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Curricular information is subject to change
The learning objectives of the Biomedical Diagnostics and Devices module should enable you to:
1. Develop an appreciation of how omics technologies are identifying new diagnostic biomarkers for health assessment and disease status in humans and animals.
2. Understand the role that biomedical diagnostics approaches play in drug development and translational medicine, such as in the use of companion biomarkers for optimal drug selection.
3. Describe the development process from clinical observation/scientific research and clinical trials through to the application of the biomedical diagnostic assays or biomedical devices in patients.
4. Gain a comprehensive insight into the general technological framework underlying the biomedical diagnostics and medical devices industry, with emphasis on more recent developments.
5. Analyze the role and potential of companion biomarkers in the biomedical diagnostics sphere and in combinational products within the implantable devices sector.
6. Describe the core issues, challenges and contributors associated with the development, use, and commercialization of biomedical diagnostic assays and implantable medical devices.
7. To undertake a presentation on developments in new biomedical diagnostic or biomedical devices (continuous assessment via the individual project presentation).
The following topics are covered within this module:
- The role of biomarkers in disease detection and management
- The principles of medical diagnosis, screening and monitoring
- Omics approaches used in biomarker discovery
- The application of biomedical diagnostics and devices in translational medicine
- Principles of design and production in the diagnostics and medical devices Industry
- Economics, ethics, IP, and legislation affecting medical diagnostics & devices
- Several case studies of biomedical diagnostics encompassing oncology, toxicology, and digital pathology
-Case studies of companion biomarkers in oncology
- Case studies of non-invasive biomarkers and medical devices in health monitoring and disease treatment and management
- The design and uses of Orthopaedic devices / implants and Cardiovascular medical devices
- The host response to implantable medical devices
- Some lecture topics will be complemented by workshops on areas such as evolution of clinical trials, the overall regulatory domain, and the design process.
-There will also be Industry presentations on their biomedical diagnostics and devices (e.g., Oncomark, Biosensia)
Student Effort Type | Hours |
---|---|
Lectures | 18 |
Small Group | 6 |
Tutorial | 6 |
Specified Learning Activities | 45 |
Autonomous Student Learning | 80 |
Total | 155 |
Basic understanding of cell and molecular biology - from any standard textbook (e.g., Molecular Cell Biology by David Baltimore and Harvey Lodish)
Basic understanding of cancer biology - from any standard textbook (recommend: The Biology of Cancer, 2ndEd
Robert A. Weinberg)
Description | Timing | Component Scale | % of Final Grade | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Examination: two hour exam of essay type questions (generally 2 to 3 maximum to be answered) | 2 hour End of Trimester Exam | Yes | Standard conversion grade scale 40% | No | 60 |
Presentation: Group project presentation (from a topic and group assigned to the student) on a biomedical diagnostic or device. Includes tutor (25/40) and student (15/40) peer assessment of the presentations | Week 11 | n/a | Standard conversion grade scale 40% | No | 40 |
Resit In | Terminal Exam |
---|---|
Spring | Yes - 2 Hour |
• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities
• Self-assessment activities
Group formative feedback session prior to the exit exam will provide students with a better understanding of the expectations of the exit exam. Formative Feedback individually to students by email or face-to-face meetings will be provided for queries they submit on the course content or questions over the exit exam. Formative Feedback individually to students and by group by two workshop classes, and by email or face-to-face meetings will be provided for queries they have on preparing the group project (with a tutorial also on tips for preparing the student project). Student formative feedback will be solicited as part of the tutorial on project preparation on their evaluation of previous examples of projects. Group summative feedback will be given based on their project grading and evaluation comments. Peer feedback will be incorporated in the peer assessment of other students' projects Feedback to students after the exit exam can be provided upon request.
Name | Role |
---|---|
Professor Michael Duffy | Lecturer / Co-Lecturer |
Dr Peter O'Brien | Lecturer / Co-Lecturer |
Dr Craig Slattery | Lecturer / Co-Lecturer |
Ms Emer Conroy | Tutor |
Dr Cormac G Kilty | Tutor |
Dr Jens Rauch | Tutor |
Dr Ena Walsh | Tutor |
Meeting | Offering 1 | Week(s) - 11 | Mon 12:00 - 15:50 |
Seminar | Offering 1 | Week(s) - 3, 4, 6 | Mon 14:00 - 15:50 |
Seminar | Offering 1 | Week(s) - 5, 9 | Mon 14:00 - 16:50 |
Seminar | Offering 1 | Week(s) - 9 | Thurs 14:00 - 16:50 |
Seminar | Offering 1 | Week(s) - 6 | Tues 10:00 - 11:50 |
Lecture | Offering 1 | Week(s) - 11 | Tues 16:00 - 16:50 |
Seminar | Offering 1 | Week(s) - 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | Wed 09:00 - 10:50 |
Seminar | Offering 1 | Week(s) - 6 | Wed 15:00 - 15:50 |
Seminar | Offering 1 | Week(s) - 9 | Wed 15:00 - 16:50 |