Master in Bioinformatics for Health Sciences (BIOINFO)

Presentation

One of the essential features of this master's degree is its high content in optional subjects, which enables students to train in a broad range of bioinformatics topics in the area of biomedicine, and especially in computational techniques. Also, the inclusion in the master's degree of design, management and exploitation of scientific projects as compulsory subjects is proof of the programme's professional vocation.

Objectives

The programme aims to provide professionals with expertise and skills geared towards developing new computational strategies and IT systems that are useful in biomedical research.

Contents  [Curriculum]                                                             

• Genome Bioinformatics
  Automatic analysis, alignment, comparison and annotation of biological sequences; analysis of genome evolution and variation; molecular biology databases.
• Structural Bioinformatics 
  An introduction to experimental methods used in determining the structure of biomolecules, protein structure prediction and biomolecular systems simulation.
• Systems Biology
  The description of biological networks and protein and metabolic gene network modelling.Emphasis in both topological aspects of networks and their dynamical behavior.
• Pharmacoinformatics
  Molecular library management and virtual screening, computer assisted drug design and quantitative modelling of structure-activity relationships (QSAR and 3D-QSAR).
• Biomedical Computing
  Clinical and healthcare information systems, biomedical imaging analysis, studying genotype-phenotype relationships and IT support systems for healthcare decision making.

In addition to these areas of specialisation, the master's degree also provides training in related areas of general interest such as algorithmics and programming, data management and analysis, text mining.

Finally, in the second year, students acquire notions of bioethics and data protection applied to bioinformatics, as well as to design, management and exploitation of research projects in both the public and the private sectors.

Internship

Internships are carried out during the second year, in both public and private laboratories in the Barcelona area; although students may also choose to do their internship in other regions or countries.

Career prospects

There are many career prospects, in both the private and the public sectors, and in all fields of bioinformatics applied to biomedicine.