Further strengthen your employability with a project addressing the challenges of global environment sustainability, applying skills related to either entrepreneurship, teaching, media and communication, or public engagement.
- Get support from your dedicated Personal Tutor who you can go to for academic and non-academic support.
Specialise in medical biosciences
By combining remarkable technological advances, with a deeper understanding of the human body, medical bioscience is enabling us to develop treatments that can save and improve people's lives. From creating artificial muscles to developing novel cancer treatments, the field is advancing rapidly. There are exciting developments in a multitude of areas including stem cell therapies, immunotherapies, neuroscience and developmental genetics.
- Based within the Cell and Developmental Biology research group you’ll learn to apply cutting-edge methodologies, such as CrispR, to understanding the molecular and genetic basis of human disease.
- You’ll work closely with researchers, whose work addresses important questions on how molecular, cellular, genetic and epigenetic processes underpin human development (such as stem cell technologies and regenerative medicine), human disease (such as cancer) and ageing (such as neurodegeneration).
Research projects
You'll undertake two research projects; a group project based in the lab and a lab-based or non-lab based project, working with a researcher in the department. These projects will give you extensive research experience, helping you stand out when applying for jobs or a PhD.
Examples of projects include:
- Investigating long non-coding RNA function in the development of resistance to current melanoma therapies.
- Behavioural and neuronal activity mapping analyses of zebrafish larvae overexpressing SNRNP70 specifically in the cytoplasm.
Career prospects
You’ll graduate with the specialist knowledge and employability skills for a career in further research, such as a PhD, or roles in academic, clinical, industrial or commercial sectors anywhere in the world.
Recent examples of graduate roles include a Healthcare Scientist, an Analyst, a Production Technician and an Agricultural Engineer.
Who is this course for?
This course is for you if you’ve graduated from any bioscience, medical, veterinary or related discipline and you’re interested in specialising in a career within the field of molecular microbiology.
We also offer the Molecular Biosciences course with specialisms in Microbiology and Bioinformatics and we have a new dedicated MSc Biotechnology with specialisms available in Healthcare Technologies or Sustainable Biotechnologies.
