Cardiovascular Research
|MSc
|Full Time
| Admissions status: Open- Cardiovascular Skills
- Fundamental Cardiovascular Research
- Applied Cardiovascular Research
- Cardiovascular Research Project
NB it cannot be guaranteed that all modules are offered in any particular academic year.
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 30
Semester: Semester 1 (autumn)
Assessment: written examination/s; coursework; presentation/s;
The Applied Cardiovascular Research module has similar aims and format as the Fundamental Cardiovascular Research module. The following are examples of the topic areas that will be considered, but please note these may change from year to year: Hypertension; Atherogenesis; Redox Signalling; Acute coronary syndromes & MI; Heart Failure & Cardiac Remodelling; Cardiac Regeneration – Stem Cells; Diabetes & Cardiovascular Disease; Aortic aneurysm; Stroke.
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 90
Semester: Semester 2 (spring); summer session 1;
Assessment: coursework; presentation/s;
You will join an active laboratory and become part of a research team for 5 to 6 months, at the end which you will:
- Have acquired the necessary experimental skills to design and conduct an independent research project under appropriate supervision.
- Be able to critically appraise the current literature relating to the research topic under investigation.
- Have applied a specialist knowledge of the subject to the research problem being investigated.
- Have applied statistical and graphical packages to analyse and present their experimental data.
- Be able to write up a concise report of the module in the form of a scientific paper and be able to communicate these findings verbally and visually (using PowerPoint slides or equivalent) to a wider audience.
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 30
Semester: Semester 1 (autumn); Semester 2 (spring);
Assessment: written examination/s; coursework;
Cardiovascular Skills:
The aim of this module is for you to have acquired specialist training in contemporary techniques used in research of the cardiovascular system. Currently, the topics and techniques covered include the following (these are subject to annual review, to ensure that contemporary topics and techniques are covered):
Fundamental laboratory skills (eg. pipetting, weighing, pH measurement – laboratory class)
Core Skills (eg. Tissue culture, Western Blotting; Animal handling etc, lectures and laboratory)
Advanced Laboratory Skills. These will be delivered via a lecture series followed by specialist workshops.
You will be required to write a 500-word summary of each of the specialist workshops. These written reports should contain a brief introduction to the field, an overview of the techniques introduced and how they have been applied to recent new discoveries, using examples from the literature.
Theoretical modules
Fundamental Cardiovascular Research & Applied Cardiovascular Research:
These modules will enable you to:
Critically appraise the current literature relating to the cardiovascular topics being presented in lectures and discussed in student-led seminars, so that you will be in a position to evaluate the theory underlying your research projects and place their results into the context of the relevant literature.
Communicate the literature reports by writing essays, and also by communicating visually by means of PowerPoint slides or their equivalent to a wider audience.
You will be assessed on these modules via your seminar presentations and a long essay by an examination.
The following are examples of the topic areas that will be considered, but please note these may change from year to year.
Fundamental: Endothelial control of vasculature; Flow and shear in vascular function; Capillary permeability; Leukocyte Transmigration; Platelet signalling & Thrombogenesis; Angiogenesis & Vascular Development; Control of Heart Rate & Rhythm; Control of cardiac contraction; Myocardial signalling and hypertrophy.
Applied: Hypertension; Atherogenesis; Cardio-protection & Redox Signalling; Acute coronary syndromes/MI; Heart Failure & Cardiac Remodelling; Cardiac Regeneration – Stem Cells; Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease; Stroke.
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 30
Semester: Semester 1 (autumn)
Assessment: written examination/s; coursework; presentation/s;
This theoretical module will enable you to critically appraise the current literature relating to the cardiovascular topics being presented in lectures and discussed in student-led seminars, so that you will be in a position to evaluate the theory underlying your research projects and place their results into the context of the relevant literature. Communicate the literature reports by writing essays, and also by communicating visually by means of PowerPoint slides or their equivalent to a wider audience. You will be assessed on these modules via your seminar presentations and a long essay by an examination.
The following are examples of the topic areas that will be considered, but please note these may change from year to year.
Endothelial control of vasculature; Flow and shear in vascular function; Capillary permeability; Leukocyte Transmigration; Platelet signalling & Thrombogenesis; Angiogenesis & Vascular Development; Control of Heart Rate & Rhythm; Control of cardiac contraction; Myocardial signalling and hypertrophy.
