Master of Science - Genomic Medicine

A flexible programme developed by Health Education England that aims to harness the power of genomic medicine for patient benefit.

Advances in genomic technologies and information are transforming personalised medicine for inherited disorders, cancer and infectious diseases. The University of Birmingham’s Genomic Medicine Programme aims to equip students with a multi-disciplinary perspective on genomics and its applications to clinical practice and scientific research.

The programme is suitable for graduates in medical and life sciences who wish to learn about recent advances in genomics and aspire to pursue a career in genomics-related research or industry. It also provides an ideal career development pathway for clinicians and scientists working in the health service who wish to learn more about genomics, as well as the challenges of introducing genomic technologies into a healthcare system..

The course begins with a brief revision of DNA, genes and genetics and updates these concepts to the scale of contemporary, whole-genome information. It will introduce students to the technologies for generating genome-wide data, and the bioinformatic tools that are required for its analysis. Students will learn how to interrogate genomic data to identify and investigate the pathogenicity of genetic variants, and relate these to real-life case-studies, providing meaningful information that can be useful for families affected by inherited conditions, or for patients with acquired diseases including cancer and infections.

Core modules such as ‘Genomics in Cancer Pathology’ and ‘Pharmacogenomics and Stratified Healthcare’ emphasise the increasing importance of genomics in stratified medicine - 'the right treatment, for the right person, at the right time’. Additional optional modules include an ‘Introduction to Counselling Skills used in Genomic Medicine’ as well as ‘Economic Models and Human Genomics’.

Finally, students can choose either a 60-credit research project (which could be a computer-based bioinformatics project, a lab-based or clinically-based project, either in Birmingham or at their home institution), or a 30-credit dissertation (combined with additional taught modules), to hone their research skills while exploring a genomics-related project of their choice.