Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Cancer Research
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, Spanish,
Teaching staff
Questions may be answered before or after each class or during the individual tutorials at an arranged time.
Contact:Samuel Bru sbru@uic.es
Introduction
Cancer research is a multidisciplinary subject whose aim is to study cancer from various perspectives. During twelve theoretical sessions and five practical sessions, a group of leading experts in their field will outline the latest developments that have made it possible to decipher biology and develop treatments for each of the most prevalent tumours currently seen in clinics from both a basic and clinical perspective.
Pre-course requirements
No prerequisites
Objectives
The aim of this subject is to introduce the master’s degree students to the most up-to-date research on various cancer-related areas, both in terms of methodology and experimental results.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- C2 - Assess the suitability of experimental methodologies for research in different fields of biomedicine.
- C4 - Design complex experiments, planning and executing them properly to solve a hypothesis or research issue.
- C8 - Use language that avoids androcentrism and stereotypes in oral and written media.
Learning outcomes of the subject
- K4 - Demonstrate a critical and advanced understanding of a wide diversity of theories, principles and concepts, on major human diseases.
- K5 - Develop the ability to critically evaluate research in the field of biomedical sciences, assessing methodologies and, if appropriate, proposing new approaches/hypotheses.
- K6 - Have advanced knowledge of work dynamics in a biomedical research laboratory.
- K7 - Have knowledge of mechanisms that allow classifying and summarising the information that emerges from the research activity in the biomedicine laboratory.
- S1 - Analyse and critically manage the advanced research methodologies available in the field of biomedical sciences, discussing their use in various kinds of research.
- S3 - Be able to analyse, interpret and critically evaluate information, theories and complex concepts in the different areas of biomedical research.
- S4 - Have the ability to solve problems associated with practice in a biomedical research laboratory with a high degree of autonomy.
- S5 - Be able to solve hypotheses or research problems by designing, planning and executing complex experiments.
- S8 - Be able to argue, the of scientific results one’s own research or those of other researchers in an oral presentation.
- S9 - Be aware of how to correctly use scientific verbal and non-verbal language in oral defences.
Syllabus
Session 1: Cancer cell cycle.
Session 2: Alternative splicing and cancer.
Session 3: Cancer metabolism.
Session 4: Genomics of cancer and precision medicine.
Session 5: TBD.
Session 6: Child cancer (TBC).
Session 7: Brain tumours.
Session 8: Endometrial and ovarian cancer.
Session 9: Haematological tumours.
Session 10: Breast cancer.
Session 11: Liver tumours. Laboratory sessions: Synergistic effect of chemotherapy treatment.
Laboratory sessions: Synergistic effect of chemotherapy treatment.
Teaching and learning activities
In person
The training activities that will be used are as follows:
Lectures: Face-to-face and occasionally online. They represent the theoretical basis of the content of the master’s degree. In the face-to-face lectures, all students will be in the classroom attending and participating in the presentation given by the lecturer.
Case Method: In face-to-face classes, students will develop skills for detecting needs, communicating and defining and solving problems. This is mostly associated with achieving the skills mentioned in the learning outcomes. It is a type of experience-based and reflective learning that helps generate knowledge and skills. In the case method activities, all students are in the classroom working in small groups (3-5 students). The teacher guides and leads the activities and makes them more dynamic.
Practicums/Laboratory Work: Face-to-face, providing students the opportunity to interact with the work tools, through practical demonstrations of the theoretical knowledge they acquire. In the practicums, learning outcomes K, S and C are combined. The practicum laboratories are equipped to accommodate the entire student body (20), divided into groups of 2-3 students. In the practical activities, the faculty members will guide and help the students achieve the specific objectives of each session.
Virtual learning: Online teaching material; the follow-up and assessment is carried out in face-to-face format (in the lectures) or in virtual forums. This promotes student autonomy.
Autonomous work: Students will be encouraged to carry out personal work, such as the elaboration of assignments in the different subjects, contributing to the achievement of types of proposed learning outcomes.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
First sitting:
- Oral presentation: 30%
- In groups of two, students will be required to prepare a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation based on a scientific role related to the subject matter.
- Class participation: 20%
Interventions that contribute knowledge in the theoretical classes will be assessed.
A proactive attitude in the laboratory practicums will be valued highly.
Participation in the form of questions will be assessed on the day of the oral presentation.
Laboratory practicums: 30%
The practicum report must be submitted.
- Final exam: 20%. This consists of a brief multiple-choice exam that will be taken via Moodle.
Second or subsequent sittings:
Students will be assessed by means of a practical and theoretical test that will account for 100% of the mark.
General information about the assessment system to bear in mind:
- Attendance in both theoretical and practical classes is compulsory.
- The oral presentation will be assessed in accordance with the heading uploaded for the assignment on Moodle.
- The practicum report will involve recreating a laboratory notebook that shows the results obtained and their justification.
- The exam will consist of 24 questions with 4 possible answers, of which 1, 2 or 3 may be correct.
- Students will earn 1 point for each question if all correct answers are selected, if the proportional part is obtained. No points will be deducted for incorrect answers.
- To pass the subject, students must have an average mark of 5 or higher.
- To determine the average mark, students must earn a mark of at least a 5 on the oral presentation and practicum.