The ability to plan and problem solve in both the short term and over several weeks is a central skill for any successful scientist. Furthermore, employers seek graduates with key problem solving, critical analysis, communication, and collaboration skills alongside the ability to deal with work-life pressure. The aim of this module is to build on the practical and theoretical information gained Year 1 Bootcamps and Block 2.1 and provide an environment for students to refine the above skills by applying them to a real-world task (e.g. executing a clinical trial) where problems will reveal themselves on a regular basis.

Tutorials, workshops, and self-directed team learning will support development of understanding and knowledge of the following topics: 1. Cancer biology 2. Cancer Immunotherapy and the tumour microenvironment 3. Cell signalling in cancer 4. Precision medicine and targeted therapies in oncology 5. Animal models of cancer and other diseases 6. Pharmacodynamics 7. Pharmacokinetics - ADME 8. Pharmacogenomics 9. Clinical development pipeline 10. Preclinical toxicology testing 11. Clinical trial regulation 12. Clinical biochemical testing and analysis 13. Pharmaceutical marketing 14. Professional skills - Microsoft Teams meeting organisation; chairing and recording meeting minutes The learning will be supported by a series of laboratory-based practicals and workshops covering the following areas: 1. Basic laboratory skills - pipetting; pH analysis; molar solution generation; bench organisation. 2. Aseptic cell culture techniques 3. Growth and treatment of human cell lines in adhesion and in suspension 4. Microscopic techniques 5. Cytotoxicity analysis 6. Flow cytometry 7. Isolation of nucleic acids and proteins from cells 8. Nucleic acid and protein quantification methods 9. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Realtime PCR 10. Immunoassays including Western Blotting and ELISAs The module will also include transferable skills training in the following aspects: 1. Technical report writing 2. Development and use of SOPs 3. Regulatory considerations for laboratory work - risk assessments, ethical considerations 4. Regulatory considerations for the handling of clinical data 5. Experimental design and troubleshooting 6. Transformation of raw data into professional figures 7. Statistical analysis of data 8. Scientific grant writing 9. Collaborative teamwork and team management 10. Scientific communication to a lay audience

On completion of this module students will be able to: 1. Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of contemporary and innovative cancer biology 2. Describe the role of the immune system and tumour microenvironment in cancer initiation and progression 3. Describe various oncogenic signalling pathways in cancer 4. Explain how targeted cancer therapies and immunotherapies have been developed 5. Describe the role of animal models in cancer research and pre-clinical toxicology testing 6. Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of drug discovery and development pipeline 7. Explain the underlying biochemistry and the role of biochemical tests in clinical diagnosis of diseases 8. Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of drug concentration-effect relationships including EMAX and EC50 values 9. Calculate clinical parameters using mathematical principles related to drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion and demonstrate how they are used in the clinical setting 10. Use the practical experience gained in previous modules to plan and execute assays 11. Conduct cell culture aseptically including cell counts, tissue culture plate seeding and drug treatment 12. Assess cell viability via flow cytometry and chromogenic methods. 13. Demonstrate proficiency in various molecular biology techniques including RT-PCR and Western blotting 14. Critically analyse, integrate, and appraise scientific material specifically related to pre-clinical and clinical development of biologics 15. Demonstrate competency in the visualisation of scientific data 16. Communicate effectively using oral, written, and digital platforms to both scientific and non-scientific audiences 17. Develop collaborative and leadership skills 18. Demonstrate an independent approach to learning, reflect on their own practise and take responsibility for personal development within their professional field

On completion of this module, students will be able to: 1. Demonstrate the strong work ethic, professionalism and respect for individuals required to successfully work as a collaborative team 2. Conform to guidelines regarding ethics, health and safety concerns in a lab environment 3. Conform to the rigors of correct scientific procedures 4. Demonstrate the attention to detail required to design, execute a scientific procedure, and analyse experimental data. 5. Discuss the importance of toxicology testing in new drug development 6. Demonstrate the attention to detail required in designing, monitoring, and handling data during a clinical trial 7. Show objectiveness in scientific research, especially in terms of analysing clinical data

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: 1. Display competency in the use of a variety of scientific equipment 2. Conduct themselves to Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) competency 3. Execute cell culture experimentation with good aseptic technique 4. Display the necessary organizational skills to correctly set-up and implement a successful scientific experiment 5. Professionally and confidently present and defend their experimental and clinical trial findings to a Dragon's Den style panel of investors in the hope of acquiring further investment in their pharmaceutical company

The core design concept of this module is to instigate a move away from traditional approaches to teaching and learning where less emphasis is placed on the measurement of memorized decontextualized content but on the attainment and application of knowledge in a real-life scenario which is invariably more useful outside the classroom. A series of research-based, enquiry-based and flipped learning approaches will be initiated to induce student engagement by generating immersion and embrace community-based learning where student cognitive and professional skills are developed and refined in a real-life scenario. In this case the design and execution of a first in-human clinical trial of a new anti-cancer drug and the generation of preliminary data in practical sessions to assess the potential of our drug to combat other human malignant diseases. A blended delivery approach will be applied to this module. Students form drug discovery groups in a mock pharmaceutical company and will be assigned weekly "flipped" asynchronous tasks to complete prior to face-to-face workshop, tutorial, and practical sessions. Tasks can vary from diagnosing and enrolling patients in the 6-week clinical trial, analysis of patients' results and critical analysis of scientific publications. These weekly assignments are designed to develop and improve their abilities in critical analysis of translational cancer biology scientific literature, clinical trial design, experimental design, scientific writing, online data management, collaborative teamwork, and organization. These low stake pre-assessment tasks are designed to unpack the summative assessment process for the students to have a clearer idea of assessment standards and to build confidence in their critical analysis and experimental design skills in cancer biology and drug discovery. This module will be assessed along two main pathways. Firstly, students will submit a grant proposal that seeks addition funds to initiate a research program to determine whether our anti-cancer drug could be a treatment options in other cancer types. Secondly, student groups will present and defend their experimental and clinical trial findings to a Dragon's Den style panel of investors to acquire further investment in their pharmaceutical company. State-of-the-art research findings in cancer biology and drug discovery will be introduced throughout this module. In fact, this module is built around the module leader's own research in advancing the understanding of the mechanisms by which ubiquitous NF-¿B transcription factors drive cancer (e.g. in multiple myeloma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma) and in turn identify potential novel cancer therapeutics.