Programme Specification
MSc(Res) Cancer Medicine
Academic Year 2022/23
A programme specification is required for any programme on which a student may be registered. All programmes of the University are subject to the University's Quality Assurance processes. All degrees are awarded by Queen's University Belfast.
| Programme Title | MSc(Res) Cancer Medicine | Final Award (exit route if applicable for Postgraduate Taught Programmes) |
Master of Science by Research | |||||||||||
| Programme Code | MED-MSR-CM | UCAS Code | HECoS Code |
100270 - Medical sciences - 100 |
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| ATAS Clearance Required | No | |||||||||||||
| Mode of Study | Full Time | |||||||||||||
| Type of Programme | Postgraduate | Length of Programme |
Full Time - 1 Academic Year |
Total Credits for Programme | 180 | |||||||||
| Exit Awards available | No | |||||||||||||
Institute Information
Teaching Institution |
Queen's University Belfast |
School/Department |
Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences |
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Quality Code Higher Education Credit Framework for England |
Level 7 |
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Subject Benchmark Statements The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies |
N/A |
Accreditations (PSRB) |
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No accreditations (PSRB) found. | |
Regulation Information
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Does the Programme have any approved exemptions from the University General Regulations No |
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Programme Specific Regulations Awards, Credits and Programme of Learning Outcomes |
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Students with protected characteristics Normally there are no barriers, but being a laboratory based subject, each case will be considered individually |
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Are students subject to Fitness to Practise Regulations (Please see General Regulations) Yes |
Educational Aims Of Programme
Acquire the knowledge and skills to understand the principles of translational cancer medicine.
Demonstrate scientific writing skills through the write up of their research as a Dissertation and the completion of written course assignments.
Evaluate current and future developments in translational cancer medicine and to critically assess biomarker and novel therapeutic approaches in cancer treatments.
Critically analyse scientific literature and show proficiency in scientific writing of research articles.
Recognise and employ key skills in team building.
Demonstrate ability to incorporate innovation.
Demonstrate capacity for self-directed and life-long learning.
Demonstrate the knowledge and research skills for progression to PhD programmes in cancer research.
Show evidence of participation in original and high quality translational cancer research.
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes: Cognitive SkillsOn the completion of this course successful students will be able to: |
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Analyze, interpret and appraise experimental data |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures Methods of Assessment Essays |
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Adopt various experimental approaches and combine information from different sources to develop an experimental plan |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Seminars Methods of Assessment Presentations |
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Demonstrate the ability to write a grant application |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Tutorials Methods of Assessment Presentation |
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Evaluate ethical issues in human tissue research |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Masterclasses, Journal Clubs, Guided Self-Directed Learning, Small Group Learning Methods of Assessment Presentation |
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Evaluate the principles, benefits and drawbacks of cancer screening programmes. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures Methods of Assessment Presentation |
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Critically evaluate and discuss literature supporting the application of radiation as clinical tool for therapy and imaging. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures Methods of Assessment Written assignments |
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Assess publically available data sets and outline how they would be useful in their research approach. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Tutorials Methods of Assessment Research Project |
Learning Outcomes: Transferable SkillsOn the completion of this course successful students will be able to: |
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Critically evaluate scientific literature |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures Methods of Assessment Written Assignments |
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Apply analytical, numerical and creative thinking skills |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Seminars Methods of Assessment Presentations |
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Work independently and take responsibility for own learning |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Tutorials Methods of Assessment Research Project |
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Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills including the presentation of scientific information |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Masterclasses Methods of Assessment Presentations |
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Manage time effectively and prioritize tasks |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Practicals Methods of Assessment Research Project |
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Develop business ideas and incorporate innovation |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures Methods of Assessment Written Assignment |
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Develop own knowledge and skills and contribute to the development of others, through active participation in teamwork and group learning opportunities |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Journal Clubs Methods of Assessment Presentations |
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Use information technology with particular emphasis on the recording of information and data retrieval |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Guided Self Directed Learning Methods of Assessment Written assignments |
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Apply scientific research principles and audit |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Tutorials Methods of Assessment Written assignments |
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Demonstrate proficiency in data analysis using commonly used software packages |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures Methods of Assessment Coursework |
