Living organisms are impacted by processes that occur across a very wide range of scales. These range from rapid processes at the molecular and cellular scale to multi-year processes at environmental and evolutionary scales. One of the great challenges for modern systems biology is integrating measurements across these scales to understand gene x environment interactions. This unit will develop your skills in this area through critical analysis of a series of recent research papers on a themed topic in small group discussions. For each paper we will explore principles behind the key methods and the methods' practicality. We will look at how those methods were incorporated into an experimental design to address a biological question. We will critically assess the support for conclusions in their paper and their scientific significance. By doing this unit you will develop skills in reading and interpreting primary scientific literature and an advanced understanding of the modern topic in systems biology. You will gain a high level of understanding of the theory of key biochemical and statistical methods for analysis of genes, proteins, and cells in biological systems. You will gain the confidence to apply these insights to planning, conducting and reporting your own research findings.

We face major health challenges in today's society that require new insights and approaches from bright minds. Tackling the big questions in medical sciences and health requires the research skills that will inform tomorrow's health outcomes for individuals and populations. Immersed in a multidisciplinary medical science and health research environment, you will develop the core skills required to undertake laboratory, clinical and population health research. You will learn to design, execute and evaluate studies, and to scrutinise data and research outcomes. You will work individually and collaboratively in small teams of students from different areas of specialisation to learn theoretical and practical aspects of specific research techniques, as well as the ethical and regulatory frameworks relevant to medical and health research. This unit of study will equip you with knowledge and skills that will enable you to play an active role in finding meaningful solutions to difficult problems in a technical or research setting.

Advances in digital technology are creating new ways to quantify biological processes and properties, from the scale of molecules to ecosystems. The life scientist of the 21st century needs to understand how to collect, manage, synthesise, and communicate this information within a reproducible workflow in order to make robust inferences about the natural world. This intensive unit of study will introduce you to key concepts and tools across three modules: digital project and data management, evidence synthesis and meta-analysis, and scientific coding using R. The focus is on active learning, discussion, and problem-solving across intensive workshop-based practicals, rather than the traditional lecture format. By completing this unit you will further understand the practical realities of scientific inquiry. To that end, you will develop a flexible skillet for conducting reproducible and open research to ensure the results of your work are maximally beneficial to both your future self and the broader community. Knowledge of how to work with data through the entire pipeline -from sampling to synthesis-will be useful wherever it is encountered in your education, career, and life.

An indispensable attribute of an effective scientific researcher is the ability to collect, analyse and interpret data. Central to this process is the ability to create hypotheses and test these by using rigorous experimental designs. This modular unit of study will introduce the key concepts of experimental design and data analysis. Specifically, you will learn to formulate experimental aims to test a specific hypothesis. You will develop the skills and understanding required to design a rigorous scientific experiment, including an understanding of concepts such as controls, replicates, sample size, dependent and independent variables and good research practice (e.g. blinding, randomisation). By completing this unit you will develop the knowledge and skills required to appropriately analyse and interpret data in order to draw conclusions in the context of an advanced research project. From this unit of study, you will emerge with a comprehensive understanding of how to optimise the design and analysis of an experiment to most effectively answer scientific questions.

In the contemporary world, a wide variety of ethical concerns impinge upon the practice of scientific research. In this unit, you will learn how to identify potential ethical issues within science, acquire the tools necessary to analyse them, and develop the ability to articulate ethically sound insights about how to resolve them. In the first portion of the unit, you will be familiarised with how significant developments in post-World War II science motivated sustained ethical debate among scientists and in society. In the second portion of the unit, you will select from either a Human Ethics module or an Animal Ethics module and learn the requirements of how to ensure your research complies with appropriate national legislation and codes of conduct. By undertaking this unit, you will develop the ability to conduct scientific research in an ethically justifiable way, place scientific developments and their application in a broader social context, and analyse the social implications and ethical issues that may potentially arise in the course of developing scientific knowledge.

