Unit information: The Future of Molecular Medicine in 2015/16

Unit name	The Future of Molecular Medicine
Unit code	PHPH30015
Credit points	20
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24)
Unit director	Professor. Sergey Kasparov
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	PHPH20009: Neurophysiology, PHPH20010: Developmental Physiology of the Specialized Cell
Co-requisites	Concepts and Skills Research Project or Grant Proposal
School/department	School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience
Faculty	Faculty of Life Sciences

Description including Unit Aims

Students will study advanced topics in the molecular basis of medicine through a series of seminars. Recent trends and methods to study physiological genomics and molecular medicine will be discussed. The unit aims to develop an understanding of key concepts in physiological genomics and molecular therapeutics including:

• The use of model organisms and genetically modified mice as models of human disease
• The use of viral vectors for gene delivery
• Experimental and therapeutic approaches for regulating gene expression
• The risks and rewards of gene therapy
• Stem cells and their therapeutic applications

Intended Learning Outcomes

• An in-depth knowledge and critical understanding of selected aspects of molecular medicine, with an ability to keep up-to-date with recent developments in the field.
• The ability to gather information from the primary scientific literature and to critically evaluate the material and appraise competing theories.
• An understanding of the risks and limitations of genetic modification therapies.

Teaching Information

Seminars

Assessment Information

The unit will be assessed through one 3-hour summative examination in May/June, which consists of two sections. In section A (50%), students will be expected to answer one essay question from a choice of 3, which will assess their knowledge and critical understanding of the field, and their ability to gather information from the primary scientific literature. In section B (50%), students will be expected to answer one multi-part compulsory question requiring data handling/data interpretation and experimental design.

Reading and References

Reviews and key references from the current scientific literature