Course summary

At the end of the MRes/PhD programme, candidates will be prepared for further postdoctoral training to produce the cancer research leaders of the future. The course design reflects our belief that, for this to happen, students need a much deeper and broader knowledge of cancer biology and its relationship to the clinic, as well as a breadth of experience of experimental work to make an informed choice of research area. The programme is designed to give students a broad understanding of both the basic biology as well as clinical management of the whole spectrum of malignant disease. It also allows students to develop their own skills in experimental science as well as in project design and management. The first year MRes degree comprises two research rotations, a weekly Lectures in Cancer series together with a week of intensive teaching in genomic medicine, and a one- to two-week placement in a patient-facing setting. The placement will enable insight into the rewards and challenges of cancer research and development of diagnostics and treatments. Project write-ups and development of a PhD proposal are also integral to the programme. Successful completion of the one-year MRes programme will lead directly on to a three-year PhD (with a potential further fourth year of funding for completion and writing up), usually in one of the rotation project host laboratories, which will allow in-depth study of a particular area of cancer biology.