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The 60-credit research project forms a major part of the MSc Experimental and Translational Immunology; it provides the students with the opportunity to spend 4.5 months undertaking a full time, original research project in one of the Divisional /IIT laboratories. The student will undertake a project supervised by a research-active scientist to investigate a problem of biomedical interest. The formal project allocation process starts at the beginning of term 2 when each student meets with the Module lead for a discussion about their research interests. Based on this discussion the Module lead will direct the student to a potential supervisor. Students will start their projects in April and complete them by the end of the August. Together with their supervisor, students will then formulate a specific project, design and undertake experiments and interpret /communicate their work in a final written report and oral examination. As an alternative students may also undertake a project which is based on analysis of datasets or an in-depth review of a research topic. In all cases, this module provides an immersive research experience.

Aims

To provide first-hand experience of the cutting-edge biomedical research and training in:

• Critical reading of scientific literature, and the ability to synthesise the current state of the field in written form.
• Ability to produce a research hypothesis and a series of research questions that can be used to test it
• Ability to design and perform experiments
• Analysis and interpretation of their own data obtained through the research project and to place the research project in the context of current literature
• Ability to present their research project in the written form as well as orally

Learning outcomes

Students will be trained in scientific method, interpretation and presentation of experimental data and will gain the following skills to carry out laboratory research:

• Generate, present, analyse, interpret and discuss scientific data
• Identify the key primary scientific papers in a field of research using appropriate bibliographic tools
• Critically read the relevant scientific literature, and be able to synthesise the current state of the field in written form
• Write a succinct scientific dissertation
• Present the results of a research project in written and oral form