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Duration
8 weeks
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Commitment
6-8 hours a week
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Price
US$2,300
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Study mode
Tutor guided
Certificate of Achievement
Evidence your learning with a Certificate of Achievement from the University of Cambridge on successful completion.
- Start
03 February 2025
- Finish
31 March 2025
- Enrol by
27 January 2025
- Start
Discover more about this course from the expert(s) behind it
Course overview
Translational and experimental medicine is one of the fastest-growing areas of biomedical research. It aims to take findings from discovery science to develop and improve diagnosis, prognosis or therapeutic inventions and ensure that they are applied for patient benefit in clinical practice. How we set up and deliver experimental medicine is of importance to society, as illustrated by the impact clinical trials had during the COVID-19 pandemic– a period which saw rapid development in trial delivery.
In this course you will discover how recent developments in trial design, including adaptive platform designs, digital delivery and endpoints, are transforming therapy development in clinical science. Drawing on the expertise of world-acknowledged experts in the field you will gain an overview of translational and experimental medicine, as well as the various types of traditional and novel trial designs that are utilised, through real clinical examples, with a focus on the role of digital technology and a patient-centred approach.
This course will provide you with the knowledge to transform any clinical problem into a practical plan of action by adopting methods you’ve learned on the course to design a clinical study, and placing the patient at the centre of your work.
What will I learn?
By the end of the course you will be able to:
- summarise the concept of translational medicine with relevant examples from clinical practice.
- outline the differences between classical experimental medicine methodology and novel methodology and explain how they both relate to established clinical trials
- analyse the different requirements of therapies in the modern treatment era, spanning drug development, gene and cell therapies, and devices and technology
- explain the impact that clinical trial methodology has on patients and how a digital and patient-centered approach influences trial methodology and design
- design a clinical trial to address a given clinical scenario by adopting methods taught on the course, explaining the choices in that scenario and weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the chosen clinical trial.
Who is this course for?
The course targets people with at least a good degree in a related biomedical discipline or individuals with demonstrable experience and/or qualifications which would allow them to successfully complete the content. In particular, this course is for:
- established employees in the pharmaceutical or healthcare sectors who are looking to upskill or learn more about novel and digital trial design
- undergraduate or postgraduate students looking for a career in pharmaceutical or healthcare settings.
Course delivery
Our certificated courses reflect the Cambridge experience and values, with low student to tutor ratios and academically rigorous standards. Our learning model is designed to help you advance your skills and specialise in emerging areas that address global challenges. We will help you build your network through an engaging and impactful learning journey that encourages collaboration. Courses are delivered in weekly modules, allowing you to plan your time effectively. The assessment criteria will be presented to you at the start of the course, so you can approach your studies with confidence and motivation, knowing what is expected of you and how to meet those expectations.
Throughout your online learning experience, you will have access to your course tutor, who will help facilitate your learning and provide you with support and guidance during your studies. You can interact with your tutor through a range of media, such as live sessions, discussion forums, email or canvas messaging.
Each course includes a balance of:
- interactive learning and real-world application so you can directly apply what you’re learning to your own context
- diverse teaching methods to enhance learning outcomes which will be delivered via learning activities such as University of Cambridge academic led videos, quizzes and group work
- optional live sessions (1 hour) with University of Cambridge academics and tutors to deepen your understanding of the week's material. These sessions may include an informal Q&A, a short lecture or a breakout activity that builds on the content introduced that week. All sessions are recorded and made available to stream so you can catch up whenever suits you
- guided critical thinking via our reflective workbook so you can collect, structure and summarise information and your thoughts as you progress through the course.
What will I get on completion?
Evidence your learning with a Certificate of Achievement from the University of Cambridge on successful completion.
University of Cambridge course leads
Dr Ben Underwood
Assistant Professor of Applied and Translational Old Age Psychiatry, University of CambridgeBen Underwood is Clinical Director of the Windsor Research Unit in Cambridge. He is interested in clinical trials in dementia and experimental approaches which translate advances in basic neuroscience into potential treatments.Dr Mark Toshner
Director of Translational Biomedical Research MPhil, University of CambridgeDr Toshner's work spans early experimental to late phase development of therapies. He has a particular interest in improving efficiency in drug development by adopting novel techniques and digital technologies as well as increasing academic and industrial collaboration.
Course dates
- 2025
03 Feb - 31 Mar
Places available
Enrol by 27 Jan
Requirements
Level of knowledge
- a good biomedical degree or experience in the medical pharmaceutical sector
- a fundamental understanding of basic biomedical science, including receptors as enzymes for small molecules as ligands, genetics in terms of disease replicating animal models and basic statistics
- awareness of what clinical trials are and why we do them
- awareness of ethical trial design
- basic understanding of therapeutic development pipelines
- broad understanding of different causes of disease and clinical conditions, such as how common they are, their impact, and difficulties in performing trials in particular patient groups
- a level of spoken and written English sufficient to allow you to participate and succeed in the course (we recommend that you have an English Language level equivalent to an IELTS score of 7, as outlined in section 5 of our Terms of Purchase (Opens in a new window)).
Materials & equipment
- sufficient internet speed and stability for video streaming (2 Mbps up/down)
- please see our recommendations on web browsers (Opens in a new window)
- no specialist software or equipment needed.
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