Medical Sciences
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Where lessons change lives
Study alongside internationally recognised scientists
You won't sit around watching from the back of the lecture hall at UEL - we offer access to excellent work experience opportunities. We will give you the opportunity to find invaluable placements in hospitals, research laboratories and the commercial world which will enhance your employment prospects and give you a competitive edge upon graduation.
Any research you do will be linked directly to projects already being investigated by our research staff and PhD students, so you'll be well supported and surrounded by expertise. You'll also benefit from the support of your student peers as you work on your research projects in small groups.
If you already work in the industry, graduates typically return to their jobs, perhaps in the NHS, at a higher level or progress to further study at PhD level.
Undergraduate courses
BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science
Biomedical scientists are key players in the modern healthcare system. At UEL, you will study the causes of disease and the practical ways in which they can be investigated in the laboratory.
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BSc (Hons) Biochemistry and Biotechnology
Our Biochemistry and Biotechnology programme is an exciting course for anyone interested in the fascinating world of medicine and industry.
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BSc (Hons) Chemistry
This course prepares you with the fundamental studies of structures, properties and reactions relating to chemistry. You will be given extensive laboratory training, increasing your employability.
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BSc (Hons) Medical Physiology
Study the complex anatomy and function of the human body in health and disease. Gain training and experience to prepare you for your career.
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BSc (Hons) Pharmaceutical Science
This new and already popular course will take you inside this complex and ever-expanding field of discovery.
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BSc (Hons) Pharmacology
Our course is geared towards thinking about your future with its work placements and other opportunities for work experience.
Read morePostgraduate courses
MRes Bioscience
Our MRes in Bioscience is designed to provide you with the best opportunity to develop and demonstrate key skills for a career in bioscience research.
Find out more MSc Biomedical Science (with specialism)
Enhance your career prospects in specialist areas within biomedical science. Update your knowledge, and gain a postgraduate qualification.
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MSc Pharmaceutical Science (with specialism)
Get a detailed understanding of pharmaceutical science and develop the skills needed for individual and collaborative research in drug development.
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MSc Clinical Exercise Physiology
This MSc in Clinical Exercise Physiology provides students the opportunity to implement evidence-based practice in the support of people living with long-term health conditions.
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MPhil PhD School of Health Sport and Bioscience
HSB has a well-developed postgraduate research culture, across bioscience, health and sport.
Find out more about this PhDWhy choose us?
Our courses offer an in-depth understanding of the causes of disease and the practical ways in which they can be investigated in the laboratory. These are the fundamental areas of knowledge that you'll need as a biomedical scientist. Whether it's investigating a type of cancer or understanding the cause of food poisoning, biomedical scientists play a crucial role in diagnosing disease and evaluating effective treatment. On the other hand, pharmaceutical scientists play a key role in the discovery of new medicines, their formulation, manufacturing and analysis.
Our research in bioscience contributed to our Allied Health research submission - 72% of which was rated either 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent' in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
All our BSc degrees have the option of a placement year. With a wide range of partnerships across the industry, you'll be able to gain invaluable experience before you've graduated making you career-ready straight away. We regularly organise industrial visits for both BSc and MSc students.
About us
Our aim is to offer you the knowledge as well as the practical and soft skills you need for employment. We will give you the opportunity to find invaluable placements in hospitals, research laboratories and the commercial world which will enhance your employment prospects and give you a competitive edge upon graduation.
Any research you do will be linked directly to projects already being investigated by our research staff and PhD students, so that you are well supported and surrounded by expertise. You'll also benefit from the support and challenge of your student peers as you work on your research projects in small groups.
If you already work in the industry, our graduates will typically return to their jobs at a higher level or progress to further study at PhD level.
Our facilities
We have 8 teaching laboratories, including a multi-purpose STEM lab with a capacity for 120 students, and six dedicated research laboratories including a mammalian tissue culture lab and a medical physiology lab with sports training equipment and metabolic analysers. Labs are well equipped with state-of-art analytical facilities including HPLC, UPLC and GCMS.
What we're researching
Students studying at all levels have an opportunity to get involved in our research work.
We have three research groups:
1. Medicines Research Group - working to develop new medicines and treatments
The Medicines Research Group offers multidisciplinary research expertise in drug discovery and development, chemistry, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, microbiology and biopharmaceuticals. The group has developed strong collaborative links with many universities and research institutes within the UK and also internationally in China, India, Bangladesh, Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria and Ghana. In collaboration with our partners, we regularly host research meetings and symposiums and also have organised several international research workshops.
2. Infections and Immunity Group
This research tries to model and predict new drugs using bio-informatics. We use computers to process and study biological data to help predict what a new drug structure would look like before making it.
Collaboration with other universities
We often carry out research in collaboration with other leading research universities in London, including University College London and King's College London as well as overseas institutions. Our Phyto-Pharmaceutical scientists have close links with researchers at Kew.
Bioscience research
Bioscience research played a major part in our successful performance in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework - the six-yearly national review of research quality in higher education. The work of our researchers was rated the best in London among modern universities. The expert panel rated 67 per cent of our research as 'internationally excellent' and 19 per cent of it as 'world-leading', the highest possible accolade.
Our researchers
Our prominent researchers include: Dr Mukhlesur Rahman (antimicrobial natural products); Dr Samir Ayoub (inflammation, pain and thermoregulation); Dr Stefano Casalotti (molecular neuroscience); Dr Winston Morgan (toxicology of natural products and synthetic drugs); Dr Barbara Pendry (cancer and mental health); Dr Michael Seed (preclinical models of inflammation and immunity); Dr Sally Cutler (zoonosis); and Dr Geoffrey Webb (diet and nutrition).
Careers
We are ranked sixth among all UK universities for graduate prospects in Biomedical Sciences (Complete University Guide 2022). This is because employers recognise the quality of the scientists we produce at UEL.
You could go into laboratory-based work in a hospital or research institute, or work at an industrial or pharmaceutical lab. Graduates of our course have landed jobs in healthcare settings such as Great Ormond Street Hospital as well as commercial companies in the gas, oil and petrochemical sectors. Others went on to University of Oxford and Royal Holloway while two of our most recent graduates have secured scholarships for Biotechnology master's degrees at UCL.
You might find you are well suited for a role as a research and development consultant or use your knowledge to teach the next generation. If you follow this route, we are renowned for the quality of our postgraduate teacher-training courses.
Also, our dedicated Centre for Student Success works closely with employers to provide up-to-date information about the skills and experience they're looking for. They will support you during your studies and after you graduate.
At UEL, you'll have access to:
- Internships, placements and volunteering opportunities from our work placements team.
- Professional mentoring scheme, matching students with staff from major companies.
- Networking opportunities and annual careers fair.
- Employability skills training such as interview techniques and CV writing.
- Career Assessment, giving you the opportunity to learn about yourself
- UEL Skills Academy, where external professionals deliver sessions on the competencies most prized by graduate employers.
- Support with setting up your own business.
Career Coach
Our online tool will help you discover career paths based on your interests and subject area you’ve chosen to study.
Get information on specific careers, job roles, potential wages and available jobs in the sector.
Accreditation
Our courses are accredited the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS), the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences (APS) and the Royal Society of Chemistry. This means that the content and calibre of our syllabus are consistently matched to the expectations of industry and the bodies that regulate it.
Accreditations
Foundation pathways
All of our Bioscience and Health degrees have a foundation pathway that will enable you to access higher education fully prepared. This also means that if you are yet to make up your mind on the specific subject you want to study, this will help you decide which path suits you best.
Bioscience and Health foundation pathways
Find out all you need to know about our foundation pathways
Learn about the foundation pathways