The capacity to interpret a biological concept and communicate scientific findings is a fundamental skill underlying all facets of medical and health sciences. In this unit of study, you will develop the skills to critique a wide range of scientific literature from peer-reviewed articles to unsubstantiated independent web-site claims. You will learn how to critically assess the validity of scientific information to distinguish between rigorous, scientifically-supported claims and pseudoscience. You will also examine key concepts in data interpretation and evaluation in relation to medicine and health. This unit includes tasks that will enable you to clearly and independently communicate your own research findings both written and verbally to a range of audiences including politicians, the media, the general public and the wider scientific community. The skills taught in this unit will provide you with a solid foundation upon which you can forge a professional career in the health and medical communication sphere.

Undertaking Honours in Cell and Developmental Biology will enable you to be part of world leading medical research within the School of Medical Sciences. Your Honours year will include a 36cp research project giving you access to the latest biomedical technologies, whilst two 6cp coursework units will aid in the development of fundamental research and communication skills. Research in the field of Cell and Developmental Biology aims to understand diverse challenges in medicine and health at the molecular, cellular and developmental level relationships. Our academic supervisors offer projects in the fields of cataract, cancer biology, embryology, reproduction and cell signalling. Completion of the project aims to provide training in advanced scientific methodologies, technical skills and critical thinking skills. You will be expected to design and carry out experiments, collect and analyse data and to statistically evaluate your experimental results. The findings you obtain will be interpreted in relation to previous research done in this area and to the general field in which the work is relevant. On successful completion of the honours project, you will have developed generic attributes of analytical and critical thinking, communication and laboratory research skills as well as an in-depth advanced knowledge of your chosen research topic.

Independent research can be a life changing experience. In this unit you will complete a research project in any one the disciplines in the natural and medical sciences related to cell and developmental biology. Together with your supervisor, you will identify a novel research question and develop a hypothesis. You will then design and carry out experiments to test your hypothesis. In terms of assessment, you will communicate the research plan and findings through written tasks and oral presentations culminating in a 20,000 word honours thesis. Successful completion of your Honours will clearly demonstrate that you have mastered significant research and professional skills for either undertaking a PhD or any variety of future careers.

Independent research can be a life changing experience. In this unit you will complete a research project in any one the disciplines in the natural and medical sciences related to cell and developmental biology. Together with your supervisor, you will identify a novel research question and develop a hypothesis. You will then design and carry out experiments to test your hypothesis. In terms of assessment, you will communicate the research plan and findings through written tasks and oral presentations culminating in a 20,000 word honours thesis. Successful completion of your Honours will clearly demonstrate that you have mastered significant research and professional skills for either undertaking a PhD or any variety of future careers.

Independent research can be a life changing experience. In this unit you will complete a research project in any one the disciplines in the natural and medical sciences related to cell and developmental biology. Together with your supervisor, you will identify a novel research question and develop a hypothesis. You will then design and carry out experiments to test your hypothesis. In terms of assessment, you will communicate the research plan and findings through written tasks and oral presentations culminating in a 20,000 word honours thesis. Successful completion of your Honours will clearly demonstrate that you have mastered significant research and professional skills for either undertaking a PhD or any variety of future careers.

Independent research can be a life changing experience. In this unit you will complete a research project in any one the disciplines in the natural and medical sciences related to cell and developmental biology. Together with your supervisor, you will identify a novel research question and develop a hypothesis. You will then design and carry out experiments to test your hypothesis. In terms of assessment, you will communicate the research plan and findings through written tasks and oral presentations culminating in a 20,000 word honours thesis. Successful completion of your Honours will clearly demonstrate that you have mastered significant research and professional skills for either undertaking a PhD or any variety of future careers.

Independent research can be a life changing experience. In this unit you will complete a research project in any one the disciplines in the natural and medical sciences related to cell and developmental biology. Together with your supervisor, you will identify a novel research question and develop a hypothesis. You will then design and carry out experiments to test your hypothesis. In terms of assessment, you will communicate the research plan and findings through written tasks and oral presentations culminating in a 20,000 word honours thesis. Successful completion of your Honours will clearly demonstrate that you have mastered significant research and professional skills for either undertaking a PhD or any variety of future careers.

All students in Science Honours must enrol in this non-assessable unit of study in their final semester. This unit will contain your final Honours mark as calculated from your coursework and research project units.