Cancer MRes

Overview

Our Cancer MRes is available to graduates with a BSc in the life sciences or other science disciplines. It is also suited to intercalating and qualified MBBS or BDS students. You can take this as a stand-alone qualification or as an entry route onto a PhD or MD.

You'll develop your own bespoke course with our broad range of taught modules. This will include our core Cancer Studies module. You will take this alongside two optional modules to tailor your experience to your specific interests.

You'll then engage in a 24-week research project in Cancer Research.

Course content changes from time to time to reflect:

• important developments in the discipline
• the requirements of external bodies and partners
• student feedback

You may also have opportunities for industry experience and exposure.

Watch our introduction to An International Perspective

Our suite of MRes courses

The Cancer MRes is closely linked to a suite of MRes courses that you may also be interested in:

• Ageing and Health MRes
• Animal Behaviour MRes
• Applied Cardiovascular Biology: Molecules to Medicine MRes
• Biomedical Informatics MRes
• Biotechnology and Business Enterprise MRes
• Clinical Exercise Physiology MRes
• Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine MRes
• Epidemiology MRes
• Human Nutrition MRes
• Immunobiology MRes
• Medical Genetics MRes
• Medical and Molecular Biosciences MRes
• Metabolism in Health and Disease MRes
• Molecular Cell Biology and Cell Signalling in Health and Disease MRes
• Molecular Microbiology MRes
• Neuroscience MRes
• Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells MRes
• Translational Medicine and Therapeutics MRes
• Transplantation MRes

Quality and ranking

Professional accreditation review and recognition of professional qualifications in Europe

Professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by professional bodies to ensure they meet the latest industry practices and regulatory standards. This keeps your degree rigorous, relevant, and highly valued by employers, providing a clear pathway into your chosen career.

If you are studying an accredited degree and considering a career in Europe after graduation, it is important to stay informed about international standards. The best resource for current information is the UK Government's guidance on recognition of UK professional qualifications in EU member states.

This official resource provides essential details on:

• whether your profession is regulated in another country.
• the specific steps you need to take to practice abroad.
• which organisations you should contact to begin the process.

What you'll learn

You'll study subject-specific content in cancer research, with a strong focus on translational research for patient benefit. You'll add to these modules from a broad range of complementary options. The subject-specific module covers:

• clinical and pathological aspects of cancer and how these are used to guide patient treatment
• molecular mechanisms that establish and promote cancer and how these can be targeted by cancer therapies
• current treatments and how today’s research can be translated into tomorrow’s novel treatments

Your 24-week research project comprises the major element of the course. You'll receive supervision from an expert academic researcher in the field. This will give you hands-on experience with important lab techniques in cancer research. It will also provide training in developing research strategies and planning research projects.

Watch our introduction to MRes Research Project

Modules

The module information on our course pages is intended to provide an example of what you will study.

Our teaching is informed by research. Course content changes periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.

Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.

Some courses have optional modules. Student demand for optional modules may affect availability.

Cancer MRes modules

Compulsory Modules	Credits
Cancer Studies	20
MRes Project	110
Research Skills and Principles for the Biosciences	10

Optional Modules	Credits
Biomedical Additive Manufacture and Biofabrication	20
Biomaterials	20
The Biological Study of Behaviour	20
Ageing & Health	20
Experimental Medicine & Therapeutics	20
Drug Discovery and Development	20
Chromosome Biology and Cell Cycle Control in Health and Disease	20
Clinical Epidemiology	20
The Biological Basis of Psychiatric Illness & Its Treatment	20
Applied Immunobiology of Human Disease	20
Molecular Microbiology	20
Sensory and Cognitive System Neuroscience	20
Scientific Basis of Neurological Disorders	20
Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cells	20
Transplantation Sciences	20
Genetic Medicine	20
Surgical Anatomy	20
Applied Cardiovascular Biology: molecules to medicine	20
Exercise in Health and Disease	20
Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine	20
Human Health and the Impact of Microbial Genomics	20
Therapeutic Applications of Cell Signalling Pathways	20
Bioinformatics for Biomedical Scientists	20
Enabling Technologies and Methodologies for Biomedical Research	20
Theoretical Aspects of Animal Welfare	20
Practical Aspects of Animal Welfare	20
Human Nutrition Science	20
Global Health and Planetary Boundaries	20
Mechanisms in Genetic Disease: from Genotype to Phenotype	20
Metabolism in Health and Disease	20

Additional optional module information

Surgical Anatomy is only open to intercalating medical students.

Some combinations of modules may not be available due to timetabling constraints. In exceptional circumstances the running of some modules may be determined by student demand.

