Undergraduate Course: Applied Biomedical Sciences 2 (IBMS08010)
Course Outline
| School | Deanery of Biomedical Sciences |
College | College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Students will learn the principles of both pathology and pharmacology as well as data handling and analytical skills (that is, biometry) in the context of developing the practical skills used by biomedical scientists to undertake both basic and applied research. The practical skills will include both the theory and practice of some of the most widely used techniques. This course will build on the knowledge and understanding acquired from the first year courses as well as integrating material covered in all the second year courses. |
| Course description |
Students will learn the principles of both pathology and pharmacology as well as data handling and analytical skills (that is, biometry) in the context of developing the practical skills used by biomedical scientists to undertake both basic and applied research. The practical skills will include both the theory and practice of some of the most widely used techniques. This course will build on the knowledge and understanding acquired from the first year courses as well as integrating material covered in all the second year courses.
1) Academic Description - the aim of this course is to introduce the students to some of the applied aspects of the material that they have been learning in other courses. It will be a point of integration for the content across the year between the different courses as well as enhancing learning within each of the different courses by further developing a variety of practical and professional skills.
2) Outline Content - the following is indicative and all will be taught in the context of what is happening in the other courses; that is, relevant examples will be drawn from the material being covered that week in other courses.
Practical classes
- the practical sessions will be designed to reinforce and extend learning in the other courses. Students will be introduced to some of the techniques used by biomedical research scientists.
Pharmacology
- introduction to what is a drug and the general principles of how drugs act (agonists/antagonists; high/low affinities et cetera); drug distribution (off target effects); metabolism (half-lifes, prodrugs); pharmacokinetics (including saturation kinetics).
Pathology
- introduction to pathology. Etiology and pathogenesis of different examples of pathology. Techniques used to identify/differentiate between pathologies. Interventions may refer to content in pharmacology sessions to close the loop.
Biometry = quantitative and computational biology
- Basics of probability/statistics: normal distribution (how to describe it, 68-95-99 rule, why it comes up a lot); correlation and causality; logical basis of reasoning: sufficient and necessary conditions (relates to developmental biology), if-then, and, or statements; 'exists' vs 'for all' statements
- descriptive statistics: visualising data 1: commonly used plots and how to produce them; visualising data 2: understanding and critiquing plots; conditional probabilities; absolute vs relative risk
- inferential statistics: hypothesis testing (did a general intro to hypothesis tests, Chi-square tests and t-tests in Year 1, but it would be good to have a refresher and re-visit t-tests for instance); non-parametric hypothesis tests (e.g. Wilcoxon ranked sum test), probably depends on 'Normal distributions'; correlating two variables; analysing time series; variation 1: sources of variation; variation 2: Analysis of Variation (ANOVA); common mistakes: p hacking, multiple testing,
- experimental design: sampling, dangers of pseudo-replication; calculating power
- statistical literacy: how to assess statistical information in papers; what to look out for when reading data analysis sections of research papers https://github.com/MelanieIStefan/understanding_data_analysis_in_papers
- working with data: data formats and 'how to share data with a statistician' (see also https://github.com/jtleek/datasharing); open data, open science; using Excel; using R; cleaning data
- computer literacy: basics of progamming (variables, loops, if statements); using a literature/reference manager; version control; building and using a website; getting help from online forums; reporting bugs
3) Student Learning Experience
Each semester there will be 4 x 3 hr practical sessions. Practical classes will be designed to introduce the students to techniques that a biomedical scientist might use in the context of material covered in one of the courses. These sessions will be written up as short laboratory reports. In the remaining 10 weeks for each semester there will be: 1 x 1 hr session dedicated to developing the students working understanding of biometry; and 1 x 2 hr session devoted to either pathology or pharmacology. If appropriate both of these topics may have a practical element; for example, examining by light microscopy relevant histological preparations of pathology.
The emphasis in this course will be on the practical application of knowledge and the development of relevant practical and professional skills as well as integrating learning from across all courses within the year.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Course delivered in China at the Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute. Only available to students on BSc Hons Integrative Biomedical Sciences.
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Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Full Year |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 28,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 56,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
112 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Exam: 35% total course mark.
Coursework: 60% total course mark, including 2 In-Course Assessments.
ICA1 (30%, Lab report)
ICA2 (35%, Data analysis report) |
| Feedback |
Students will receive continuous formative feedback through discussions in tutorials and practical sessions. Each week there will be set exercises for students to complete in their own time. The solutions to these exercises will be provided the following week and will allow the students to monitor their understanding and mastery of the skills being taught.
Students will receive feedback on summative course work in several forms:
- written feedback on each piece of submitted course work
- generic oral feedback on each piece of submitted course work as well as ¿meet the marker¿ opportunities |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Analyse and interpret data using core concepts and principles of pathology and pharmacology. Integrate this with understanding of body systems at the molecular, cellular and multicellular levels to problem solve.
- Identify and perform the correct statistical tests to analyse and interpret biomedical data sets.
- Collect, analyse, interpret and report data from basic biomedical experiments.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
On completion of this course students will have further developed their:
- knowledge and practice of common skills and techniques required to be a practicing biomedical scientist
- basic comprehension, as demonstrated for example, by their ability to follow instructions as well as identifying the key elements in a question
- critical thinking by using their knowledge of normal physiology to understand and predict the effects of both different pathologies and relevant pharmacology; that is, problem solving
- critical thinking by integrating information from other courses to enhance understanding of the material in this course
- skills in data handling, analysing data, interpreting analyses and presenting analysed data
- skills in acquiring and assimilating information from several sources including different courses
- time management by meeting submission deadlines in a timely manner |
| Keywords | pharmacology,pathology,biomedical research techniques,biometry |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Vaso Makrantoni
Tel: (0131)242 6424
Email: Vasso.Makrantoni@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Natasha Goldie
Tel:
Email: natasha.goldie@ed.ac.uk |
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