MRes in Genomic Medicine

专业详情

The MRes in Genomic Medicine addresses the perceived skills deficit in data science and computational skills that is common in many postgraduate students. MPhil by research students typically require extensive up-skilling to be able to accomplish computational projects in the area of Genomic Medicine, typically meaning little can be accomplished in the time frame available.  However, the MRes in Genomic Medicine will first equip research students with the skills necessary to undertake computational genomics projects through a taught programme, followed by students utilising these skills to plan and complete a research project. The route to develop skills required for genomic research is under national discussion and one suggestion from this is the focus on postgraduate courses providing data science skills. It is hoped the MRes in Genomic Medicine will contribute to the training of scientists to work within the framework established by Genomics England and the NHS Genomic Medicine Service.

The overall educational aims of the programme are to:

• provide a research environment where students can learn the practical skills required for performing research in Genomic Medicine;
• prepare and upskill students with the most up to date computational and bioinformatic knowledge for performing genomic research;
• develop students independent research skills and understanding of research methodologies and clinical opportunities relevant to genomic medicine;
• develop researchers competence in using genomic and data science technologies for biomedical research;
• prepare students for either higher study (PhD/MD) or career roles in a research-intensive environment in genomic medicine-related fields;
• develop a cohort of students who are proficient in the wide variety of research skills necessary to plan and deliver Genomic Medicine research projects;
• encourage a commitment to intellectual challenge and evidence-based clinical practice informed by the latest conceptual and theoretical knowledge of genomic medicine;
• develop students’ intellectual, practical and transferable skills related to genomic medicine;
• encourage critical thinking related to genomic medicine;
• develop good scientific practice and record keeping;
• increase employability in the local genomics industry centred around Cambridge, where data science skills are highly valued;
• provide professionally relevant teaching and learning informed by research in an integrated clinical and research environment;
• conduct systematic literature reviews relevant to their research areas;
• equip students for entry into health care professional training schemes including postgraduate entry medicine courses;
• provide training for clinician scientists who wish to work on data produced from Genomics England and the NHS Genomic Medicine service as part of the diagnostic and treatment pathway

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

• to enhance the students’ knowledge and critical understanding of recent developments in genomic medicine
• to develop students’ knowledge in genomics research skills relevant to variant interpretation, rare disease, cancer and basic biomedical science.
• to develop students’ knowledge and understanding of genomic medicine informed by research in a rapidly-changing integrated clinical and research environment.
• to enable deployment of new knowledge in a research environment.
• to develop an understanding of genomic technologies and where genomic information is used as part of the diagnostic and treatment pathway.
• to develop students’ knowledge so that they have the confidence to propose and design high quality research.
• to update and extend students’ understanding of research methodologies and clinical opportunities.
• to demonstrate knowledge, abilities and skills to engage in focused, professionally-relevant, independent learning, and through the production of a dissertation.

Skills and other attributes

• students will be taught an up-to-data basic toolkit of skills needed for Genomic Medicine as a data science including the use of the Unix command line, R and Galaxy.
• students will gain practical experience in the central computational techniques in genomics; WGS, WES, variant interpretation, and RNA-seq.
• students will be taught the skills to access genomic tools and datasets from the EBI and Genomics England.
• students will gain understanding of experimental techniques for variant interpretation, including PCR, qRT-PCR, and techniques for exploring splice variants.
• students will gain understanding of the experimental techniques for NGS library preparation.
• students will develop the skills necessary to locate, read, interpret and analyse primary and secondary sources of material enabling the development of a conceptual and theoretical understanding of recent developments in genomic medicine.
• students will enhance their skills to evaluate current scholarship and research critically and to place this knowledge within the context of their own situation and practice as clinical leaders.
• students will develop the ability to formulate a research topic relevant to their clinical context, to collect and analyse primary and/or secondary sources of data, and to undertake professionally relevant research.
• students will enhance the facility to communicate the results of their ideas, research and its conclusions in a written form acceptable as a work of scholarship potentially publishable in a professional or academic journal.