MRes Experimental Cancer Medicine
The MRes Experimental Cancer Medicine comprises four taught modules (each of 15 credits) and
two practical research projects (each of 60 credits). Students achieving 180 credits will be awarded
the MRes; students may receive a PG Diploma in Experimental Cancer Medicine upon achievement
of 120 credits. There is also an option for students to register for a PG Certificate in experimental
cancer medicine and complete only the four taught modules on a part-time basis for 60 credits.
In taught modules comprising a total of 7 weeks, students will learn the details of designing and
delivering these types of studies, understanding the pre-clinical data which is required before a
clinical programme can commence; and how to optimise the early clinical studies to provide the
platform of evidence to progress a promising drug into Phase II/III clinical testing.
For the remaining time, students will be allocated to one or more clinical studies in one or more of
the above four categories. Student will be the named physician, nurse or clinical trials coordinator
(as relevant to their background) for clinical trials allocated to them. Each student will have a named
experienced member of The Christie experimental cancer medicine team as their “buddy”/trainer to
allow the student to learn the practical procedures required to conduct a Phase 1 clinical trial to
Good Clinical Practice.
Students will elect two aspects of their direct clinical trial research experience as discrete research
projects to write up in dissertation format which introduces students to the skills and knowledge
required to critically report medical, scientific and clinically related sciences for peer review. Each of
two practical research projects will be between 10-15,000 words with examples of suitable practical
research projects being:
Type of dissertation
Research Proposal
Publication based/Dissertation
by publication
Service
development/professional
report/
report
based
dissertation
Adapted systematic
(qualitative data)
review
Full systematic review that
includes
data
collection
(quantitative data)
Example of practical research project
• Compilation of a research proposal to research council/charity
• Writing a protocol and trial costings for sponsor
• Research and write a successful expression of interest
selected by grant funder for full development
• Writing a clinical study report
• Authoring a peer-review journal review/original article
• Public health report/outbreak report/health needs
assessment/health impact assessment
• Proposal for service development/organisational change
• Audit/evaluate service delivery/policy
• Implement recommended change from audit report
• Compiling the platform of scientific evidence for a new drug
indication from literature
• Review of alternative research methodologies from literature
 Referral patterns for Phase 1 patients
Qualitative empirical research

Design, conduct, analyse and report an experiment
Quantitative
empirical
research
Qualitative secondary data
analysis/analysis of existing
quantitative data
Quantitative secondary data
analysis/analysis of existing
qualitative
data/theoretical
study/narrative review

Design, conduct, analyse and report an experiment

Compilation, mining and analysis of existing clinical data sets
•
•
Policy analysis or discourse analysis/content analysis
A critical review of policy using framework analysis