KING’S COLLEGE LONDON
MSc Nutrition Course Handbook
2009-2010
Course Tutor: Professor Peter Emery (Room 4.42, Franklin-Wilkins Building) (tel. 0207848-4415) E-mail: peter.emery@kcl.ac.uk
This document contains a lot of information about the course and about the arrangements
made by the Department to support your studies. Further information about support at
School and College level and about some of the formal procedures relating to enrolment and
examinations is contained in the School of Biomedical and Health Sciences Taught Graduate
Handbook, which is available at enrolment. Please read both documents and keep them safe
for future reference.
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics
Name and Email
Major Responsibilities
Room
Extn.
Prof Peter W Emery
peter.emery@kcl.ac.uk
Head of Department,
MSc Nutrition Tutor
4.42
4415
Dr Christine Baldwin
christine.baldwin@kcl.ac.uk
UG B401 1st Year Tutor
4.04
4318
Dr Sarah Berry
sarah.e.berry@kcl.ac.uk
Dr Christopher Corpe
Dr Wendy L Hall
wendy.hall@kcl.ac.uk
Mrs Annemarie Knight
Annemarie.knight@kcl.ac.uk
Intercalated BSc Tutor
4.22
4088
Maternity Leave
4.11
4.108
4269
4197
UG B401 2nd Year Tutor
[Part-time]
4.05
4259
Dr Yemisi Latunde-Dada
Yemisi.latunde-dada@kcl.ac.uk
Dr Miranda Lomer
Miranda.lomer@kcl.ac.uk
UG B400 1st Year Tutor
4.45
4256
Joint appointment with Guy’s and
St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
4.103
4978
4.13
4081
3.87
3177
4.101
4255
Dr Anne Mullen
Anne.mullen@kcl.ac.uk
Dr Michael Nelson
Michael.nelson@kcl.ac.uk
Dr Sandra O’Dell
sandra.o'dell@kcl.ac.uk
Prof Victor R Preedy
victor.preedy@kcl.ac.uk
Dr Maria Pufulete
maria.pufulete@kcl.ac.uk
Seconded to School Food Trust
MSc Nutrition Admissions Tutor
PG Exam Board Chair
UG B400 3rd Year Tutor
Maternity Leave
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Miss Dianne Reidlinger
Dianne.reidlinger@kcl.ac.uk
Prof Thomas A Sanders
tom.sanders@kcl.ac.uk
Placement Education Tutor
4.10
4512
Head of Nutritional Sciences
Research Division
4.68
4273
Dr Paul A Sharp
paul.a.sharp@kcl.ac.uk
UG Exam Board Chair
3.70
4481
Ms Jane E Thomas
jane.thomas@kcl.ac.uk
UG B401 4th Year Tutor and
MSc/PG Diploma in Dietetics
Tutor
4.41
4350
4.09
4270
Dr Simon Wheeler
Dr Kevin Whelan
kevin.whelan@kcl.ac.uk
UG Admissions Tutor
4.06
3858
Dr Helen Wiseman
helen.wiseman@kcl.ac.uk
4.12
4437
Prof Catherine Geissler
UG B400 2nd Year Tutor and
PhD Admissions Tutor
Emeritus Professor
Prof D J Naismith
Emeritus Professor
Catherine Edeam
3.54
4394
Diane Nicholson
3.54
4191
Nisha Riat
3.54
4271
Laura Male
3.54
4324/
6341
Administrative Staff
Undergraduate administration
Nutrition-admin@kcl.ac.uk
Postgraduate administration
postgrad-biomed@kcl.ac.uk
Placement administration
dietetics@kcl.ac.uk
Professional Programmes
Administrator
Laura.male@kcl.ac.uk
Contacting academic staff
To contact staff send them an e-mail message, telephone or leave a note in the person’s
pigeonhole.
Student email
All students who are enrolled in the College are given a free e-mail account. Messages to
students concerning changes to timetables and other important information is usually sent by
e-mail, so you are expected to check your College e-mail regularly. You should also check
your own pigeon holes, in room 4.67.
Attendance and absence
In order to qualify for admission to University examinations and for payment of awards or
grants, the Head of the Department must be satisfied that you have attended sufficient
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lectures, classes and tutorials. If you are absent from College through illness for a period of a
week or more or for any period involving absence from an examination or timetabled
assessment, you must obtain a medical certificate from your doctor. If your performance in
an examination has been affected by illness or other circumstances beyond your control you
should go to the Academic Centre, fill in a Mitigating Circumstances Form and hand it in
with the medical certificate as soon as possible after the exam. Further information about
mitigation and absence from examinations can be found in the School of Biomedical and
Health Sciences Graduate Student Handbook - Taught Programmes 2009-10. Note that your
marks will not be altered as a result of mitigation. If mitigation is accepted you may be
offered a replacement examination at a later date.
Change of address
If you change your address during the year, please inform the Academic Centre as soon as
possible, or alternatively change it on OneSpace. It is important that we know how to get in
touch with you.
Personal tutors
At the beginning of the year you will be allocated a personal tutor in this Department who
will be available to help with any problems, whether academic or personal, that you may
wish to discuss during your time at the College.
Feedback
The Department values feedback from students on their experience of the course. You will be
asked to elect two class representatives to the staff/student liaison committee, which normally
meets twice during the year. Your views will also be sought using a course evaluation form
which will be distributed towards the end of the course. Any urgent issues should be
communicated to the Course Tutor as soon as they arise.
Student Lockers
Students in Nutrition usually use the lockers that are based in blocks, near the Dietetics
Kitchen. Lockers will be opened for use on 1 September. Students should contact Mr David
Lincoln, Room 4.81 or 4.161, FWB to book a locker. Usually around mid-July every year
students are requested to empty their lockers of all contents.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE
The MSc in Nutrition is an intensive one year course designed to provide broad coverage of
all the major aspects of human nutrition. As well as providing a sound knowledge and
understanding of nutrition the course aims to develop students’ scientific skills to a level
beyond those expected of a first degree graduate. It is designed as a conversion course, and is
intended primarily for graduates in other biological science subjects. However, it is also
beneficial for those whose first degree included some nutrition and who now wish to study
the subject in more breadth or depth, or to bring their knowledge up to date. At the end of the
course all students are expected to have developed a broad and systematic understanding of
nutrition, and in some areas a critical awareness of issues at the forefront of current
nutritional research.