How you'll learn

Delivery and teaching methods

You'll be taught using a range of methods, including:

• lectures
• seminars
• hands-on practical work

Assessment methods

Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:

• Case study
• Computer assessment
• Design or creative project
• Dissertation
• Essay
• Oral examination
• Oral presentation
• PC examination
• Practical lab report
• Poster
• Problem-solving exercises
• Report
• Reflective log
• Research proposal
• Written examination
• Written exercise

Additional assessment information

You'll have a range of assessments. These will vary depending on the optional modules you choose to study. Assessment methods may include:

• essay
• critical appraisal
• oral presentation
• written examination
• project design
• graphical abstract or a problem-solving exercise

MRes Research Project

You'll choose from projects cover a variety of different aspects of cancer research. Proposals of projects are from academic supervisors within the Newcastle University Centre for Cancer.

The 24-week research project will begin in your second semester.

You'll complete guided but independent original research. You'll develop skills in:

• planning
• executing
• recording research
• data interpretation and analysis

You'll complete a written dissertation, lay abstract, oral presentation and poster. The project dissertation and poster will be marked internally and by an expert from another Institution

Previous titles for MRes projects in MRes Cancer have included:

• Use of methylation mapping to identify new therapeutic targets in cancer
• Creating 3D models of liver cancer

At the end of each academic year, we hold an MRes poster presentation evening. You'll showcase your research to your peers and the extended academic community.

Postgraduate student support

Our mission is to help you:

• stay healthy, positive and feeling well
• overcome any challenges you may face during your degree – academic or personal
• get the most out of your postgraduate research experience
• carry out admin and activities essential to progressing through your degree
• understand postgraduate research processes, standards and rules

We can offer you tailored wellbeing support, courses and activities.

You can also access a broad range of workshops covering:

• research and professional skills
• careers support
• wellbeing
• health and safety
• public engagement
• academic development

Our staff

Degree Programme Director | Dr Jeremy Brown

Deputy Degree Programme Director | Dr Gavin Clowry

Your development

The Cancer MRes helps you build the skills you need to:

• understand the current cancer research field
• understand how novel research findings can be translated into new cancer treatments
• become a confident researcher

You will gain understanding of how research and clinical studies can go hand in hand to improve patient outcomes in cancer and in related fields of biology and human health.

You will work on a large research project in a real cancer research setting. This will help you learn practical lab skills and how to understand and work with scientific data. You will also learn how to plan experiments and make sure your research is done carefully and fairly.

The course will help you improve your writing by completing reports and your final project. You will also practise explaining your work to others in presentations.

As part of the programme, you will work with people from different areas of science, helping you develop teamwork skills. You will also get support to think about your future career, whether that is doing a PhD or working in science, healthcare or industry.

Your future

This MRes can be a pathway for a career in scientific research in academia and industry. It is also excellent preparation for a PhD.

Careers

Graduates from the Faculty of Medical Sciences MRes at Newcastle have undertaken a wide range of roles. This includes:

• project manager
• research associate
• associate consultant
• senior analysts
• research scientist
• Marie Curie early stage researcher
• clinical research associate
• medical information and patient safety executive
• medical writer
• medical doctor
• research laboratory technician
• sales representative
• immunology development manager

Watch our introduction to Futures in Research

Our Careers Service

Our expert Careers Service is here to help you take the next steps in your professional life. We will support you while you’re studying with us and for up to three years after you graduate.

You will have access to expert one-to-one advice and guidance through our campus careers centre and online, along with digital resources, workshops, networking opportunities, and careers and recruitment events.

We’ve been awarded 5 QS Stars for Student Employability (2025). Many of our degrees are shaped by strong links with national and international businesses. We are committed to helping you access real-world experience opportunities and develop key skills through paid work placements and internships.

Visit our Careers Service website

Facilities

You'll work in the Faculty of Medical Sciences. This is part of our city-centre campus.

The Faculty is also home to:

• dentistry
• medicine
• psychology
• pharmacy

It is on the same site as Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary hospital. We are one of the largest integrated teaching/hospital complexes in the country.

Our facilities include:

• individual research laboratories where students carry out their projects
• a dedicated medical library with a wide range of specialist books and journals
• hi-tech computer clusters and study spaces
• dedicated facilities for a range of key bioscience applications. This includes flow cytometry, bioinformatics, imaging, genomics and proteomics

Fees, Funding and Scholarships

Tuition fees for 2027 entry (per year)

Tuition fee increases

As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.

EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals - tuition fee status

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support. You may be eligible for a scholarship worth 25% off the international fee. Search our funding database. 

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance.

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our searchable postgraduate funding page for more information. 

Search for funding and scholarships

Find funding available for your course

Select your country

What you're paying for

Tuition fees include the costs of:

• matriculation
• registration
• tuition (or supervision)
• library access
• examination
• re-examination
• graduation

Find out more about:

• living costs
• tuition fees

Deposit

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.

You can check this in the How to apply section.

Funding deadlines

If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.

For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.

How to apply

Open days and events

Find out about how you can visit Newcastle in person and virtually

Overseas events

We regularly travel overseas to meet with students interested in studying at Newcastle University.

Visit our events calendar for the latest events