Show/hide contentOpenClose All
Curricular information is subject to change
The learning objectives of the Advanced Cancer Biology and Pharmacology module should enable you to:
1. Describe the major environmental risk factors for impacting risk of cancer development.
2. Understand the use of (chemo)prevention strategies to reduce risk of cancer development.
3. Critically evaluate existing and novel therapeutic approaches to cancer chemotherapy.
4. Understand & describe how knowledge of cancer biology can inform development of targeted cancer therapies such as immunotherapies & therapy selection: Develop an appreciation of how omics technologies are facilitating this process.
5. Describe the core issues, molecular approaches, challenges and benefits of developing targeted cancer therapies.
6. Understand how knowledge of the tumour microenviroment, tumour heterogeneity and drug resistance mechanisms affect drug efficacy, and need to be more comprehensively considered in future drug development to improve cancer treatment.
7. Describe how cancer genomics is implemented in clinical routine and clinical trials.
8. Describe Patient-derived tumour xenografts (PDX) as models for oncology drug development.
9. Discuss how the gut microbiome can inform development of cancer therapies.
10. Appreciate how Systems Biology and Modelling of Signalling Networks helps us to understand complex biology and to design novel therapeutics.
Lecture Topics (Provisional list, subject to alteration):
1. Introduction to Module / Cancer Epidemiology and chemoprevention
2. Tumour heterogeneity and the tumour microenvironment (signalling in ME determines metastatic potential)
3. Molecular therapeutic targeting based on cancer biology / genomics; an overview
4. Advances in cancer treatment approaches based on Genomics
5. Pharmacogenetics in drug development / treatment
6. Cancer epigenetics biomarkers and drug development
7. Advances in cancer treatment approaches II (Cancer immunotherapy, digital pathology, single cell proteomics, liquid biopsies)
8. Focus on targeted therapies and mechanisms of drug resistance
9. Nanotechnology therapy in cancer
10. Emerging role of the microbiome in cancer prognosis and response to chemotherapy
11. Overview on systems medicine approaches for personalised medicine in cancer therapy
12. Student Hot Topics Presentations
Student Effort Type | Hours |
---|---|
Lectures | 12 |
Seminar (or Webinar) | 6 |
Specified Learning Activities | 6 |
Autonomous Student Learning | 82 |
Total | 106 |
PHAR30010
BMOL30020
Description | Timing | Component Scale | % of Final Grade | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Continuous Assessment: Register and listen to three cancer related Cell Press webinars (can select 3 from a list provided to the students). Full 10% awarded for viewing the webinars. | Varies over the Trimester | n/a | Standard conversion grade scale 40% | No | 10 |
Essay: End of Semester Long Form Essay | Coursework (End of Trimester) | n/a | Graded | No | 90 |
Resit In | Terminal Exam |
---|---|
Summer | No |
• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
Group formative feedback session prior to the long form essay assignment will provide students with a better understanding of the expectations of the assignment. Formative Feedback individually to students by email or face-to-face meetings will be provided for queries they submit on the course content, course assignments, or questions over the assessments. Formative Feedback individually to students by email or face-to-face meetings will be provided for queries they have on preparing the course assignments (with a tutorial also on tips for preparing the course assignments). Student summative feedback will be given based on their course assignment grading and tutor’ comments. Feedback to students after the long form essay (in addition to the comments on their assignment for the grading provided individually to them) can be provided upon request.
Name | Role |
---|---|
Dr Maria Prencipe | Lecturer / Co-Lecturer |
Dr Jens Rauch | Lecturer / Co-Lecturer |
Dr Yan Yan | Lecturer / Co-Lecturer |