Module Catalogue 2024/25

Pre Requisite Comment

Programme Admission Criteria Only

Co Requisite Comment

none

Aims

The purpose of this module is to provide an up-to-date overview and introduction to selected aspects of Immunobiology. The module will comprise a series of lectures on recent developments, with an emphasis on understanding the supportive biological concepts. This module aims to address a major area of current medical research and to provide students with an understanding of the strengths and weakness of both the current subject knowledge in this area and the applied approaches to it. This module is designed to be multi-disciplinary, drawing upon the specialized expertise and research strengths of academic staff drawn from the Faculty of Medical Sciences. It will provide a strong platform for those students aiming to pursue research projects in cellular or molecular immunology.

Outline Of Syllabus

The syllabus contains the following topics:

• Basic concepts in immunology
• Adaptive immune responses in health and disease
• General features and mechanisms of immunologic tolerance
• Dendritic cells-based immunotherapies
• Cell migration in the immune system
• Transplantation and graft rejection
• Immunodeficiency disorders
• Autoimmunity: mechanisms and treatment
• Tumour Immunobiology
• Manipulation of innate immunity for immunotherapy
• Immunological defence mechanisms in infection
• New developments in cytometry-based technologies – applications in immunology
• Immunological Biomarkers: role in diagnostics, prognostics and theragnostics

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

By the end of this module students should be able to:

1. provide an in-depth explanation of the general conventions and principles of immunology;

2. discuss critically and with reference to recent literature, recent developments in key selected areas of applied immunobiology;

3. with reference to specific examples, explain how specific functions and functional perturbations of the immune system have an impact on health and disease

Intended Skill Outcomes

By the end of the module the students should be able to:

1. synthesis findings in applied immunobiology and explain these in written and graphical format to specialist audiences;

2. identify and select original research papers that are relevant to specified topics in immunobiology

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lecture materials delivered online will provide the students with a specific knowledge as a platform for private study. These on-line lecture materials, in combination with the present in person lectures (which will further build on the material provided on-line) as well as the assessment surgery will encourage the students to reflect on the state of knowledge in research in applied immunobiology. All of these activities relate directly to the learning outcomes above.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The essay will test students' detailed knowledge and critical understanding of a selected area of applied immunology. The ‘single slide summary’ assessment will test the students’ ability to succinctly and clearly summarise a selected aspect of the immune response within a single PowerPoint slide, making use of graphics and text boxes.

General Notes

N/A