BMD3017 : Mitochondrial Dysfunction: A driver of rare and common disease (Inactive)
- Inactive for Year: 2025/26
- Module Leader(s): Dr Oliver Russell
- Co-Module Leader: Dr Sarah Pickett
- Owning School: Biomedical, Nutritional and Sports Scien
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
This module aims to provide an understanding of:
1. the relevance of mitochondria as central to cellular health
2. how inherited mutations can cause mitochondrial disease
3. the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in common disease
4. the complexity associated with developing mitochondrial therapeutics
Outline Of Syllabus
Topics covered by this module include:
1. A detailed description of mitochondrial functions and their relevance to cell function.
2. Exploration of the contribution of two genomes to mitochondrial function.
3. Overview of how mutations in either genome can lead to mitochondrial disease/dysfunction. Including clinical and biochemical presentations.
4. Role of mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenicity of common disease, such as neurodegenerative disorders and cancer.
5. Current status of mitochondrially acting therapeutics.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 1 | 20:00 | 20:00 | Lectures |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | Critical appraisal of recent mitochondrial paper. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 2 | 2:00 | 4:00 | In person workshop on mitochondrial disease presentation. Combination of in person and group learning. |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 175:00 | 175:00 | Includes: Assessment preparation and completion, Directed research and reading, Skills practice, Reflective learning activity and Student-led group activity |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures will provide the majority if the knowledge base. The lectures should stimulate the students to reflect and read further from textbooks and references highlighted during the lectures. The lectures will include links to papers, videos and books to aid self-directed study.
The seminar will support the development of skills to critically appraise primary research papers from the mitochondrial community. The students will be assessed on these skills as part of an in-course assessment.
The workshop will develop critical thinking in the context of clinical and biochemical presentations of mitochondrial disease and lead to a formative group presentation.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written Examination | 120 | 2 | A | 50 | Written essay question style examination. Two questions answered from a choice of four. Closed book exam. |
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written exercise | 1 | M | 50 | Critical evaluation of “AI generated” text. Open book (max 1000 words). |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Presentation | 1 | M | Group presentation (Max 10 min) within the workshop to interpret clinical biochemical presentation of mitochondrial disease. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
CW written exercise: This is linked to all skills and learning outcomes and enable them to demonstrate their ability to evaluate the veracity of a wide ranging article on mitochondrial dysfunction in disease and potential therapeutics.
Written exam: This will test application of knowledge and understanding.
Formative presentation (in workshop): will provide formative feedback on students’ critical thinking in the context of clinical and biochemical presentations of mitochondrial disease, underpinning the two summative assessments.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- BMD3017's Timetable