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The learning outcomes for the MSc course are  to know the principles of nutrition, including the sources and functions of the essential
nutrients and other major dietary components and the effects of deficiencies and excesses;
 to understand the main factors which affect the production, acquisition and consumption
of food and nutrients;
 to understand the role of diet in the causation, prevention and treatment of disease and the
promotion of health;
 to be able to evaluate scientific literature relating to nutrition;
 to be able to design and carry out nutritional research;
 to be able to apply nutritional knowledge in a way which would be valued by an
employer.
No course can be all things to all people, and each student is encouraged, through reading,
essays, seminars and a major research project, to explore their own special interests. That
said, there is a core of essential material in the first two terms which dominates the lecture
timetable and without which the course would become unbalanced. Because this is a
conversion course, designed to introduce a great deal of basic information, many of the
lectures are shared with second and third year undergraduate students; tutorials, seminars and
practical classes are, however, held separately, and MSc students are expected to reach a
deeper level of understanding by reading more extensively. Over the year as a whole most of
the time is spent on work devised specifically for MSc students.
The Postgraduate Diploma in Nutrition is a shorter course consisting of the taught part of
the MSc course without the research project.
The learning outcomes for the Diploma course are  to know the principles of nutrition, including the sources and functions of the essential
nutrients and other major dietary components and the effects of deficiencies and excesses;
 to understand some of the factors which affect the production, acquisition and
consumption of food and nutrients;
 to understand the role of diet in the causation, prevention and treatment of disease and the
promotion of health;
 to be able to evaluate scientific literature relating to nutrition;
 to be able to apply nutritional knowledge in a way which would be valued by an
employer.
COURSE STRUCTURE
Dates
The MSc programme consists of five modules (see below). Teaching on the first four
modules takes place from 28 September to 18 December and 11 January to19 March. The
written exams are held around the third week in April. The summer term (from the beginning
of May) is devoted to the fifth module, a research project (MSc only). The project must be
submitted by a date in early August.
Full details of all timetables will be given at the induction session on September 25th.
Modules
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1. Principles of Nutrition (Masters)
2. Public Health Nutrition
3. Clinical Nutrition (Masters)
4. Nutrition Research Skills
5. MSc Nutrition Research Project
Information about the aims, objectives and content of these modules can be found at the end
of this handbook.
Lectures
The content of modules 1-3 is delivered mainly through lectures. References for further
reading will be given during lectures. You are unlikely to have time to read every reference,
so you should decide which topics to study in more detail according to your own interests. In
general, however, you should at least read the relevant chapters in Human Nutrition (see list
of textbooks), preferably before the lecture.
Workshops
Basic aspects of energy and the macronutrients is covered in workshops in the Principles of
Nutrition module. Reading material is given out before the session, then the class meets with
the lecturer to discuss the material.
Tutorials
These are designed to provide opportunities to clarify and expand lecture material. Students
are encouraged to influence the agenda for these sessions, to ensure that topics they want to
discuss are covered. The class will be divided in half, so that groups of about a dozen
students will meet with the appropriate member of staff. Extra reading or other preparatory
work may be required before attending the tutorial
Seminars
Seminars are intended to explore certain topics in greater depth, and to allow every student to
present the results of their own critical reading to the rest of the class. There will be a short
introductory session on each topic in the first term, then the class will be divided into small
groups. Each group will be asked to study the literature on one topic and then present their
findings to the rest of the class during the second term.
Practicals
These form part of the Nutrition Research Skills module. There are two series of practicals:
Laboratory practicals are intended to introduce you to all the major investigative techniques
currently in use by nutritional scientists, from anthropometry to the analysis of food. In the
course of this work you will learn a great deal about your own dietary habits and nutritional
status. The laboratory practicals must be written up and handed in for assessment by the end
of each of the first two terms.
For the practicals, you will need a copy of “McCance and Widdowson’s The Composition of
Foods”, and a copy of the Dietary Reference Values (see list of required texts). You will be
provided with a laboratory coat, which should be worn at all times in the laboratory, and with
gloves and safety glasses which MUST be worn when handling any chemicals. Please make
sure you read the Safety Notes which will be given to you at the first laboratory class.
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Statistics and computing practicals are designed to help you to master the basic statistical
techniques discussed in the lectures, and to learn how to use computers for the analysis of
experimental results. This part of the course will be assessed by a series of in-course tests and
assignments.
Essays
You will be required to write three essays in the first two terms. A list of titles will be given
early in the first term.
One essay will relate to the topics of food and nutrition policy and one will relate to the
sociological and psychological aspects of nutrition. These topics will not appear in the final
written examination papers. These two essays are both part of the Public Health Nutrition
module. The third essay is part of the Clinical Nutrition module.
The essay that you write during the first term will be marked and returned to you at an essay
tutorial early in the second term, which will allow further discussion of the essay topic and
consideration of how to improve essay writing.
Research project
This comprises a major piece of “real” research, carried out under the supervision of a
member of staff. The aim is to introduce you to the issues of designing and analysing
research outside the safe confines of laboratory practicals. Upon completion of the project
you are required to write it up as a thesis for assessment. You are free to suggest your own
topic for a research project, but you should approach the course tutor at an early stage if you
wish to do so. Alternatively, you may choose a project from a list which will be circulated
around the end of January. Research usually begins at the beginning of May (after the written
exams), and the thesis is submitted in early August.
In preparation for the project, there will be a series of workshops to develop key research
skills. This will be held in February and March.
Nutrition Profession Study Days
There will be two days of talks and group work designed to help you understand some of the
areas in which nutritionists are employed and to develop the ethics and values of a competent
nutrition professional. This work will be assessed as part of the Public Health Nutrition
module by a reflective report of a case study discussion.
Examination and assessment
There will be a mid-sessional examination early in January. This will not count towards the
final assessment, but will be a very useful guide to your progress as well as offering you the
chance to practise writing exam answers. Attendance is compulsory.
The final written examinations are held in April. The scripts from these exams are all marked
anonymously, ie they are identified only by a candidate number rather than your name. Each
answer is first marked by a subject specialist examiner, then the scripts are reviewed and the
marks moderated by a second examiner. Finally a sample of the scripts are reviewed again by
the External Examiner.
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The project report is marked independently by two internal examiners. The supervisor also
awards a mark for your performance in carrying out the project.
Under exceptional circumstances, you may also be offered a viva voce (oral) examination.
This would only occur if there were mitigating circumstances that could not be dealt with in
any other way.
Results will be published after the School Examination Board has met, usually in late
September. You will receive official notification of your result by post later in the year. At
this stage you will receive a detailed breakdown of your marks for each module.
Degree award
To be awarded the MSc degree you need to pass all five modules. The pass mark for each
module is 50%. The weighting for each exam paper and assignment is shown within the
module information at the end of this handbook.
