Course description

Our MSc Infection Biology course will equip you with the knowledge and skills required to join the global fight against infectious diseases which threaten humanity.

Infectious disease remains a major cause of human death but the efficacy of antimicrobial interventions continues to decline. The discovery of novel preventative and therapeutic interventions now critically dependent upon a detailed mechanistic understanding of disease processes, their impact upon human pathobiology and the feasibility of therapeutically targeting such mechanisms.

With a view to training a generation of infection biologists equipped with the skills to tackle this global challenge, the MSc in Infection Biology provides outstanding academic and research training in the molecular and cellular basis of host-microbe interactions in health and disease.

You will learn directly from internationally recognised scientists through joint research, thereby securing a sustained interaction with expert mentors for the duration of the course.

The course provides research training in fundamental aspects of infectious diseases, microbial pathogenesis, host interactions, antimicrobial immunity, and antimicrobial therapy. For the talented student this course provides an excellent training prior to registration for a PhD.

This course will equip you with:

• a detailed theoretical and practical understanding of molecular microbiology and antimicrobial immunology;
• a thorough understanding of methods for analysing the biological functions and physiological relevance of microbial virulence factors and host responses to pathogenic challenge;
• a working knowledge of mechanistic approaches to problem-solving in molecular and cellular biomedical science;
• an understanding of a wide repertoire of cutting edge scientific methods including flow cytometry, single cell technologies, imaging and proteomics;
• transferable skills in critical reasoning and reflection, collaborative team working, scientific communication, use of IT/health informatics, innovation in the application of knowledge to practice and logical/systematic approaches to solving problems and making decisions.

Aims

This course aims to:

• equip you with a detailed theoretical and practical understanding of molecular microbiology and immunology, delivered in-context during laboratory-based research and self-directed research of the literature;
• enable you to integrate molecular and cellular information to understand the genetic basis of microbial virulence, host responses to pathogen challenge, and complexity of infectious disease, diagnostics, and antimicrobial therapies;
• give you an understanding of the principles of modelling of host and microbial aspects of infection to help characterise the host-pathogen interaction;
• equip you with an understanding of methods for analysing the biological functions and physiological relevance of microbial virulence factors and host responses to pathogenic challenge;
• provide you with a working knowledge of mechanistic approaches to problem-solving in molecular and cellular biomedical science;
• ensure you have a working understanding of the application of a wide repertoire of advanced scientific methods at the cutting edge of scientific research, including flow cytometry, single cell technologies, imaging and proteomics;
• give you transferable skills in critical reasoning and reflection, collaborative team working, communication, use of IT/health informatics, innovation in the application of knowledge to practice and logical/systematic approaches to solving problems and making decisions.