Genomic Medicine

Entry requirements

You should have or be expected to achieve, a minimum of a second class degree (2:2) in a relevant bioscience degree with sufficient genetics content. For healthcare graduates, a pass is required. All degrees must be awarded before 1st August on the year of entry.

We may invite you to interview if are unable to make a decision directly from your application.

Alternative professional qualifications, or previous related experience, may be considered and we encourage you to apply.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Of all the life sciences, genomics is one of the most dynamic areas. The past 20 years has seen an explosion in our ability to explore the structure, function, evolution, mapping and editing of the human genome due to technological advances, including next-generation sequencing.

No longer is the focus of research and clinical work solely on the unit of the gene – a mere 2% of the genome. Instead, genomics involves the study of the changes that occur across the entire DNA sequence and their interaction with our health.

In seeking to identify how alterations to our genomes directly affect disease and health, genomics is also leading a revolution in healthcare by gaining a better understanding of how drugs affect people differently and thus allowing for focused treatment or ‘personalised medicine’, as well as avoiding toxic reactions.

We study what is referred to as the transcriptome – the total set of RNA molecules which represents the genes active in a given organism or particular cell type at a given point in time. Changes to the transcriptome can both reflect and cause diseases such as cancer.

We also consider the ‘epigenome’, heritable chemical modifications to DNA and DNA-associated proteins in the cell, which alter gene expression as a result of natural development and tissue differentiation or in response to disease or environmental exposures. In both instances, we seek to identify how these changes directly affect disease and ill health.

You will learn how recent technological advances have transformed how genomic data is generated, analysed and presented; how bioinformatics is enabling us to handle and make sense of big data and its impact across healthcare. In doing so, you will consider its relevance to a range of clinical scenarios, such as the spread of specific infection across hospitals, and identification of biomarkers.

This master’s degree, awarded by St George’s, is taught in partnership with King’s College London. You will benefit from the combined teaching and research expertise, comprehensive and specialist resources provided by these two institutions, as the UK’s specialist health university, and one of the UK’s top research universities.

Studying genomic medicine can help inform day-to-day medical or clinical practice, giving you a better understanding of what causes illness and the effects of disease, which is of interest to a wide range of health professionals. You can choose to study either single modules, a PgCert, a PgDip or the full MSc, which can lead to a range of careers including in the NHS, the pharmaceutical industry and bioinformatics, or provide preparation for a PhD.