Chronic Disease and Immunity MSc

Course description

Due to the ongoing impact of the global pandemic we have had to evaluate all of our courses to ensure that we adhere to Government guidelines to protect the health and wellbeing of our staff and students. This means that as we work through these changes the modules, delivery methods and assessments shown, including those shown for future years, are subject to change.

The World Health Organisation Global Burden of Disease Study has shown that non-communicable chronic disease accounts for about 60% of deaths globally. Major contributors include cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic kidney disease. Inflammation is the central driving force in much of this burden of chronic degenerative disease. Non-communicable inflammatory diseases affect nearly all organ systems of the body including the skin, endocrine glands, gut, lungs, kidneys, musculoskeletal and cardiovascular system. Accordingly, there is high demand worldwide for well-qualified researchers in immunity who understand the molecular and cellular basis of inflammation.

This Postgraduate Degree integrates cutting-edge research in molecular and cellular biology and in immunology to demonstrate:

• The fundamental processes of inflammation
• The molecular and cellular mechanisms of disease progression that are driven by inflammation

You will develop your knowledge of the molecular and cellular processes of inflammation. In addition to laboratory practicals and teaching by researchers and clinicians from the University's College of Life Sciences, you will complete a six month laboratory-based research placement.

Teaching and learning

You will be trained in lab techniques and will develop your proficiency in experimental design. These skills will then be put into practice in the lab-based research project which comprises two-thirds of the credits for your course.

The lecture programme, some of which is shared between our various postgraduate lab-based courses, will develop your specialist knowledge and allow you to increase your understanding of the interdisciplinary aspects of your speciality.

During the taught phase of the course, structured lab practicals are run alongside tutorials, seminars and employability sessions. Some of your practicals will be generic to all MSc students in our School of Biological Sciences. You will have specialist immunology practicals covering techniques relevant to your research project.

Assessment is a mix of formal exams and coursework including essays, practical reports, presentations and other written tasks.

Careers and employability

The research training you receive and the research project you conduct will provide a training that PhD supervisors and employers value highly when recruiting their postgraduate research students from around the world.