To achieve a Merit you need a weighted average mark of 60% overall and 60% in the project.
To achieve a Distinction you need a weighted average mark of 70% overall, and 70% in the
project.
Failure
If you fail any of the modules you will be allowed one resit, which must normally be on the
next occasion the exam papers are set (ie the following April). Marks for reassessed modules
are capped at 50%.
COURSEWORK
Course work is an integral part of this course and must be handed in on or before the date
specified. The work should be handed in to the Academic Centre, Room 3.54, 3rd Floor,
Franklin-Wilkins Building. The final deadline for submitting coursework is 4.00pm on
the day stated in the module handbook. All coursework must be accompanied by a
completed coursework coversheet, which can be downloaded from the web.
College regulations state “Assessed course work not submitted by the stated deadline is
liable to be failed with a mark of zero.” This regulation will be strictly observed. If you
do not hand the work in on time you will get zero for that part of the module, and this will
normally mean that you fail the module overall. In order to allow for last minute problems,
you should aim to have the work finished well before the deadline. There is no penalty for
handing work in early! This strict approach to work deadlines is in your interest - the selfdiscipline and organisation you need to meet our requirements will help you prepare for your
future career. However, we appreciate that student life can be stressful and you may be
unwell or unable to meet a deadline for good reason. In this case you should fill in an
Extension Request Form, indicating how much extra time you want and including supporting
documentation, such as a medical certificate, and hand it in to the Academic Centre. This
should be done well before the deadline. The Programme Examination Board Chair (Dr
O’Dell) will then decide whether to grant an extension and you will be notified by the
Academic Centre. If you are unwell on the day the work is due to be handed in, you should
submit a Mitigating Circumstances Form. These forms are available from the Academic
Centre and on the web.
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Handing in Course Work
Any course work that is handed in needs to have a cover sheet stapled to it. The coversheet
not only carries details of the student and the item of coursework but also carries barcodes
that allow the Academic Centre to track the work. To download a coversheet, go the Virtual
Campus, select Biomedical & Health Sciences and then Print Coversheet. This will take you
to the following page:
In most cases, you will be recognised from your log in so your student number, family and
other name will appear automatically. If you have not been recognised then you will need to
fill in these details by hand. Your Student Number is the 7 digit number under the bar code
on your swipe card.
You will then need to select the course code module and the item of course work for which
you are printing the coversheet. When you click on Print Cover Sheet, a pdf of the cover
sheet will be generated which you can then print. Please ensure that all the details are correct
since choosing the wrong course module or some such other mistake may mean that your
work will not be properly tracked.
For some courses, your name may be omitted from the coversheet and only your student
number will be shown as evidence of your identity. This will be the case for those courses
where your work is marked anonymously.
There is a tear-off receipt at the bottom which you can have signed and stamped when you
hand in your course work. This receipt is not valid unless it has been signed and stamped.
If you have not been recognised and therefore have to fill in your details by hand, please
notify the Academic Centre front desk so that we can update our database.
When it comes to handing in your coursework:
 Do not put it in a plastic wallet any other container.
 Do make sure the coversheet is the top sheet
 Do staple all the sheets together
A NOTE OF GUIDANCE ON PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism is the taking of another person's thoughts, words, results, judgements, ideas, etc,
and presenting them as your own.
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Plagiarism is a form of cheating and a serious academic offence. All allegations of plagiarism
will be investigated and may result in action being taken under the College's Misconduct
regulations. A substantiated charge of plagiarism will result in a penalty being ordered
ranging from a mark of zero for the assessed work to expulsion from the College.
Collusion is another form of cheating and is the unacknowledged use of material prepared by
several persons working together.
Students are reminded that all work that they submit as part of the requirements for any
examination or assessment of the College or of the University of London must be expressed
in their own words and incorporate their own ideas and judgements. Direct quotations from
the published or unpublished work of others, including that of other students, must always be
identified as such by being placed inside quotation marks with a full reference to the source
provided in the proper form. Paraphrasing - using other words to express another person's
ideas or judgements - must also be acknowledged (in a footnote or bracket following the
paraphrasing) and referenced. In the same way, the authors of images and audiovisual
presentations must be acknowledged.
Students should take particular care to avoid plagiarism and collusion in coursework, essays
and reports, especially when using electronic sources or when working in a group. Students
should also take care in the use of their own work. Credit can only be given once for a
particular piece of assessed work. Submitting the same piece of work (or a significant part
thereof) twice for assessment will be regarded as cheating.
Unacknowledged collaboration may result in a charge of plagiarism or in a charge of
collusion.
Students are advised to consult School and departmental guidance on the proper presentation
of work and the most appropriate way to reference sources; they are required to sign and
attach a statement to each piece of work submitted for assessment indicating that they have
read and understood the College regulations on plagiarism.
Students should be aware that academic staff have considerable expertise in identifying
plagiarism and have access to electronic detection services to assist them.
TEXTBOOKS
The principal text which is recommended for the course is Human Nutrition (see below),
although there are other nutrition texts which you may prefer. You should purchase a copy
by the start of the course, if possible.
The other texts listed will be required at various stages of the course, and you are strongly
recommended to buy them, although you may prefer to look at them in the library here before
deciding to buy.
Geissler CA & Powers HJ. Human Nutrition. 11th edition. Elsevier, 2005
(previously Garrow, James & Ralph. Human Nutrition & Dietetics 10th edition). This book
is often referred to in the Department as “Davidson and Passmore”, after the authors of the
earliest editions.
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Sanders TAB and Emery PW. “The molecular basis of human nutrition”. London, Taylor &
Francis, 2003.
Department of Health. “Dietary Reference Values for Food Energy and Nutrients for the
United Kingdom”. London, HMSO, 1991.
“McCance and Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods”. Sixth edition. London, Royal
Society of Chemistry, 2002.
Barker DJP, Cooper C and Rose G. “Epidemiology in Medical Practice”. 5th edition.
London. Churchill Livingstone
Bland, M. “An introduction to medical statistics”. Oxford University Press. Second edition
All these books are available at Blackwells Bookshop which has branches in the Macadam
Building of the College’s Strand Campus and Boland House on the Guy’s Campus.
Preliminary Reading
It is assumed that everyone taking the course has some basic knowledge of human
physiology and biochemistry. Anyone who is concerned that their knowledge in these areas
may be slightly deficient, or perhaps a little rusty, (this means most of you!) is advised to do
some preliminary reading. It is difficult to find books which concentrate on the topics most
relevant to nutrition, and which are written at the right level, but some suggestions are set out
below. You should not attempt to learn the details, but you should try to understand the basic
concepts and become familiar with the terminology. Do not be put off by the seemingly
enormous amount of information!
