Programme/Approved Electives for 2020/21
None
Available as a Free Standing Elective
No
This module will describe and promote the understanding of advances in medicine that have impacted on diagnosis, treatment, prevention of a range of diseases. It will highlight fast-emerging areas of research which are striving to improve diagnosis including nanotechnology and new biochemical tests in the fields of heart disease, cancer and fertility investigations which will potentially improve patient care. The module will provide insight into the advancing field of personalised medicine, which allows optimisation of treatment based on an individuals genetic and clinical information and also an area of cutting edge research into the use of non-coding RNA as a therapeutic tool. The module will also provide an opportunity to discuss new developments in the fields of tissue engineering and stem cell technologies, which have seen huge advances in recent years. The module will address the cutting-edge advances in vaccinology and islet transplantationAll the sessions will be in the form of lectures or case studies and will be delivered by academics and clinical scientists who are currently engaged in active research in these fast-moving areas. In addition there will be opportunities for the student to appraise the current thinking in these areas and develop and present their own views. Indicative content includes:Magnetic nanoparticles in biology and medicine Stem cells for the treatment of diseases Personalised Medicine and development of diagnostic testsCellular mechanisms and therapeutic advances in type 1 diabetes mellitus Non-coding RNAs: bridging biology and therapy Advances in vaccine development
Aims
This module will describe and promote the understanding of advances in medicine that have impacted on prevention, diagnosis, treatment, palliative care and control of relapse in a range of diseases including, infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, cancer and organ dysfunction.
Intended Learning Outcomes
review current strategies in tissue engineering and evaluate the importance and limitations of these technologies: 2evaluate current research in the fast-moving field of nanotechnology and their potential as diagnostic and therapeutic tools of the future: 2evaluate current research in the fast-moving field of non-coding RNA and evaluate their potential as diagnostic and therapeutic tools of the future: 2review the current research in the treatment of diabetes mellitus and evaluate the benefits and limitations of their application: 2evaluate the benefits and limitations of current research in the fast-growing field of personalized medicine and the development of new diagnostic tests, to optimise treatment for individual patients: 2review the current research in fast-moving field of vaccinology and evaluate their importance and limitations as therapeutic tools: 2communicate information and ideas to specialist and non-specialist audiences: 1,2manage their own learning and make use of primary sources: 1,2evaluate and compare current developments in stem cell research in the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders and neurodegenerative diseases and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages associated with this technology: 2
Lectures 18 hoursExam 2 hoursIndependent study and poster preparation 130 hours
Description of Module Assessment
1: Poster Presentation weighted 25%Poster presentationPrepare a poster based on a specified research topic to be submitted at the end of the module online via Turnitin
2: Open Book Examination weighted 75%Online Open Book ExamThe paper will be released on KLE as a Word document at 9am on the morning of the exam.
This will contain a choice of 2 out of 5 essay-based questions.
Students should answer each question using Word, clearly labelling each question as they provide their answers. Work will be submitted to Turnitin no later than 5pm on the day of release.
International students will be asked to notify the School if they need an extension due to different time zones.
Although students have been given significant time to complete this exam script, we expect most students to spend no more than 2 hrs. Answers should be as accurate and concise as possible.
For essay-based questions, typical answers would be in the range of 500-750 words per question. We recommend that students do not exceed 750 words per essay-based question as we will be assessing the quality of your answer, not the quantity.