Regenerative medicine, clinical and industrial delivery. A one year programme involving both taught and practical elements leading to the award of a Masters degree.
The pharmaceutical and life sciences industries are investing in stem cells, either in direct applications where the stem cells themselves would be used for therapy or indirectly, where stem cell derived tissues will be used for drug screening and toxicity testing. With the increasing involvement of the major pharmaceutical companies in this area, as well as many smaller companies, it is clear that there will be a growing demand for a highly skilled workforce. This course is intended to meet current and future needs of the pharmaceutical industry and health care providers by providing a cadre of well trained scientists capable of fulfilling managerial, administrative, research and technical roles within the developing commercial Regenerative Medicine sector.
The programme contains both taught and independent project components and will cover key theoretical and practical aspects of the growth and maintenance of pluripotent stem cell lines, the directed differentiation of these cells into defined tissue phenotypes, and the maintenance of the differentiated state under conditions suitable for drug testing/screening programs. Essential elements of good practice will also be included, such as quality assurance and the regulatory framework that surrounds the derivation, storage and use of human cells. The teaching will be multidisciplinary and will integrate contributions from the fields of medicine, biology, chemistry and bioinformatics. It will consist of the following modules:
There will be an industrial placement of 3 months, sited within a life sciences company specialising in aspects of regenerative medicine. Financial assistance may be available to cover travel expenses to the location of the industrial placement. Students may also enroll for the taught component only, leading to the award of a Diploma.
The course is aimed at high quality graduates in the biomedical sciences who wish to pursue a career within the pharmaceutical industry; some may in fact have started on such a career and be sponsored by their employers to obtain the skills and training that we would offer.