Books are given as Title / Authors / Publisher. They should be available in public libraries
and major bookshops (eg Waterstones). If you have your own copies you will certainly find
them useful during the course.
Biochemistry
“Principles of Biochemistry” / H. Horton, L. Moran and 3 others / Prentice Hall
“Biochemistry for the Medical Sciences” / E. Newsholme and A. Leech / John Wiley
"Biochemistry and Molecular Biology" / Elliott and Elliott / Oxford University Press
Physiology
“Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology” / F. Martini / Prentice Hall
“Essentials of Physiology” / Lamb, Johnson, Ingrams and Pitman / Blackwell
“Human Physiology” / Vander, Sherman and Luciano / McGraw Hill
Nutrition
“An introduction to nutrition and metabolism” / DA Bender / 4th edition, Taylor & Francis
Study Skills
“The sciences good study guide” / Northedge, Thomas, Lane, Peasegood / Open University
Library and computing resources
You will be given a talk on the use of the library (Information Services Centre) at the
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beginning of the course. When you visit the library you will find leaflets explaining what is
in the library and how to find the material you need.
In addition to the library at this campus, and the other campuses of King’s College London,
there are several other libraries which, as University of London students, you are entitled to
use (although not to take books out). Consult the University of London Union List of Serials
in our own library to find out where journals that you may want are held.
Another very useful library which houses medical, nutritional and epidemiological journals is
located at:
The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, WC1 (nearest tube
stations: Tottenham Court Road and Goodge Street).
Another very comprehensive library, which now houses the University Library’s science
collection is:
University College Library, Gower Street, London WC1 (nearest tube stations: Goodge
Street, Warren Street or Euston Square).
A lot of useful material is also available on the internet, but you will need to be selective as
some of it is of very dubious quality. A starting point for some of the more reliable nutritionrelated sites is the Departmental resource page at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/biohealth/depts/nutrition/internet.html
Student computing facilities are available in the Library and in the Public Access
Workstation (PAWS) rooms. These provide free access to e-mail and the internet as well as
word processing and common office-type software. You may use the PAWS rooms on any
of the College campuses.
Other activities
The Nutrition Society This is the national forum for nutritionists in the UK. One major
meeting is held in the summer each year, with a smaller meeting in London in February and
other meetings, often in collaboration with other societies throughout the year. Student
membership is available for a nominal fee. For further information, contact:
The Nutrition Society
10 Cambridge Court
210 Shepherd’s Bush Road
London W6 7NJ
Tel: 020-7602-0228 or visit their website at www.nutsoc.org.uk
Student Nutrition Society (Nutrition Extra) The undergraduate students organise a Nutrition
Society in the College to which speakers on popular topics in nutrition are invited. Meetings
are held roughly every fortnight during term time (usually at 5:30), the topic and speaker
being advertised by poster and/or e-mail in the previous week. All members of the
Department (staff and students) are invited to the Society’s activities.
Research Seminars The Nutritional Sciences Research Division holds a series of research
seminars throughout the year. These will be advertised by e-mail. Invited speakers present
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up-to-date research findings and are usually specialists in their fields. They are often
challenging in their science or outlook, and these meetings provide a lively forum for indepth discussion of a wide variety of topics. All staff and postgraduate students in the
Department are invited to attend.
English Language Centre
The ELC offers different types of Academic English and Study Skills support that should
cover the challenges that all King’s students, whatever stage they are at in their education, are
facing. All the provision is free and runs throughout the academic year. We divide the
lectures and classes into two different streams; In-sessional and Study Skills support.
In-sessional Support
This support is for you if your first language is not English, and:

You are concerned about areas of your academic English and how you will cope in
the University

You have little or no experience of studying in an academic English environment
For full information on the courses and support available, please follow this link
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/humanities/depts/elc/kings/support/
Study Skills Support
This support is for you if you feel the challenges you are facing at King’s are not necessarily
to do with academic English expectations. For example:

You may be worried about methodology in dissertations

You might be confused by the expectations placed upon you to organise your own
study time

Your tutors may be referring to academic ‘style’ and how you must improve this, but
it is not clear to you what this exactly is…
For information on how we can help you in these areas (and many more), please follow this
link:
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/humanities/depts/elc/kings/study/
Tutorials
From Term 2, the English Language Centre also offers KCL students individual writing
tutorials focussing on a piece of work in progress and ways in which it can be improved. You
can either meet tutors face to face or discuss work via email. For more information on these
tutorials, please follow this link.
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/humanities/depts/elc/kings/writingtutorials/
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Please note that these tutorials start in Term 2. We hope that you can find the answers to
many of the new challenges you face by registering for the classes the Centre puts on during
Term 1.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us:
English Language Centre
26-29 Drury Lane,
London WC2B 2RL.
Telephone:
Fax:
Email:
Website:
020 7848 1600
02 07848 1601
elc@kcl.ac.uk
www.kcl.ac.uk/elc
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APPENDIX – MODULE INFORMATION
1. PRINCIPLES OF NUTRITION (MASTERS)
7BBN0004
Credit value: 40 credits
Assessment: Two written exam papers, 2 hours each (45% each); one seminar (10%). One of
the written papers will require short answers, one will require essay answers.
Aim: To build on students’ existing knowledge of biological sciences to provide a broad
knowledge of nutrition and an in-depth understanding of the principles of nutritional science.
Learning outcomes:
At the end of the module the student will have:
 detailed knowledge of the sources and functions of the essential nutrients and other
major dietary components,
 detailed knowledge of the effects of deficiencies and excesses of the essential
nutrients,
 understanding of the factors that determine the chemical composition, production and
supply of food,
 increased knowledge of the methods used for acquiring and interpreting nutritional,
biological and epidemiological information,
 improved ability to analyse, synthesise and summarise information critically,
 improved ability to recognise the moral, ethical and social implications of scientific
investigations and human intervention in the food chain.
Content: lectures, workshops and tutorials on the following topics (number of lectures in
brackets). NB this is only a guide, details of the coverage of each topic may change slightly
from year to year:
Sources of energy (1)
Types of energy. Dietary sources of energy. Methods of measurement. Gross, digestible and
metabolisable energy. Food tables.
Commodities (4)
Lectures on the major groups of foods consumed around the world – cereals, roots and
tubers, dairy products, meat and fish, legumes, fruit and vegetables. The contribution of each
group to a complete diet with reference to composition, amount consumed and nutritional
implications of storage, processing and preparation methods.