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Enhance their Professional and Career Development portfolio |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Seminars and Masterclasses Methods of Assessment Written assignment |
Learning Outcomes: Knowledge & UnderstandingOn the completion of this course successful students will be able to: |
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Critically analyse and discuss principles of translational medicine and how they can be applied in the clinical arena |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures Methods of Assessment Essays |
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Discuss experimental approaches, techniques and design in translational medicine. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Seminars Methods of Assessment Oral Presentations (PowerPoint) |
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Understand genomic alterations that lead to cellular phenotype changes in human disease |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Tutorials Methods of Assessment Poster Presentations |
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Discuss the use of biomarkers in disease diagnosis and prognosis and appreciate their role as surrogate markers of drug efficacy and disease response |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Masterclasses Methods of Assessment Written assignments |
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Outline the principles of clinical trial design and indicate how translational studies can be incorporated into clinical trials |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Practicals Methods of Assessment Written assignments |
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Critically evaluate current scientific literature |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Journal Clubs Methods of Assessment Presentations |
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Discuss research ethics in relation to studies in humans and animals and correctly apply established principles and legislation to these areas of research |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Guided Self Directed Learning Methods of Assessment Presentations |
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Develop innovative business ideas and plan routes to commercialisation |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Small group learning Methods of Assessment Written assignments |
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Discuss and outline how research discoveries may be commercialised for rapid development and translation to new diagnostics and treatments |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Small group learning Methods of Assessment Written assignments |
Learning Outcomes: Subject SpecificOn the completion of this course successful students will be able to: |
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Critically analyse experimental approaches |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures Methods of Assessment Essays |
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Explain techniques that will underpin the experimental design of their Research Project |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Seminars Methods of Assessment Oral Presentations |
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Develop and present a Research Proposal for their Research Project |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Tutorials Methods of Assessment Written assignment |
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Interpret the results of their research project to prepare a comprehensive dissertation |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Masterclasses, Lectures Methods of Assessment Dissertation |
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Demonstrate the ability to use publicly available datasets |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Masterclasses, Lectures Methods of Assessment Written assignments, Project dissertation |
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Evaluate specific genomic changes in disease and the subsequent effect on cell function |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Journal Clubs Methods of Assessment Oral Presentations |
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Generate a grant proposal with the aim of funding their research proposal |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Small Group Learning Methods of Assessment Oral Presentations , Written assignments |
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Interpret data to prepare a scientific paper based on established guidelines for a chosen journal |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, Tutorials Methods of Assessment Written assignments |
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Evaluate the important elements of biomarkers as prognostic and predictors of disease |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures Methods of Assessment Written assignments, Oral Presentations |
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Explain what makes a good drug target and understand the requirement for the development of companion diagnostics in tandem with innovative drug development |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures Methods of Assessment Written assignments |
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Discuss the factors that contribute to a high quality clinical trial. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, Tutorials Methods of Assessment Presentation |
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Apply publically available tools for data manipulation and analysis |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, Tutorials Methods of Assessment Practical assignment, coursework, paper review |
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Describe the main diagnostic modalities used in contemporary oncology practice. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, Tutorials Methods of Assessment Oral Presentation, Research proposal |
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Depending on their subject specialty, the successful student will also be able to demonstrate the skill sets as indicated below. Throughout the different themes, emphasis will be placed on critical thought using tutorials where the students will critique published scientific research. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Non applicable Methods of Assessment Non applicable |
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Precision Cancer Medicine: |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures Methods of Assessment Written assignments |
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2) Analyse the advantages of adaptive clinical trials. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures Methods of Assessment Written assignments, presentations |
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3) Discuss drug development strategies - how targeted therapeutic approaches will be applied in the changing paradigm of cancer treatment. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, tutorials, workshops Methods of Assessment Presentations |
