COURSE CURRICULUM

The taught stage of the MSc Neuroscience for Drug Discovery programme combines advanced neuroscience knowledge, laboratory training, research skills, and specialist study areas that support the discovery and development of novel treatments for neurological disorders. Core modules provide a strong scientific foundation. Advanced Neuroscience delivers an in-depth understanding of the anatomy, physiology, cellular mechanisms, and molecular processes of the nervous system, enabling students to understand brain function from the molecular level to whole-organism systems. Essential Laboratory Skills develops practical expertise in fundamental and advanced laboratory techniques, good laboratory practice, experimental procedures, data analysis, and interpretation of scientific results. Neuroscience Research Laboratory Competencies focuses on research design, experimental planning, laboratory safety, ethics, risk assessment, data handling, and analytical methods required for high-quality neuroscience research. Professional Development for Neuroscience enhances scientific communication, leadership, critical thinking, project management, teamwork, and other transferable skills required for advanced careers in research, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare. Students also select three specialist optional modules to tailor their studies. These include Advanced and Applied Synaptic Plasticity, which explores how changes in synaptic function shape brain development and disease; Abnormal Neuronal Networks, examining altered connectivity in disorders such as epilepsy and schizophrenia; Hacking the Brain, investigating cognitive enhancement through pharmacological, genetic, and technological approaches; Physiology and Pathophysiology of Movements, focusing on movement control and disorders resulting from neurological injury; Computational Neuroscience, which introduces computational modelling and coding approaches used to simulate brain function; Early Life Stress and Neurodevelopment, exploring the impact of stress on brain development and behaviour; Modelling Repair and Regeneration in the Injured Central Nervous System, examining strategies for neural repair following injury; Imaging Studies in Neurodevelopment, focusing on advanced neuroimaging techniques used to investigate conditions such as ADHD and autism; and Prion and Protein Misfolding Disease, which investigates the molecular mechanisms and scientific evidence surrounding neurodegenerative disorders caused by abnormal protein folding. Together, these modules provide a comprehensive understanding of nervous system function, disease mechanisms, laboratory research, and therapeutic development while equipping students with the scientific, analytical, and practical skills required for careers in neuroscience research, drug discovery, pharmaceutical development, biotechnology, healthcare, and doctoral study.