Energy (Workshop)
Definition of energy requirements; principles of respiration/combustion, direct and indirect
calorimetry; components of energy expenditure, techniques of measurement, short-term and
habitual daily expenditure; energy reference values, basis of assessment for children,
adolescents, adults, pregnancy, lactation; glossary of terms.
Assessment of Nutritional Status (6)
Anthropometric, clinical, biochemical and dietary assessment of nutritional status.
14
Reading:
Gibson RS. Principles of Nutritional Assessment. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press;
2005. Gibson RS “Nutritional assessment: a laboratory manual” Oxford: OUP 1993
Geissler C and Powers H, editors. Human Nutrition. 11th ed. Edinburgh: Elsevier Churchill
Livingston; 2005.
Bates et al. Biochemical markers of nutrient intake. In Margetts B and Nelson M, editors.
Design concepts in Nutritional Epidemiology. 2nd edition. 1997.
Jelliffe DB “Community nutritional assessment: with special reference to technically less
developed countries” Oxford: Oxford Medical Publications, 1989.
Wright RA and Heymsfeld S (eds) “Nutritional assessment” Oxford: Blackwell Scientific
Publications, 1984.
Dietary assessment (1)
Techniques for assessment of food consumption and nutrient intake at national, regional,
household and individual level. Strengths and weaknesses of different approaches.
Anthropometry (1)
Commonly used measurements and indices of linear growth and body composition in
individuals and population groups and their interpretation according existing reference
standards; Principles of use in the assessment of under and over nutrition and for
standardisation of other biological parameters;
Biochemical assessment (2)
Choices of tissues and body fluids samples used in biochemical assessment. Types of
biochemical tests. Overview of biochemical markers of nutritional status and intake.
Biochemical markers of nutritional status for individual nutrients (proteins, iron, vitamin A,
vitamin E, vitamin D, vitamin C, B vitamins). Biochemical markers of dietary intake
(recovery, concentration biomarkers).
Clinical assessment (1)
Taking medical history; Physical examination – limitations, overview of physical signs and
their interpretation; Functional status assessment.
Growth (1)
Patterns of normal human growth in males and females; normal range and distribution,
growth charts; growth in height, weight, adiposity, and in specific organs and cells; critical
periods, comparison with other species.
Carbohvdrates (Workshop)
Roles of carbohydrates in the diet. Chemistry and classification of carbohydrates - sugars,
starch and non-starch polysaccharides. Analytical methods. Food sources. Digestion,
absorption and metabolism. Introduction to applied aspects including dietary fibre, dental
caries, obesity.
Fats (Workshop + 1 lecture on essential fatty acids))
Role of fat in the diet and upper and lower estimates of desirable levels in the diet. Chemistry
of fats; saturated, unsaturated fatty acids. Essential fatty acid deficiency . Eicosanoids. Health
effects
Reading:
Sanders T & Emery P. The Molecular Basis of Human Nutrition. Taylor Francis, London,
2003.
15
http://www.lipid.co.uk
Role fat in human nutrition
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/kis/schools/life_sciences/health/nutrition/academics_staff/tabs/fatfao.ht
ml
Proteins (Workshop)
Structure and functions of proteins and amino acids. Analytical methods. Food sources.
Digestion, absorption and metabolism. Essential and non-essential amino acids. Protein
quality definition and measurement - nitrogen balance, biological value and chemical score.
Requirements and recommendations. Effects of high and low intakes.
Nutritional anaemias (3)
Prevalence. Iron absorption, transport, stores, losses. Nutritional deficiency. Assessment
of iron deficiency. Anaemia in pregnancy, Anaemia of chronic disease. Role of folate and
vitamin Bl2.
Reading:
British Nutrition Foundation. “Iron: nutritional and physiological significance” London:
Chapman Hall, 1995
Vitamin C (1)
Historical background used to illustrate the concept of a clinical trial. Chemistry and dietary
sources. Influence of food preparation on vitamin C content. Scurvy. Biochemical function
of ascorbic acid in hydroxylation reactions. Pharmacological effects of large amounts of
vitamin C.
Reference:
Carpenter, K.J. The History of Scurvy and Vitamin C (1986). Cambridge University Press.
B-vitamins (6)
Thiamin. History of discovery of vitamins. Clinical features of beri-beri. Biochemical
function of thiamin. Dietary aetiology of thiamin deficiency.
Niacin. Pellagra, clinical features, non-nutritional pellagra. Metabolism, interactions of
tryptophan, leucine, pyridoxine. Food sources - effect of processing. Functions of NAD and
NADP.
Riboflavin. Discovery; functions of flavoproteins; glutathione reductase test; deficiency;
food sources.
Pyridoxine. Metabolic function; deficiency and dependency states; tryptophan load test;
effect of oestrogens on pyridoxine status; toxicity.
Biotin. Metabolic functions; deficiency; avidin as an anti-vitamin. Metabolism, food sources
Folate and B12. Metabolic functions. B12 and folate deficiency and how B12 deficiency can
be masked by folate. B12 deficiency in vegans. Folate and neural tube defects; folate,
homocysteine and cardiovascular risk; the case for food fortification.
Vitamin A (1)
Historical background. Night blindness and xerosis. Xeropthalmia and keratomalacia.
Chemistry and metabolism of retinol and carotenoids. Dietary sources. Somatic, visual and
reproductive functions of retinol. Toxicity. Assessment of requirement - retinol is used as a
model to explain the concept.
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Retinol and cancer. Therapeutic use of retinoids and beta-carotene in skin disorders and
cancer - used as an example of the pharmacological use of a vitamin.
Reading:
Sight and Life Manual. Basel, Switzerland www.sightandlife.org
Sanders T and Emery P. The Molecular Basis of Human Nutrition. Taylor Frances: London,
2003
Vitamin E and K (1)
Deficiency. Chemistry and occurrence in foods and assay. Examples of vitamin that can
occur in several forms. Role of vitamin E as a chain-breaking anti-oxidant. Free radicals and
disease. Role of vitamin E in protection against oxidative stress.
Role of vitamin K in synthesis of gamma carboxyglutamate in the synthesis glycoproteins
and clotting factors. Antagonist of vitamin K metabolism. Pharmacological uses of vitamin
K.
References:
Diplock, A.T. (1985) Vitamin E. In Fat-soluble vitamins p154-224. Heineman: London
Suttie, J.W. (1985) Vitamin K. In Fat-soluble vitamins p225-311. Heineman: London
Nutrition and infestation (1)
Definition, classification and characteristics of parasites. Interactions between parasitic
infestation, immunity and nutritional status. Illustrated with real specimens, slides and
videotape.
