Biomedical Science – Antimicrobial Resistance MRes

Core modules will provide advanced training in biomedical research, covering both laboratory and computer-based techniques. Taught mainly in the autumn term, these modules will equip students with essential research skills. A specialist module (30 credits) tailored to each pathway will enable in-depth exploration of a chosen research field. From October to March, student-led journal clubs, guided by tutors, will develop critical appraisal skills through the analysis of scientific papers.

• Research Methods (15 credits)

  This module looks at a wide range of quantitative and qualitative research study designs and approaches, their advantages and disadvantages. We focus on good research practice, designing studies using tools and approaches to minimise bias and maximise scientific rigour.

• Research Project Planning and Management (15 credits)

  This module prepares you for conducting and managing a research project and includes ethical, legal, safety and time management aspects of research. You will learn how to identify and appropriately address any ethical and legal issues in your project, as well as safety issues when working with hazardous substances, organisms or equipment. This will also include lectures on writing up scientific work.

• Antimicrobial Resistance (30 credits)

  This module examines the major AMR problems and the strategies needed to reduce the current and future AMR burden, with a particular focus on healthcare impact, genetic technologies, and interventions. There will be an opportunity to learn about bioinformatics techniques, new sequencing technologies and ‘omics’ methodologies, and the enormous impact that genetics is having on understanding the epidemiology, selection and evolution of AMR pathogens. There will also be a series of sessions focusing on strategies to reduce AMR such as rapid diagnostics, antibiotic stewardship, dosing, new drugs, vaccines and phage applications. While studying this module, you will learn how to appraise and critically evaluate scientific papers, through a series of journal club sessions and presentations. Appraisal of scientific literature is essential in guiding your own research strategies and objectives, as well as peer reviewing other researchers’ works in your specialist area, for example, reviewing manuscripts submitted for publication in scientific journals.

Students will select one 15-credit elective module to complement their core and specialist modules. These modules will provide essential research skills for interpreting and applying clinical and biomedical data while offering a broad understanding of research governance and ethics. Elective modules may be subject to availability.

• Clinical Trials (15 credits)

  This module introduces the principles and complexities of clinical trials, emphasizing their role in evidence-based research. You will learn about trial setup, management, validity, and real-world application through lectures, practical sessions, quizzes, and online courses. Early lectures cover foundational concepts, while subsequent lectures, presented by experts in the field (internal and external to City St George's), will focus on specific aspects of trial conduct. Pre-lecture readings and seminar-style Q&A sessions will encourage deeper engagement with research literature. A key component of the module is an online research ethics and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) course, required for clinical trial work, with certification upon completion. Students will document their work in a practical session notebook, which contributes to the ICA assessment. The final ICA task involves designing a clinical trial protocol to evaluate trial design, implementation, ethics, analysis, and reporting. The module concludes with expert presentations on landmark clinical trials, integrating key themes covered throughout the course.

• Comparative Health Systems (15 credits)

  The World Health Organization (WHO) defines a health care system as consisting of: ‘All organizations, people and actions whose primary intent is to promote, restore or maintain health. This includes efforts to influence determinants of health as well as more direct health-improving activities’ (WHO:2007). This is a necessarily simplified definition, but it does point to the complexity of Health System objectives, functions, and infrastructure. This module will focus on addressing the following series of questions and challenges that directly relate to the comparative analysis of health policy and health systems.

• Data Analysis Skills (15 credits)

  Much of modern biomedical research generates vast amounts of data, including genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics data, as well as electronic health records and imaging data. Efficiently managing, processing, and interpreting these large and complex datasets require robust data analysis skills. This introductory module runs in term 1 and will provide students with an understanding of fundamental concepts and skills that will lay the foundation for more specialised, data-based modules in term 2 such as Computational Biology and Population Health Research.

• Practical Data Analysis (15 credits)

  This module will enable you to develop skills in understanding, critically interpreting and extracting data. You will be taught appropriate qualitative and quantitative data analysis methodologies, and how to communicate and present results appropriately in plain English. You will learn about both quantitative and qualitative data. Topics covered include graphs and descriptive statistics, confidence intervals, tests, regression, and the practical collection of qualitative data using interviews and focus groups.

• Statistics (15 credits)

  This module provides an introduction to modern data analysis techniques and statistical approaches, equipping you with the skills to critically analyze quantitative data and draw meaningful conclusions for your research project. The focus is on understanding the language and logic of statistical investigation rather than complex formulas or calculations. You will develop confidence in interpreting and discussing statistical methods used in biomedical, healthcare, clinical research, and scientific literature.

• Research Project (105 credits)

  This is the main module of the MRes course, providing up to nine months of hands-on research within an active team. You will collect, analyze, and interpret substantial research data, primarily from lab experiments, though some projects may involve meta-analysis of theoretical data. With a diverse range of research projects available, you will work in a dynamic environment alongside world-renowned researchers, PhD students, and postdoctoral scientists. Some projects may also involve working with clinical samples or staff on our hospital sites. The module runs from October to July/August, with a poster presentation in July and a final dissertation submission in August.