Biomedical Science MSc

Postgraduate Project 

This module aims to enhance your skills of self-management, experimental design, critical analysis and interpretation of data, enabling you to present and justify your research.

You will be able to develop your skills in information retrieval, critical analysis and presentation relevant to your research topic, and form a clear plan for your project.

This module will enhance your professionalism, employability and laboratory skills applicable to the Bioscience/Life Science industry. Emphasis will be placed on professional responsibility, acquisition and  implementation of advanced laboratory techniques and soft/transferable skills.

The module will give you direct access to the Careers and Employability Service and by alignment of the assessment, to the Westminster Postgraduate Employability Award. The central ethos will be upon the development of a professional employability portfolio throughout your higher education journey. Extracurricular activities relating to scientific endeavour such as school research talks and careers/employability events will be encouraged, and you will be informed of such opportunities through direct messaging from the careers service, the School Employability blackboard site and the Westminster Engage platform (employability portal).

This module will explore the role of common signalling pathways and other molecular mechanisms implicated in carcinogenesis, including the role of cancer stem cells in disease progression and metastasis. Recent advances in diagnostic methods and therapeutic strategies will be discussed as well as ways in which public health initiatives can lower the risk of cancer development, and how issues related to cancer are reported in the media.

This module will engage with modern pathology practice in the cellular pathology specialty. You will evaluate advances in diagnostic, prognostic and predictive testing in the laboratory, discussed in the light of developments in our underpinning understanding of pathology and of evolving technologies.

This module provides up to date information on cell signalling processes coupling surface receptor engagement to changes in gene expression. A gene-editing workshop is also included in the module. Transcriptional, post-transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms are discussed in relation to selected cell signalling pathways responsible for controlling cell functions such as cell cycle, cell differentiation and cell death. In addition, examples of defective cell signalling through inherited and somatically acquired mutations in signalling components will be highlighted in relation to human disease.

This module will enable you to understand how blood cells are produced and how they function in normal and pathological situations. You will consider the causes, consequences and laboratory features of a range of red cell disorders and haematological malignancies, and be able to evaluate and interpret the relevant diagnostic testing procedures.

The module aims to enable you to analyse critically aspects of microbial physiology, metabolism and chemotherapy and relate these to appropriate areas of medical microbiology, such as pathogenicity, disease diagnosis, treatment and control.

This module aims to emphasise the intellectual skills and knowledge you require to understand endocrine function, assays of hormone concentration, pathologies and their laboratory investigation. Emphasis is placed on developing a deep understanding of the cellular and biochemical processes which underlie pathology.

Introducing you to key concepts in science communication, its challenges, rewards and applications, this module is designed to incorporate scenarios related to your interests, such as health, drug discovery and water science. The roles of science and scientists in society and how the public perceives, interacts with and responds to the information produced by scientists are explored, with the history of communicating science used to contextualise current issues in disseminating information.

An in depth study of the aetiology, pathogenesis and laboratory investigation of selected pathologies and their laboratory investigation. Principles of key and current analytical methods in the field are also included as well as the latest developments in diagnostic clinical biochemistry.

This module will cover clinically important blood group systems and laboratory techniques used to identify blood group antigens and antibodies, and to ensure safety of blood components for transfusion and transplantation. In addition you will examine the various components of the haemostasis system together with clinical disorders leading to increased risk of bleeding or thrombosis. Anticoagulant therapy and relevant laboratory techniques for investigation of haemostasis will also be covered.

This module comprises lectures and case studies to give an understanding of modern advances in immunology and immunopathology, strategies for the diagnosis of inherited and acquired immunological disorders based on diversity and inclusion. The module aims to analyse modern concepts on the interface between innate and adaptive immune responses to intracellular and extracellular pathogens; to discuss and to illustrate cellular and molecular mechanisms of hypersensitivity and autoimmunity, primary and secondary immunodeficiency, vaccination, antitumour immunity. Applications of modern methods of diagnosis of immunopathological disorders are presented in relation to current advances in fundamental and clinical immunology and immunopathology creating a robust basis for the enhancement of employability.

The module explores the factors determining the importance of infectious diseases and the role of surveillance in their control. You will develop a critical approach to contemporary literature on selected diseases, evaluating the relative importance of epidemiology, routine laboratory investigations, laboratory-based research, clinical diagnosis and control of infectious diseases.

This module is designed to make you aware of the impact of molecular biology on the diagnosis of human diseases. You will critically review the technologies and determine the advantages and disadvantages associated with each diagnostic strategy. Issues of accuracy, implementation, ethics and safety will be addressed.

The module provides you with a critical appreciation of the human genome, its regulation, functional significance of gene mutations and current approaches of identification of human genetic disorders. Topics covered include: molecular basis of host-pathogen interaction; molecular pathology of disease with simple genetics; molecular genetics of disease; complex systems, immunogenetics and disease; and molecular genetics of cancer.

You will gain an insight into the scope of commercial biotechnology, starting and financing a company, the role of intellectual property protection, writing a business plan, assessing projects, managing a company, managing company finances, and coping with industrial safety legislation.

This module will introduce the theoretical and practical underpinnings of systems biology. The emphasis is on studies of entire systems, assisted by the use of bioinformatics and how the knowledge from these may be applied to medicine. The module will examine databases and other resources as well as discuss issues key to the studies of entire systems.