King's College London

In Semester 1, all students will choose taught modules totalling 60 credits.

In Semester 2, students will choose either a 45-credit laboratory project module or a 15- credit library project module plus taught modules to total 60 credits.

You are required to take:

Semester 1:

• 6BBYI314 Viruses and Diseases Semester 1 (15 credits): Viruses parasitise every kingdom of life. These genetic entities have no intrinsic metabolism of their own and rely entirely on the cell they infect to supply the raw material with which to replicate. By using the cell’s machinery and resources for their own ends, viruses place evolutionary pressure on their hosts to defend themselves, and this clash of virus and host underlies the molecular basis of many serious diseases that affect mammals. In this course, you will cover the conceptual basis for the replication of diverse mammalian viruses and how they interact with their hosts at both the cellular and organismal level. You will learn about the mammalian immune defences arrayed to counter viral replication, and how these virus/host interactions contribute to the ability of viruses to cause disease.
• 6BBBI308 Immunology of Human Disease (15 credits): This module aims to teach you about our current understanding of the role of the immune system both in protection from, but also as a driver of disease. We will have a strong focus on discussing fundamental and translational research in order to expose you to current advances and novel discoveries in the field. For this we have invited experts to share with you their expertise and research.

Semester 2:

• 6BBYI313 Infectious Diseases and Immunobiology Laboratory Project (45 credits): Students enrolled in this module will be allocated a project in an active research laboratory of an experienced group leader/Principal Investigator (PI). You will follow (with guidance) an independent investigation, planning and executing experiments to obtain data of publishable standard that might eventually contribute to a research paper. Given the limited time available, you will probably concentrate on working with only one or two scientific techniques, but you will be immersed in a professional research environment, have to solve problems and improve your experimental competence, and will emerge with a real experience of current biomedical research.

Or

• 6BBI0304 Library Project in Infection and Immunity (15 credits): This module will give students the opportunity:
  • • To use their knowledge and understanding of the Immune System and/or Infectious Diseases to undertake a literature-based project on a relevant area of current research
    • To promote specific information and research-related skills, namely critical reading and evaluation of original scientific research, and
    • To summarise arguments with reference to the scientific literature

(Additional credits to ensure a total of 120 credits across the whole year should be taken from the following modules).

Semester 1:

• 6QQMN370 Health Entrepreneurship (30 credits, extending to Semester 2): This module for clinical students engages and helps to develop their entrepreneur aspirations with a view to enable them to take on leadership roles across the healthcare industry. The module offers an over-view of fundamental components of entrepreneurship and technology by integrating both theoretical and practical aspects. It is delivered through a dynamic range of lecture, tutorials, interactive sessions given by leaders in their fields, including entrepreneurs, clinicians and academics. The project which is part of this module provides students with a hands-on opportunity to develop their skills and understanding of entrepreneurship in the clinical context. The students will be required to develop or work on an idea with their supervisors or mentors. They will then pitch this idea in front of the established entrepreneurs. Students will be encouraged to seek funding and collaboration to take their ideas to the next stage in order to initiate successful start-ups.
• 6BBI0101 Immunomodulation and Translational Research (15 credits): Researchers at King’s have been at the forefront of the development of new strategies to modulate immune responses to treat disease and have been very successful in “spinning these out” into small pharmaceutical companies. These successes ranging from early studies to manipulate immune responses in rheumatoid arthritis to the use of stem cell based therapies in transplantation, immunotherapy of paediatric allergy (LEAP Studies) and the use of novel “biologics” in asthma and during the current covid pandemic. This module will be taught by experts in these fields with a track record in developing new therapies. Lectures will show how our immune system can be manipulated in different ways to treat a number of different diseases, including cancer, organ transplantation, allergy, digestive disease and diabetes. In addition, students will be given insight into how interesting basic research findings can be developed into potential therapeutic interventions and how these are ‘commercialised’ to get them into the clinics. This course will complement the teaching in Immunology and Immunotherapy of Cancer (6BBI0305- which focuses specifically on cancer) giving particular focus to how new therapies are developed from the lab bench and delivered to the bedside.
• 6BBBI301 Molecular Immunology (15 credits): This course focuses on structure-function relationships of molecules in the immune system and how this knowledge can be applied to the therapy and prophylaxis of disease. Students will study antibodies, adhesion molecules, cytokines, glycolipids/CD1 and control of gene regulation and expression in immune cell development and function. The course explores modern molecular immunological approaches to antibody generation, T cell development and differentiation, vaccines and immunotherapy.

• 6BBYG307 Cancer Genetics (15 credits): This module focuses on the exciting and complex field of cancer genetics, and its ever- increasing impact and relevance to the treatment of patients with malignant disorders. The course combines basic science and clinically focused lectures to provide a comprehensive overview showing how increased understanding of the genetic abnormalities of tumours can rapidly be translated to improved treatment pathways and novel therapies, with the ultimate aim of improving outcomes for people with cancer.

Semester 2:

• 6BBI0305 Immunology and Immunotherapy of Cancer (15 credits): Cancer immunotherapy is now part of the standard of care in a growing range of haematological and solid tumours. King's College London is a hub for translational and clinical research in cancer immunology and immunotherapy. A combination of cancer immune-therapy translational research and internationally renowned basic science immunology research combined with busy clinical service, ideally places us to train the future cancer immunologists and immunotherapists. This module is designed to provide an overview of established principles as well as cutting-edge developments in our understanding of the nature and roles of different components of host immunity to cancer. Students will be presented the opportunity to study a range of immunotherapeutic strategies designed to activate different components of patient immunity against cancer and to appreciate their mechanisms of action and be able to explain the rationale behind current and emerging immunotherapies. The emphasis will be on human disease, but extensive use will be made of animal studies for comparative purposes. The course will be taught by experts in basic and translational research space and will provide the students ample opportunity to learn about emerging cutting-edge research and development in this fast-paced field.
• 6BBYI316 Viruses and Diseases Semester 2 (15 credits): Viruses parasitise every kingdom of life. These genetic entities have no intrinsic metabolism of their own and rely entirely on the cell they infect to supply the raw material with which to replicate. By using the cell’s machinery and resources for their own ends, viruses place evolutionary pressure on their hosts to defend themselves, and this clash of virus and host underlies the molecular basis of many serious diseases that affect mammals. In this course, you will cover the conceptual basis for the replication of diverse mammalian viruses and how they interact with their hosts at both the cellular and organismal level. You will learn about the mammalian immune defences arrayed to counter viral replication, and how these virus/host interactions contribute to the ability of viruses to cause disease. Additionally, we will use these concepts to cover specific pathogenic viruses relevant to human disease in more depth. Particularly you will cover the biology of viral hepatitis, the threats posed by emerging viruses such as SARS coronaviruses, Influenza A virus, Ebola Virus, Dengue Virus, Rift valley fever virus and the pathogenesis of HIV/AIDS. Finally, we will examine how we can use molecularly engineered viruses as vehicles of gene and stem cell therapy.
• 6BBI0100 Host Microbe Interactions (15 credits): Microbes not only employ different strategies to evade and manipulate our immune system to cause disease but can also form an important, stable and beneficial relationship with their host (us), forming our “microbiome”. This microbiome changes throughout our lives, as we age and during ill health, and both adapts to and shapes our immune system. Researchers at King’s have an international reputation for studying microbial pathogenesis and how the human microbiome can be manipulation for therapeutic gain – KCL and GSTT established one of the first Faecal Microbiota transplant units in the country. This module will be taught by experts in these fields, giving students exposure to their current research on the mechanisms of disease pathogenesis and ways in which the microbiome can be studied and manipulated for health benefits.
• 6BBM0326 Pharmacology of Inflammation (15 credits): This module will allow you to learn about the Immuno-pharmacology of Inflammation. Module Learning Outcomes
  • • Describe in a systematic manner, the mechanism of activation and the responses of the principal cell types involved in inflammation.
    • Compare and contrast the principal mediators of inflammation, their mechanistic contributions and the extent to which they fulfil the criteria of a mediator.
    • Evaluate the power of image creation in learning complex mechanisms and be able to create an image to explain importance of cell-cell, cell-mediator and mediator- mediator interactions which contribute to responses.
    • To discuss and analyse the current knowledge and limitations concerning the mechanism of actions of drugs which are either used to control inflammatory processes and evaluate the potential of new therapeutic approaches.

• 6BBM0327 Experimental Pharmacology of Inflammation (30 credits): Upon successful completion of the module students will be able to:
• • Describe in a systematic manner, the mechanism of activation and the responses of the principal cell types involved in inflammation.
  • Compare and contrast the principal mediators of inflammation, their mechanistic contributions and the extent to which they fulfil the criteria of a mediator.
  • Discuss the mechanisms of action of current drugs which are used to control inflammatory processes.
  • Evaluate the potential of new therapeutic approaches to control inflammatory processes.
  • Discuss the present understanding and the limits of knowledge of important cell- cell, cell-mediator and mediator-mediator interactions which contribute to inflammatory responses.
  • Experiment using immunopharmacological techniques to apply the methods according to good experimental design to address a set research question.
  • Assemble an accurate record of experimental procedures and findings and create a written report to communicate and defend your own experimental findings.
  • Interpret, describe and analyse experimental information from their own and others’ inflammation research. 

• 6MCS1000 Cancer, Society and Public Health (15 credits): Since the COVID-19 pandemic, epidemiology and population sciences have become a much better known discipline. This module will specifically apply these methodologies in the context of cancer research, with a focus on both quantitative and qualitative methods in a local, national, and global setting.