Basic and Translational Neuroscience MPhil

The MPhil in Basic and Translational Neuroscience is a stand-alone postgraduate course in neuroscience offering both taught and research components. This one-year neuroscience programme is aimed particularly at those who want to prepare for later studies at PhD level, clinicians and others who want graduate-level research training but for whom a full PhD might not be required or appropriate, and graduates who plan a career in translational neuroscience, including careers in the pharmaceutical industry.<br/><br/>This course offers both taught and research components including a project rotation, research training modules, lectures, seminars and workshops, and the opportunity to undertake a wide variety of generic skills training. Students may participate in a symposium where they will have the opportunity to present their research.<br/><br/>Students selected onto the course will follow the structured MPhil in Basic and Translational Neuroscience research training. The aims of this one-year, full-time research training course are as follows:<br/><br/><br/>- to give the student experience of research work;<br/><br/><br/>- to expose them to a variety of laboratory environments and the balance of self-sufficiency and teamwork needed in a researcher;<br/><br/><br/>- to introduce them to the basic skills of experimental design, project management, time management etc. needed in research;<br/><br/><br/>- to familiarise the student with the practicalities of laboratory research, imparting an understanding of the nature of bench research, of record keeping and data handling, and of good laboratory practice;<br/><br/><br/>- to introduce them to basic analytical techniques needed to understand and contextualise their research;<br/><br/><br/>- to familiarise them with basic scientific writing and presentation skills.<br/><br/><br/>The additional objectives that are specific to this programme will be:<br/><br/><br/>- to attract students from a wide range of backgrounds into neuroscience by providing a taught module with a basic overview of neuroscience;<br/><br/><br/>- to provide students with thorough training in neuroscience methods, data analysis and statistics techniques;<br/><br/><br/>- to give students the necessary basic yet broad understanding of neuroscience to prepare them for future PhD studies; and<br/><br/><br/>- to provide students with adequate experience in neuroscience research to enable them to make an informed choice of PhD project if they so wish.<br/>