LSC-30009 - Module Specification
School of Life Sciences
Faculty of Natural Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

Across this module you will develop and consolidate your ability to critically appraise existing and newly emerging techniques used in the research, diagnosis and treatment of disease. You will also gain insight into the development of such cutting edge techniques within the research sector and their translation into clinical use.
Our lecture series is delivered by a range of specialists including research active academic staff and HCPC-registered Biomedical Scientists who will explore how cutting edge developments are improving clinical practice in diagnostic laboratories.
The assessment will give you an opportunity to perform your own review of an emerging diagnostic technique, develop and evidence skills in information retrieval, evaluation and data summary that are highly sought after in the post-graduate market.

The aims of the module are to illustrate the roles of existing and newly emerging biochemical and molecular techniques including the use of personalised medicines in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases within a hospital pathology department. Students will also gain an appreciation of cost-benefit decisions that are inherent in many of the diagnostic methodologies and their implications for both the patient and the clinician.

Intended Learning Outcomes

critically discuss the techniques available at presentation to the clinician to establish (a) cause, (b) diagnosis, (c) treatment of particular diseases: 1,2
critically discuss emerging diagnostic techniques and evaluate the benefits that they provide: 1,2
discuss the ways in which basic research contributes to an understanding of disease processes: 1,2
engage with a range of online data repositories to identify information pertinent to the aims and outcomes of the course: 1
evaluate collections of evidence, ranking scientific publications based upon a range of criteria and summarising findings concisely: 1,2

Study hours

18 hours of live, in person sessions
10 x 5 hours engagement with asynchronous content
60 hours independent study
10 hours private study reading papers and preparing notes for ICA 1
10 hours preparation of ICA 1
2 hour examination

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment