MSc Drug Discovery

Develop expertise and specialist practical skills in drug discovery science, from target identification through to getting a drug to market.

Developed in consultation with industry experts, this course is aimed at students with a background in chemistry, biosciences, pharmacy or pharmacology who are looking to move into the exciting field of drug development.

You will become familiar with a range of concepts and research techniques in drug discovery including target identification and validation, screening platforms, optimisation of small molecule drugs and biotherapeutics, and the importance of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.

Depending on your undergraduate degree, you will also follow either a biology or chemistry training track alongside your drug discovery studies. This will enable you to gain a strong background in both disciplines, strengthening your subject-related and practical skills appropriate to your career aspirations.

Course highlights

• Study at a Top 10 University, on a course developed in consultation with industry experts to ensure you graduate with the specific science skills sought after by the pharmaceutical industry.
• Benefit from the expertise of leading academics from the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Life Sciences, ensuring your teaching covers the latest developments in medicinal chemistry, biosciences and pharmacology.
• Gain hands-on experience of tackling complex, real-world challenges with our bespoke simulation of working in a commercial drug discovery team. This virtual drug discovery exercise will take you through multiple cycles of drug design and refining, giving you the opportunity to make realistic choices based on assay data and the chemistry of the drugs themselves.
• The opportunity to study optional units tailored to your specific areas of interest.
• A dedicated Personal Tutor who you can go to for academic and non-academic support.

Research projects

To ensure you graduate well equipped with the necessary research skills for a career in drug discovery you'll undertake an in-depth, full-time research project giving you valuable experimental experience.

Recent project examples include:

• Design and synthesis of novel I2 imidazoline receptor ligands.
• Role of extracellular vesicles in aggressive medulloblastoma.
• Synthesis and enzyme kinetics testing of acyl-CoA thioester derivatives of fibrates.