MBiol (Hons) Pharmacology Integrated Master's degree at the University of Leeds

You'll be provided with the opportunity to address a current human health-related challenge in a facilitated team-based environment. You'll develop the core skills necessary to tackle challenges, which may cover topics such as the prevention and treatment of disease or healthy ageing.

This module covers essential skills for scientific research in the biosciences (including neuroscience). It includes practical application of these skills in a laboratory and clinical setting, as well as skills that support research design, hypothesis testing, scientific writing and data analysis.

You'll be introduced to the core concepts underpinning the structure and function of human body systems, with an emphasis on how systems are structured, operate and interact. You will also discover how the environment, exercise and disease can disturb these core systems, and the underpinning physiology.

You'll learn about the fundamental processes of life, identifying the key concepts that underpin the biological processes in all living organisms, from bacteria to mammals. On completion, you'll have a comprehensive grounding in the molecular basis of life from the atomic scale up to cells.

You'll review fundamental immune mechanisms with a particular emphasis on human immunology and its relationship to health and disease. You'll discover how we protect ourselves from infection through our immune defences and learn about the role of different types of leukocytes and antibodies.

You'll be introduced to the diversity of microbial life and viruses on our planet and how we interact with microbes that are responsible for infections. You'll explore how microorganisms interact with each other, how they influence the lives of more complex organisms and learn how fungi, bacteria and viruses are observed and manipulated safely.

You'll be introduced to the underpinning physiological processes that govern health, such as nutrient function and metabolism, dietary intakes and food sources, deficiency diseases and nutritional requirements. You'll apply nutritional recommendations within the context of health and special populations.

Discovery modules give you the opportunity to broaden your academic experience and enhance your employability outside of your main subject area through developing a specific skill or pursuing a personal interest.

You'll develop your experimental, technical and computational skills. Working in teams, you'll plan and carry out a range of practical activities, including laboratory-based experimental projects and computational work. You'll explore principles of experimental design and hypothesis testing and develop more advanced skills in data evaluation using statistical methods.

This module introduces advanced concepts underpinning the study of pharmacology. This will include the study of principles of molecular pharmacology and an understanding of the drug discovery process. Aspects of cardiac, circulatory and respiratory pharmacology will be covered. You'll also study neurotransmission and the mechanism of action of drugs targeting the nervous system.

You'll build subject specialist knowledge by choosing concept units that most interest you. This module builds on year 1 and prepares you for specialist topic units in year 3. Units may include, for example, the neuropharmacological basis of disease or chemotherapy.

Aligned with key UN sustainability goals, you'll build skills in knowledge application, analysis and scientific data presentation. Working as a team, you'll research and create biomedical solutions to a global grand challenge, developing key academic and professional skills. This includes the critical analysis of research papers, communication, teamwork, planning, organisation, and negotiation.

This module explores the foundations in Human cell biology, the molecular basis of human cancers and approaches to therapeutic treatments.

This module introduces the interdisciplinary field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The need for and challenges of tissue engineering will be covered, along with the fundamentals of immunology and transplantation, tissue and matrix biology, biomaterials and cellular interactions, in vitro and in vivo models.

This module explores the anatomy and physiology of sensory and motor systems, as well as integration across different systems. Some aspects of this module will be framed in the context of disorders and conditions that alter sensory and motor functions.

You'll gain detailed knowledge of the immune system, focusing on human health, from infectious and autoimmune diseases to treatment.

You'll be assigned the topic of your Year 4 research project and will undertake a review of the associated scientific literature, highlighting gaps in our knowledge that you could fill through your project. You'll provide a plan of experiments that you aim to undertake to address your hypothesis and research objectives.

In advance of your Year 4 extended research project, you will be trained in research skills and techniques that are used in contemporary research laboratories. These will prepare you for the experimental work that will take place in the research laboratories during Year 4.

You'll be introduced to a range of research topics in pharmacology and the broader biomedical sciences, and develop your ability to collate, critically analyse, and describe scientific information. Topics covered will reflect current research interests of the School and may include drug discovery and development or cancer biology.

You'll build your knowledge of research specific topic areas led by active researchers in the field of study. You'll be introduced to a range of research topics in pharmacology and the broader biomedical sciences and develop your ability to collate, critically analyse, and describe scientific information.

You'll attend a series of compulsory and optional units designed to provide scaffolding and support for your capstone research experience. This will develop and utilise your research and employability skills needed for the research project and for the workplace.