Structural & Synthetic Biology Imperial College

Overview

Our one-year full-time course provides broad training to prepare you for a career in biomedical research.

The programme provides an excellent background in biomedical research, and will integrate chemical, biological and physiological aspects in a unified approach.

This course teaches a mechanistic approach to the problems encountered in molecular and cellular biomedical science.

It also emphasises an investigative and empirical approach to the practical problems encountered in experimental and human biomedical science.

Study programme

The course is made up of a general stream and number of specialist streams.

All of our biomedical research streams have the same course structure. The taught elements and research project are determined by your chosen stream.

Over 12 months, you complete two five-month research projects (4.5 days per week) and a core programme (0.5 days per week) including grant writing, technical workshops, journal clubs and transferable skills.

The research projects incorporate cutting-edge developments in the field. You will experience some of the most technologically advanced approaches currently being applied to biomedical research.

Streams

Whichever stream you choose, the emphasis is on a research-orientated approach made up of both theoretical and practical elements.

You will acquire an understanding of modern molecular and cell science in world class biomedical research laboratories through both theory and practical exposure.

You will also demonstrate practical dexterity in both commonly employed and more advanced practical techniques.

You have the option of choosing our general biomedical research stream, or one of eight specialisms in the following areas:

• General Biomedical Research
• Anaesthetics, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care
• Bacterial Pathogenesis and Infection
• Data Science
• Epidemiology, Evolution and Control of Infectious Diseases
• Microbiome in Health and Disease
• Molecular Basis of Human Disease (this stream)
• Respiratory and Cardiovascular Science
• Toxicological Sciences (suspended for 2018 entry)

Molecular Basis of Human Disease stream

This stream provides a multidisciplinary approach to understanding disease mechanisms, with emphasis on a broad range of training from structural and chemical biology to clinical applications.

That emphasis provides knowledge across the biological scales from atoms, molecules to whole cell/organisms on pressing human diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, metabolic and cellular disease as well as pathogen infection and resistance.

Is this stream for you?

This stream is for students with a biochemical or biophysical background interested in pursuing further education in a medically relevant area, and those with a biomedical background interested in understanding fundamental mechanisms behind disease processes.

Careers

Our MRes in Biomedical Research is designed for students looking to pursue a career in biomedical research, whether in academia, industry or government. The overwhelming majority of graduates, who have wanted to continue on to PhD study, have done so.

The course will equip you with the key skills needed to plan, conduct, publish and obtain funding for successful research.

The programme offers training in a vast array of laboratories across the Faculty of Medicine (approximately 700 world leading research groups) and an opportunity to learn from leaders in the field.

* Location will depend on where your projects are based.