Cancer Medicine (Taught)

The MSc (Res) in Cancer Medicine will provide students with new knowledge of how precision medicine can improve and shape future healthcare. Students will gain hands-on experience of molecular techniques and the equipment/devices used in a modern molecular laboratory; the course will provide training in the latest laboratory and research skills that are applicable across multiple scientific disciplines in a supportive learning environment. Central to this research-intensive programme is a 24-week Research Project (which runs throughout both semesters) where students undertake hands-on research training within active research teams. Through taught modules students will be able to evaluate how novel therapeutic approaches can be used to stratify patients into treatment groups for better clinical management (a concept known as stratified / precision medicine). They will observe the delivery of precision medicine through tours of the Northern Ireland Cancer Centre.

In the second semester the programme explores the fundamental principles of carcinogenesis and the translational approaches (including cutting edge technologies) which allow cancer scientists and clinicians to advance our understanding and treatment of cancers.

This includes a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of the hallmarks of cancer from the role of genetic/epigenetic alterations, cell cycle control and metastases/angiogenesis to the development of applications to help diagnose cancers earlier, improve treatments, rationally design clinical trials and reduce chemotherapy drug resistance.

Radiation Oncology lectures will develop skills in understanding the biological principles of radiotherapy and its clinical applications in the treatment of cancer. Also covered will be principles of advanced radiotherapy delivery, cancer imaging techniques and biomarker discovery.

Oncology Drug Discovery lectures will provide insights into both academic and biotech drug development, including an understanding of what makes interesting anti-cancer drug target and how these can be validated for clinical use.

This programme will show how our improved understanding of the molecular processes driving cancer growth and spread can be ‘translated’ through research-intensive MSc projects to improve the treatment and survival of cancer patients.