Program Overview

This 12-month course has been designed for students who are fascinated by the fundamental processes that underpin how our bodies work at a cellular level. Whole genome sequencing and other scientific advancements have provided us with a wealth of information about the genetic changes found in disease but less is known about how these affect cellular mechanisms. Through your training, we’ll teach you the techniques that scientists use to understand how failures in key processes can lead to disease, and how we can use these discoveries to pave the way for new therapeutic treatments and biotechnologies.

At Sheffield, we’re experts in the use of animal models for understanding disease mechanisms. Our scientists then use this knowledge to perform therapeutic studies into how we can treat disease. Our researchers are exploring solutions to cardiovascular disease, using zebrafish to understand how the developing heart undergoes complex morphological rearrangements. They’re even making breakthroughs in the search for Motor Neurone Disease treatments through careful study of the genetic and cellular malfunctions that lead to disease. It’s research like this that you’ll have the chance to get involved in throughout your degree.

This course is built from a core programme of specially tailored modules, covering both the practical and theoretical side of the discipline. Lecture modules will provide you with a deep understanding of how epithelial tissues perform an essential role in our bodies, how we model human disease in the laboratory, and the causes, treatments and ongoing research into cancer. Immersive practical training modules will give you hands-on experience in laboratory techniques that underpin research in this field including cellular trafficking assays, model organism handling, CRISPR, PCR, and fluorescence microscopy..

On top of this, you’ll receive training in scientific writing and presentation skills, critical analysis skills, and statistics and data analysis skills, as well as ethics and public awareness of science, allowing you to build the key transferable skills and knowledge you’ll need to support your career ambitions.