Reference:
Cox FEG “Modern parasitology”. Oxford: Blackwell Science, 1993.
Nutrition and Infection (1)
Calcium.Phosphate and vitamin D (2)
Dietary sources. Recommended intakes. Role in bone formation. Rickets, osteomalacia,
hypercalcaemia.
Reference:
Theobald, H.E. (2005) Dietary calcium and health. British Nutrition Foundation Nutrition
Bulletin 30, 237-277
Dietary Reference Values (2)
Definition. Theoretical considerations: requirements and recommendations. Methods for
determining requirements and setting recommendations. Applications.
Minerals (8)
Physiological roles of minerals and trace elements. Introduction to mineral balances; units;
methodology, Nutritional significance of the following minerals:
Sodium. Contribution of different sources of sodium in the diet; low sodium diets.
Deficiency and excess of sodium; control of sodium excretion. Association of high sodium
intake with hypertension and gastric cancer; scope for reduction of sodium intake.
Potassium.
Physiological roles; food sources; depletion and excess. Potassium and
hypertension.
Fluoride. Range of intakes - fluorosis. Fluoride and dental caries; bone health.
Iodine. Food sources; metabolism; control of thyroid function. Goitre classification,
incidence, complication, goitrogens, treatment and prevention.
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Zinc. Functions, food sources, metabolism, assessment of status. Deficiencies - acute and
chronic.
Selenium. Abundance in foods - deficiencies and excesses in animals. Biochemistry glutathione peroxidase, Selenoproteins. Keshan disease.
Copper. Role in anaemia-ceruloplasmin. Wilson's disease, Menkes disease. Copper
containing enzymes.Copper deficiency.
Chromium. Glucose tolerance factor. toxicity.
Iron. Functions, food sources, absorption, transport, stores, losses. Iron deficiency and
overload.
Diet and dental health (1)
Epidemiology, process of dental decay, age of tooth development. Role of bacteria,
dietary, genetic and structural factors. Relative cariogenicity of carbohydrates,
importance of CHO form and frequency. Fluoride and other protective factors.
Reference:
BNF Oral Health - Diet and other factors. British Nutrition Foundation 1999
Adverse reactions to food (1)
Definitions of food intolerance, food allergy and food aversion. Mechanisms. Characteristic
presentation of cases in childhood and adult life. Investigations - blood tests and elimination
diets. Key points from RCP report: prevalence, problems (diagnostic methods, defining cases,
determining prevalence).
Animal Nutrition (4)
Nutrition of commercially important farm animals compared with man. Economic
considerations in animal production. Consumer pressures and development of animal
products to meet human nutritional targets.
Xerophthalmia (1)
The prevalence and causes of vitamin A deficiency disease. Strategies to prevent VADD.
Supplementation, fortification and increasing dietary diversity. Interaction with infection
Sight and Life Manual
www.sightandlife.org
Rickets and osteomalacia (1)
Iodine deficiency diseases (1)
Protein Energy Malnutrition (1)
Definitions, assessment, clinical signs, causes, approaches to management.
Nutritional Effects of Food Processing (2)
Introduction - nutrient losses and the compositional changes. Reasons for processing.
Principles - the balanced view. Effects of processing on specific nutrients. Effects of specific
processes, irradiation as an example.
Food Toxicants, Xenobiotics, Drug Nutrient Interaction, Food Safety and Food Legislation
(8)
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Presence of foreign compounds in foods. Metabolism of foreign compounds and
detoxification.
Techniques for quantifying toxicity and parameters used to measure
toxicity LD50 and ED50. Naturally occurring food toxins: bacteriological and protozoal
toxins, role of food chain. Toxic fungi. Contamination of food by fungi and conditions of
growth - mycotoxins. Toxic lipids. Toxic plants and animals. Drug nutrient interactions.
Food adulteration. Food additives. Food legislation and toxicological testing.
References:
Sanders T and Emery P. The Molecular Basis of Human Nutrition. Taylor Frances: London,
2003
Sanders,T.A. (1999) Food production and food safety, BMJ 318, 1689-1693.
Diarrhoea and oral rehydration (1)
Incidence and implications of diarrhoeal diseases in developing countries. Practical skills
required in identifying and treating dehydration.
GI Structure and Function (1)
Revision of the basic gross anatomy of the gut and the mechanisms of nutrient absorption
Biochemistry (10)
Revision lectures on selected topics including intermediary metabolism, enzymology and
protein synthesis.
Biomedical Science (6)
Revision lectures on selected topics including lipoprotein metabolism, haemostasis,
molecular genetics, immune system.
There will also be student-led seminars on selected topics. Each topic is introduced by one
lecture. Topics change from year to year, but current topics are: Sports nutrition; Nutrient
absorption; Alcohol; Nutrition and genetics; Organic foods; Iron metabolism; Postprandial
metabolism.
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2. PUBLIC HEALTH NUTRITION
7BBN0003
Credit value: 45 credits
Assessment: Two written exam papers, 2 hours each (37.5% each); two coursework essays
(10% each); one case study report (5%). Both written papers will require essay answers.
Aim: To develop an understanding of the role of nutrition in the promotion of public health.
Learning outcomes:
At the end of the module the student will:
 understand the factors that determine nutritional needs throughout the life-cycle,
 understand the role of nutrition in the aetiology of health problems of widespread
importance in industrialised and non-industrialised countries,
 be able to critically appraise food and nutrition policies and direct and indirect
interventions implemented to address public nutrition problems in developed and
developing countries,
 understand the role of cultural, social and psychological factors in shaping the eating
habits of an individual and the influences which may contribute to changing eating
patterns,
 have increased knowledge of the methods used for acquiring and interpreting
nutritional, biological and epidemiological information,
 have improved ability to analyse, synthesise and summarise information critically,
 have improved ability to recognise the moral, ethical and social implications of
scientific investigations and human intervention in the food chain
 have improved written and oral communication skills and information retrieval skills
 have developed the ethics and values of a competent nutrition professional.
Content:
There are 5 main blocks of lectures:
1. Methodology – epidemiology and systematic reviews
2. Nutrition through the lifecycle
3. Diet and disease
4. Public nutrition
5. Eating habits
There are also two nutrition profession study days.
Further details on each block of lectures is shown here:
1. Methodology – epidemiology and systematic reviews
Nutritional Epidemiology (4)
Principles of epidemiology. Causality. Tools for epidemiological investigations. Rates.
Sensitivity and specificity. Relative risk. Case-control and cohort studies. Confounding.
Validation of dietary assessment. Adjusting for measurement error in nutritional
epidemiology.
