PHA-30037 - Module Specification
School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering
Faculty of Medicine & Health 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

Nanomedicine is an important branch of medicine that applies the principles underpinning nanotechnology to the prevention and treatment of disease. It involves the use of biocompatible nanoscale materials for diagnosis, delivery, sensing or actuation purposes in a living organism. The use of materials on the nanoscale is important to allow devices access to the human body with a greatly reduced degree of invasiveness. Such materials are well suited as the basis of diagnostic markers, drugs, and novel forms of therapeutic functionality. The aim of nanomedical approaches is not only to improve the diagnostic and therapeutic efficacy of medical treatments, but also to simultaneously limit the negative side-effects of drugs and surgical procedures.
The module will make use of a combination of lectures, laboratory based classes and team based activities such as journal clubs, to support your understanding of the key topics, and develop your skills and expertise in this area.

This module aims to develop your knowledge and understanding of the scientific principles behind the design, development and biological evaluation of nanomedicines.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Judge why the nanoscale is important for biomedical applications: 1,2
Evaluate and apply the concepts of targeted drug delivery: 2
Analyse the basic principles of polymer chemistry and biomaterials relevant to nanomedicine: 2
Evaluate the methods and techniques involved in fabricating and analyzing nanomaterials: 1,2
Analyse and evaluate new therapeutic and diagnostic methods using novel organic and inorganic nanomaterials: 1,2
Demonstrate laboratory skills of relevance to nanomedicine and prepare experimental report writing: 1
Demonstrate critical and analytical skills for reviewing literature on nanomedicine: 1

Study hours

Direct contact with students. 54 hours divided in:
- Lectures - 23 hours.
- Workshops - 5 hours.
- Problem Based Learning Sessions - 2 hours.
- Laboratory based work - 24 hours.
Directed and private study. 96 hours divided in:
- Indivisual study for preparation before workshops and PBL sessions, as well as for content assimilation after the session - 6 hours.
- Private study for preparation of written exam - 32 hours.
- Preparation of the Lab Report - 40 hours.
- Structured reading from assigned textbooks and articles - 18 hours.

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment