King's College London

Courses are divided into modules. You will normally take modules totalling 120 credits.

You are required to take the following 3 modules:

• Medical Genetics (15 credits): This module deals with the inheritance, biological mechanisms, clinical nature and therapy of human monogenic disorders. The introductory lectures will provide an overview and introduce some peculiarities of mammalian genetics which have profound effects on the mode of inheritance of a number of disease genes. Other groups of genetic disorders, chosen to illustrate different idiosyncracies of human genetics, will be described by experienced scientists and clinicians. Finally, the module will cover approaches to gene therapy - the stated goal of most studies of human genetic disease.
• Genomic Approaches in Healthcare (15 credits): This module provides key knowledge and education in the application of genomic approaches in medicine which are planned to be increasingly used within healthcare. The module will deliver education and training in technologies and approaches used to investigate the genome with a focus on how this is contributing to understanding and treating disease. The teaching will provide an understanding of the methods used to identify changes in the genome and global or specific cell and tissue gene expression with information on how this can be used in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. The module will introduce students to how large datasets can provide more detailed biological information which can better treat disease. The application of these approaches for example diseases will be provided together with information on how this approach will lead to personalised healthcare.
• 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.

PLUS EITHER of:

• Bioinformatics for Biologists (15 credits): Most of the recent techniques in biology research produce data that require computational biology and programming skills, along with a solid understanding of analytical approaches. This module will provide knowledge and insights as to what bioinformatics is and how to apply basic computer programming coding skills for the management and analysis of biological data. The module provides an overview of the type of data produced by post-genomics methods such as transcriptomics and epigenomics and hands-on training of bioinformatics methods used to handle and analyse these and other experimental data.Bioinformatics skills will be taught via linked lectures and practical workshops that will allow students to understand biological questions and how to clean, manage, analyse and visualize the data in a meaningful and efficient way. Overall, the students will learn the best practices for organization of bioinformatics projects and data, use of command line utilities (Unix), use of programming languages (R, an open-source software environment for statistical computing) to analyse biological data (i.e. RNA-seq).

• Advanced Molecular Genetics (15 credits): The module will cover a range of current research applications of molecular genetics. Students will learn about research areas utilising molecular genetic techniques. Students will gain an understanding of current applications in basic, and medical research.

Then either:

• Extended Research Project in Molecular Genetics (45 credits): allows students to gain laboratory experience by completing a 45-credit experimental research project. The projects on offer include the chance to work in both ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ labs. Projects undertaken in a ‘wet’ lab involve conducting an original piece of research leading to generating novel data. The ‘dry’ lab projects involve the computational (bioinformatics, statistics) analysis of data produced from large population genetics studies.

Or

• Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Library Project B (15 credits): the aims of this module are to investigate and evaluate in depth the current literature related to an important and relevant topic. The student is guided on a one-to-one basis by a supervisor to formulate and summarise a research plan and write a fully referenced dissertation based on the research of the literature.

You must make up your total module credits to equal 120 by choosing either one (in combination with the Extended Research Project in Genetics option) or three (in combination with the Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics Library Project option) from the following:

• Immunology & Immunotherapy of Cancer (15 credits): The immune system plays multifaceted roles in cancer growth and dissemination and the nature of immune responses elicited in patients with cancer are thought to be critical in influencing or determining clinical course. Understanding the interactions between tumours and different components of the immune system presents opportunities for therapeutic interventions. 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.
• Behavioural Genetics (15 credits): This module will provide in-depth knowledge of the advances that have been made in behavioural genetics during recent years, as well as covering current theoretical, methodological, and ethical issues in the field. Students will examine the role of environment and genetic contributions to behaviour, as well as gene - environment interplay (gene - environment interaction and gene - environment correlation). Students will be asked to develop critical appraisal skills of the relevant scientific literature and begin to appreciate the interdisciplinary approach used within this specialised field. The module will cover a range of mental health conditions, such as eating disorders, anxiety, and schizophrenia.
• Epigenetics (15 credits): Sometimes biological phenomena are controlled by “epigenetic” mechanisms, i.e. mechanisms that affect gene expression and not by changes in the DNA sequence itself. Epigenetics shows immense promise in understanding fundamental mechanisms underlying cellular identity, development, diseases and will explain puzzling questions of why “identical” twins are not exactly identical in appearance and disease susceptibility. This module will provide mechanistic insights into how environment impacts phenotype. Even the transmission of inheritance of specific traits from one generation to the next, appears to have a “non-genetic”, or “epigenetic” facet that is the subject of intense scientific investigation: “We are more than the sum of our genes” (Klar 1998); “You can inherit some- thing beyond the DNA sequence. That’s where the real excitement is now” (Watson 2003); or Time magazine’s 2010 cover story headline “Why your DNA isn’t your destiny” (Cloud 2010). This course will explore these questions and provide an overview of our current understanding of the principles of epigenetic regulation.
• Birth Defects (15 credits): This module will explain how birth defects arise within a human embryo. The course will cover the development of several organs, discuss the gene mutations and environmental factors that contribute to birth defects and how research has increased our understanding of birth defects. The lectures will be given by research scientists and clinicians and will be relevant to Biomedical Science and Medical students.