Systematic reviews and evidence-based practice; 2 lectures;
How the scientific literature can be evaluated systematically to arrive at evidence-based
conclusions on the relationships between diet and disease.
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2. Nutrition through the lifecycle
Maternal Nutrition; 2 lectures;
Nutritional costs of pregnancy; evidence of fetal protection against malnutrition; explanations
in terms of placental function and maternal physiological adjustments; fat storage, fertility
and lactation; nutritional costs of lactation.
Infant Nutrition; 2 lectures;
Factors affecting fetal growth and development (comparative); inborn errors of metabolism;
the nature of pre-natal and post-natal growth; long-term effects of early malnutrition; feeding
the newborn (breast and bottle feeding).
Nutrition in childhood; 1 lecture;
Requirements; eating habits and nutrient intakes in childhood; associations between
childhood risk factors and health in childhood, adolescence and adulthood.
Adolescence; 1 lecture;
Requirements, formation of food habits, food habits and nutrient intakes, health problems anaemia, obesity, factors affecting blood lipids, etc
Elderly ;1 lecture;
Diet and the ageing process; changes in nutritional requirements with increasing age.
Nutritional status of elderly people. Factors associated with malnutrition in the elderly and
strategies for prevention
Vegetarian diets; 1 lecture;
Definitions of vegan and vegetarian diets. Reasons for following vegetarian diets. Nutrient
intakes, hazards of vegan diets – bulk for children, vitamin B12 deficiency, mineral
bioavailability, Health of vegetarians – influence of confounding factors, effects of vegan
and vegetarian diets on risk factors for CHD, CHD and cancer incidence in vegetarians
compared with non-vegetarians.
3. Diet and disease
Diet cardiovascular disesease (atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease and stroke) and
influence on diet on risk factors (lipoproteins; blood pressure and metabolic syndrome).
6 lectures;
The epidemiology and pathology of atherosclerosis, CHD and stroke. Direct evidence linking
dietary intake to risk and dietary interventions. Major risk factos for cardiovascular disease –
modifiable and unmodifiable. Influence of dietary intake on plasma lipoprotein
concentrations and blood pressure. Definition of metabolic syndrome. Influence of metabolic
syndrome on cardiovascular disease. Dietary and lifestyle factors influence metabolic
syndrome. Current dietary guideline for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Ethnic minorities; 1 lecture;
Definition of ethnic minorities. Food habits and diets of ethnic minorities with emphasis on
South Asian. Nutritional problems and health.
Diet and Cancer; 2 lectures;
Cancer as a disease entity - its characteristics eg. Distinction between benign and malignant
tumours. Types of evidence for relating dietary variables and cancers: epidemiological
evidence and experimental evidence and its limitations. Extent to which available evidence
allows recommendations to be made. The WCRF Report and the COMA report on nutritional
aspects of cancer.
Alcohol; 1 lecture:
Physiological and pathological effects of alcohol. Effects on health, benefits and hazards
Energy balance and obesity; 6 lectures;
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Concept of energy balance, intake and expenditure; review of measurement techniques;
Genetic and environmental factors affecting components of energy expenditure; regulation of
energy balance, adaptation. Obesity: definition, epidemiology, health risks, causes,
prevention and treatment.
Dietary Fibre (Applied aspects of CHO); 2 lectures;
Definitions; DF, NSP, R.S. Complex CHO. Analysis.
Sources and intakes of D.F. (Poss R.D.A.)
Properties of diets high in DF, Foods high in DF and DF components related to poss
physical effects. Digestion of DF and energy availability.
Epidemiology - Dietary Fibre Hypothesis.
Possible effects of high fibre diets, fibre components in DM, cholesterol metabolism, obesity,
diseases of large and small intestine. Possible ill-effects of high intakes of fibre
Protein-energy malnutrition; 1 lecture;
Definition; assessment; prevalence; metabolic aspects; interaction with infection; dietary
causes; management.
Diet and bone health; 2 lectures
Concept of bone health; definition and burden of osteoporosis, osteomalacia, rickets and
stunting; measurement of bone mineral status; determinants of bone mass; role of diet in bone
health; review of evidence in relation to calcium and vitamin D; policy considerations at UK
and global level.
Diet and genetic interactions; 1 lecture;
Common gene polymorphisms and diet-related disease. Examples include apolipoprotein
genes, dietary fat intake and CHD risk; biotransformation enzymes, cruciferous vegetable
intake and cancer risk; genes involved in one carbon metabolism, folate intake and risk of
cancer and CHD; genes involved in the immune response and diet related inflammatory
diseases.
Nutrition and behaviour; 1 lecture;
Free radicals and disease; 2 lectures;
Role of free radicals and associated reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in cancer,
cardiovascular disease and ageing. Damage to DNA, membranes and low density
lipoproteins, modulation of cell signalling pathways and link with subsequent pathogenesis.
Evidence for a protective role for dietary antioxidants including phytochemicals and vitamins
C and E.
Nutrition and Diabetes; 2 lectures
Inborn errors of metabolism; 1 lecture
Nutrition and HIV/AIDS; 1 lecture
4. Public nutrition
World Food Supply (3)
The objectives for these lectures is to enable students to appreciate how biological and
environmental factors affect global and national level food supply and demand; to describe
how the adequacy of global and national level food supplies are assessed; to examine the
evolution of agricultural research and technology and its impact on global and national level
food supply; to appreciate the inter-relationships between food and agricultural policy and
nutritional status using the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as a case study; and to
identify how globalisation impacts on the food system.
Factors affecting food supply (2)
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Social and economic factors including: systems of agriculture, subsistence and commercial;
land and water tenure arrangements; availability of credit; research and extension services;
marketing, trade and aid.
Public Nutrition; 6 lectures;
The objectives for these lectures are to describe the extent and distribution of all forms of
malnutrition worldwide, to examine the biological, economic and social determinants of
malnutrition within population groups using a causality conceptual framework, and to
critically appraise food and nutrition policies and direct and indirect interventions
implemented to address public nutrition problems in developed and developing countries.
Health claims; 1 lecture
Rehabilitation and Emergency Nutrition; 1 lecture
This lecture gives an introduction to the types of nutritional support that is carried out in
emergency settings, with particular focus on the most vulnerable groups, ie children under 5,
pregnant and lactating women.
5. Eating habits (20 lectures)
Food & Culture, Effects of migration on food habits, Economics of food choice, Nutritional
knowledge & food choice, Advertising & food choice, Patterns of Infant Feeding, Eating
habits of Children & Adolescents, Eating patterns of Elderly people, Hunger, appetite &
satiety, Food selection, Psychological aspects of Obesity, Anorexia & Bulimia, Treatment of
Eating Disorders, Nutrition Education & Health Promotion.
