The Organic Chemistry: Drug Discovery MRes at UCL offers students the opportunity to follow an integrated course of research and interdisciplinary study. Students gain outstanding training in synthetic organic chemistry applied to drug design, together with a breadth of experience in several areas of synthetic methodology and chemical biology.
Degree information
The programme provides a thorough foundation in drug design, advanced organic synthesis and molecular modelling, together with modules on research techniques, professional development and entrepreneurship. Students will carry out a substantial research project on organic/medicinal chemistry or chemical biology over a ten-month period.
MRes students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of two modules from the Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research (30 credits), one Master's level chemistry module (15 credits) two transferable/research skills modules (30 credits) and the research project (105 credits).
Core modules - students take 30 credits of transferable/research skills and submit a research dissertation (105 credits).
-Transferable/Research Skills
-Research Dissertation
Optional modules - students take 45 credits from the following options:
-Bioinformatics
-Target Identification
-Cheminformatics
-Biological Molecules
-Biophysical Screening
-Fragment Based Drug Design
-Target Selection (Scientific)
-Target Selection (Commercial)
-Principles of Drug Design
-Biological Chemistry
-Stereochemical Control in Asymmetric Synthesis
-Synthesis and Biosynthesis of Natural Products
-Organometallics and Catalysis
-Structural Methods in Modern Chemistry
Dissertation/report
Students will undertake a laboratory-based research project lasting ten months. An interim report is submitted after five months, and at the end of the project each student writes a dissertation, gives a short presentation and has a viva voce examination.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, problem classes, workshops and projects. Assessment is through unseen written examination, coursework, project reports and presentations.
Careers
The MRes has been developed in response to the needs of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors for highly qualified students as leaders in the discovery of new medicines. The pharmaceutical sector is a major employer in the UK and high-quality graduates with an understanding of the sector are always in demand. Our recent graduates have taken up PhD positions, are working in industry and have entered teacher training.
Top career destinations for this degree:
-PHD Chemical Biology, University College London (UCL)
-PhD Radiochemistry, University College London (UCL)
Why study this degree at UCL?
This programme is taught in collaboration with the Wolfson Institute of Biomedical Research (WIBR) which brings together scientists and clinicians from both academic and pharmaceutical industry backgrounds. The institute's strength is in its multidisciplinary approach to research, with the goal of identifying novel targets for drug development.
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