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4) Evaluate the principles, benefits and drawbacks of cancer screening programmes. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, tutorials, workshops, seminars Methods of Assessment Written assignments, presentations |
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5) Critically evaluate the opportunities for translational and clinical research arising from patient treatment pathways in surgical, medical and clinical oncology. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, tutorials, workshops Methods of Assessment Written assignments, presentations |
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Radiation Oncology and Medical Imaging (ROMI): |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, Tutorials, Masterclasses, Seminars Methods of Assessment Presentation/ Written assignments |
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2) Discuss mechanisms of radiation DNA damage, repair and cell death. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures and tutorials Methods of Assessment Oral presentations |
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3) Analyse the principles and applications of radiobiological assays. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, tutorials, case studies Methods of Assessment Written assignments, presentations |
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4) Describe the radiobiological principles underlying clinical radiotherapy. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, tutorials, case studies Methods of Assessment Written assignments, presentations |
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5) Critically evaluate the mechanisms of radiation induced carcinogenesis and damage in normal tissues. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, tutorials Methods of Assessment Oral presentations |
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6) Understand and evaluate the technology used to deliver advanced radiotherapy techniques and the role of radiological imaging in radiation oncology. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, tutorials, seminars Methods of Assessment Written assignments, presentations |
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7) Discuss omics based approaches for biomarker discover in precision radiation oncology |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, tutorials, case studies Methods of Assessment Written assignments, presentations |
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8) Explain the basis of rationally designed drug radiotherapy combinations. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, tutorials, case studies Methods of Assessment Written assignments, presentations |
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Oncology Drug Discovery (OOD): |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, tutorials, case studies Methods of Assessment Written assignments, presentations |
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2) Describe how biochemical assays are developed and employed in the drug discovery process. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, tutorials, case studies Methods of Assessment Written assignments, presentations |
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3) Describe the alternative approaches used in the drug discovery to identify new chemical matter. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, tutorials, case studies Methods of Assessment Written assignments, presentations |
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4) Describe and define chemical approaches used in developing ‘hit’ chemical compounds. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, tutorials, case studies Methods of Assessment Written assignments, presentations |
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5) Define drug target classes and their drug-like pharmacophores. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, tutorials, case studies Methods of Assessment Written assignments, presentations |
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6) Describe the use of computational methodology in supporting and defining the drug development process. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, tutorials, case studies Methods of Assessment Written assignments, presentations |
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7) Describe the issues associated the drug development process. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, tutorials, case studies Methods of Assessment Written assignments, presentations |
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8) Describe the development, validation and use of bio-markers in the drug discovery process. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, tutorials, case studies Methods of Assessment Written assignments, presentations |
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9) Integrate lecture material into a concise but comprehensive review of current thinking on the drug discovery landscape. |
Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies Lectures, tutorials, case studies Methods of Assessment Written assignments, presentations |
Module Information
Stages and Modules
| Module Title | Module Code | Level/ stage | Credits | Availability |
Duration | Pre-requisite | Assessment |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | S2 | Core | Option | Coursework % | Practical % | Examination % | ||||||
| Biology of Radiotherapy | SCM8141 | 7 | 10 | -- | YES | 6 weeks | N | -- | YES | 70% | 30% | 0% |
| Cancer Genetics and Genomics | SCM8142 | 7 | 10 | -- | YES | 6 weeks | N | -- | YES | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Clinical Radiation Biology and Imaging | SCM8143 | 7 | 10 | -- | YES | 6 weeks | N | -- | YES | 70% | 30% | 0% |
| Diagnosis and Treatment of Cancer | SCM8144 | 7 | 10 | YES | -- | 6 weeks | N | YES | -- | 60% | 40% | 0% |
| Drug Optimization, Drug Delivery and Clinical Trials | SCM8139 | 7 | 10 | -- | YES | 6 weeks | N | -- | YES | 70% | 30% | 0% |
| Target Identification and Development in Drug Discovery | SCM8138 | 7 | 10 | -- | YES | 6 weeks | N | -- | YES | 70% | 30% | 0% |
| Research Project | SCM8067 | 7 | 60 | YES | YES | 24 weeks | N | YES | -- | 20% | 80% | 0% |
| Dissertation | SCM8068 | 7 | 60 | -- | YES | 12 weeks | N | YES | -- | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| Cancer Biology | SCM8065 | 7 | 10 | YES | -- | 6 weeks | N | YES | -- | 70% | 30% | 0% |
| Research Translation: from Concept to Commercialisation | SCM8096 | 7 | 20 | YES | YES | 24 weeks | N | YES | -- | 80% | 20% | 0% |
| Translational Cancer Medicine | SCM8066 | 7 | 10 | -- | YES | 6 weeks | N | -- | YES | 70% | 30% | 0% |
Notes
Students must take the core taught modules (100 CATS) and three modules (20 CATS) from one of the groups Precision Cancer Medicine (SCM8142 and SCM8066), Oncology Drug Discovery (SCM8138 and SCM8139) or Radiation Oncology and Medical Imaging (SCM8141 and 8143), plus the Dissertation (60 CATS) which is taken over the summer. Please note optional modules will not run if there are less than 6 students wishing to enrol.