NB this is only a guide, details of the coverage of each topic may change slightly from year
to year
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3. CLINICAL NUTRITION (MASTERS)
7BBN0002
Credit value: 15 credits
Assessment: one 2 hour exam (70%), one essay (30%)
Aim: To develop an understanding of the effect of disease on nutritional status and the role
of nutrition in the management of disease.
Objectives:
At the end of the module the student will:
 understand the framework of therapeutic options for the management of specific
diseases and know where diet fits in,
 be able to critically evaluate the evidence concerning the role of diet in the causation
of specific diseases,
 understand the effects of specific diseases on the nutritional status of patients,
 have improved ability to analyse, synthesise and summarise information critically,
 have improved ability to recognise the moral, ethical and social implications of
scientific investigations and human intervention in the food chain
 have improved written communication skills and information retrieval skills.
Content: The course consists of a series of lectures and tutorials plus a visit to King’s
College Hospital
Lecture topics:
1. Malnutrition
Causes, incidence and consequences
Assessment and screening
- To evaluate the epidemiological evidence for malnutrition in the hospital environment
- To summarise assessment tools currently in use
Metabolic aspects of trauma
- To understand the methods used for the investigation of metabolism in acutely ill
patients
- To describe the metabolic response to trauma
- To discuss the effects of trauma and sepsis on the metabolism of energy, protein,
carbohydrate and fat
Cancer cachexia
- To describe the causes and consequences of cancer cachexia
- To understand the methods used for the investigation of metabolism in cancer patients
- To discuss the effects of cancer on the metabolism of energy, protein, carbohydrate
and fat
Nutritional support (food, supplements, enteral and parental)
- To describe conditions where nutritional support is required, and the relevant
nutritional support options.
- To evaluate recent evidence from clinical trials for specific current nutritional
interventions
- To identify practical issues relating to the administration of oral, enteral and
parenteral nutritional support
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-
To identify the nature of adverse outcomes, including re-feeding syndrome, and how
these may be prevented and treated
Management of cancer cachexia
2. Diet and the Gut
Oesophagus, stomach, small intestine and colon
- To understand / revise the structure of the compartments of the gut
- To understand / revise the functions of the compartments of the gut
- To identify the nutritional consequences of loss of gut function (e.g. gastrectomy,
coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease)
- To identify the nutritional management of loss of gut function (e.g. gastrectomy,
coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease)
Liver
- To understand how physiology is disturbed in liver disease
- To understand the functions of the liver – synthesis, storage, excretion, detoxification
- To briefly review common liver diseases
- To discuss what role dietary intervention has in the management of liver disease
- To understand why nutritional impairment is a feature of chronic liver disease
Gut hormones
Bariatric surgery
3. Metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease
Obesity
- To summarise methods of measurement of obesity and understand criteria for
diagnosis
- To identify the potential therapeutic interventions (dietary, lifestyle, drug and
surgery) and the situations when each is used in current practice, their limitations and
the evidence for their efficacy
- To identify potential new therapies in the near future
Hyperlipidaemia
- To understand the causation, nature and consequences of the common and less
common forms of hyperlipidaemia.
- To evaluate the efficacy of drug and non-drug interventions and develop a critical
approach to the scientific evidence for these
- To summarise current guidelines on blood lipid management and other cardiac risk
factors and be aware of any current controversies regarding lipid management
Diabetes
- To understand criteria for diagnosis and classification
- To summarise recent diabetes management guidelines
- To evaluate the potential therapeutic interventions (dietary, lifestyle and drug) and the
situations when each is used in current practice, their limitations and the evidence for
their efficacy
- To identify potential new therapies in the near future
Hypertension
- To summarise current hypertension classification and recent changes
- To summarise recent hypertension management guidelines
- To identify the options for dietary and non-dietary interventions in hypertension
management
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-
To evaluate the level of evidence and key clinical trials supporting the role of diet in
prevention and treatment of hypertension
Diet and renal disease
- To summarise dietary and non-dietary causation of renal disease and potential for
therapeutic manipulation
- To evaluate the role for dietary therapy in renal disease, especially in conjunction
with dialysis and transplantation.
- To identify how diets in renal patients are managed on a daily basis.
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4. NUTRITION RESEARCH SKILLS
7BBN0005
Credit value: 20 credits
Assessment: Two sets of practical write-ups (40% each); statistics workbook (10%); on-line
statistics tests (10%).
Aims:
 To develop practical skills that are relevant to nutritional research;
 To develop an understanding of the principles of research design and the analysis and
interpretation of scientific data at postgraduate level.
Learning outcomes:
At the end of the module the student will:
 be familiar with techniques used to assess nutritional status of individuals and
populations;
 be familiar with methods used to analyse the composition of foods;
 be able to plan, conduct and report on investigations in the laboratory in a responsible
and safe manner;
 be able to record, collate, analyse and interpret data using appropriate quantitative and
statistical methods.
Content:
Laboratory Practicals
Introduction – calculations, pipetting, spectrophotometry
Weighed food intake and nutrient analysis
Effect of food processing on Vitamin C
GLC of fatty acids
Bomb calorimetry
Kjeldahl
Urine minerals
Blood lipids
Haemoglobin, haematocrit, erythrocyte glutathione reductase activation coefficient
HPLC of fat soluble vitamins
Anthropometry
Appetite, satiety and blood glucose
Statistics (lectures plus practicals)
Summarising and presenting data
Populations and samples
Probability, confidence limits and statistical inference
Statistical tests:
t-tests, Mann-Whitney, Wilcoxon, sign, chi-square, correlation, regression, one-way analysis
of variance
27
5.
MSc NUTRITION RESEARCH PROJECT
7BBN0001
Credit Value: 60 credits
Assessment: dissertation (80%), supervisor’s assessment of student performance (20%)
Aims:
 To develop research skills by carrying out a supervised research project;
 To develop detailed understanding of one aspect of nutrition at the level of current
research.
Learning outcomes:
At the end of the module the student will:
 be able to formulate a hypothesis and design an investigation to test it;
 be able to plan, conduct and report on investigations in the laboratory or in the field in
a responsible and safe manner;
 be able to carry out relevant research techniques reliably, accurately and
reproducibly;
 be able to record, collate, analyse and interpret data using appropriate quantitative and
statistical methods;
 be able to manage their own time and activities effectively;
 have further developed problem solving skills;
 have further developed information retrieval and written communication skills.
Content: Introductory lectures and seminars on research design, research ethics,
questionnaire design and reference management, followed by supervised work on an
individual project.
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