Academic information - Master in Biomedical Research (BIOMED) (UPF)

Tutories

The Tutorial Plan consists of two main actions:

Pre-registration tutoring: carried out by the coordinator of the master's degree, it consists in solving enrolled students’ queries and doubts, ranging from the choice of optional subjects to careers guidance. This is usually done by e-mail or telephone, although the coordinator can also hold face-to-face meetings if necessary.
Tutoring of enrolled students: gives support to students during the course. Due to the small number of students, the academic coordinator generally provides sufficient supervision during the first term of the classes. In addition to the supervision by the coordinator of the master's degree, an additional academic tutor is appointed for students who are carrying out their master's experimental project in centers outside Universitat Pompeu Fabra. This figure corresponds to an active research professor in the department responsible for the BIOMED master (DCEXS), whose area of expertise is related to that of the student’s project.

Throughout the internship leading to the master's degree final project (TFM), the coordinator carries out online monitoring through questionnaires for each student with the help of the TFM directors and face-to-face tutorials, which can be in small groups or individually, at the request of the student.

Duties of the tutor

Students enrolled in the master's degree will be appointed a tutor with the following duties:

Informative: to provide general and specific information on issues and resources that help the student to access the sources of information that may be useful for their studies.
Academic monitoring and training intervention: monitoring of the student's achievement and progression in his / her project and guidance towards the preparation of the TFM.

Appointment of the tutor

The tutor is proposed by the coordinator of the master in consensus with the student and the tutor concerned.

Structure of the master

Compulsory training activities in the master's programme (50 ECTS credits)
Subject	ECTS credits		Term	Description
Molecular and Cellular Pathology	5		1st	Principles and basic types of mechanisms in the responses of eukaryotic cells to stress. Processes, signalling cascades and the main mediators in the cell's detection of and adaptation to stress. Critical processing, communication of scientific information and proposals and discussion of hypotheses. Integration of knowledge from different disciplines.
Molecular Pathology of Systems	5		1st	Main aspects of the molecular pathology of diseases with a major public health impact on our environment: cancer and inflammatory, cardiovascular and neuropsychiatric diseases. Study of the relevant processes, mechanisms and paradigms.
Biomedical Research Training	30		2nd and 3rd	Knowledge of the structure of a research project proposal. Acquisition of criteria for distribution and presentation of the necessary information. Preparation of working hypotheses based on bibliographic and experimental precedents. Presentation of preliminary results. Planning of goals and anticipated results during the implementation of the project. Awareness of financing and cost.
Master's Degree Final Project	10		3rd	Understanding of the structure and functioning of the research laboratory. Application of the concepts and techniques acquired in the degree course to the research. This module includes the possibility of doing some of the credits in practical courses that are directly relevant to the project. The completion of the work will be assessed by the submission of a written report and a public defence of the project and results. Preparation of working hypotheses based on bibliographic and experimental precedents. Designing and performing experiments. Planning and management of the appropriate experimental and computer technology tools. Applying decision-making elements to specific situations. Learning the basic elements in communication. Learning about ethical principles in the working environment and the dynamics of group work.
Optional subjects (a total of 10 ECTS credits must be chosen)
Frontiers in Biomedical Technology: Lessons from Gene Expression		5	1st	Basic processes in the functioning of cells and organisms. Basic mechanisms of gene expression, from chromatin regulation to the synthesis and stability of proteins. Skills in deciding the types of basic methodologies for studying cellular processes on the molecular level.
Cell Communication: from Molecules to Diseases		5	1st	Molecular mechanisms in the interaction between the cell and its environment. The complex routes used by membranes, ion channels and membrane receptors for controlling patterns of gene expression. Dysfunctions caused by the disruption of cellular communication in the cell and the organism. Pharmacological and genetic modulation of signalling pathways and cellular functions.
Genomes and Systems		5	1st	Evolution of genes and genomes. The Human Genome Project and its implications for biology and medicine. Mutational mechanisms in genes and genomes. Medical genetics and genetic counselling. Diagnosis and treatment of genetic diseases. An evolutionary perspective of biology and genetics. Applications in pharmacology, structural biology, cancer and metabolism. Theoretical analysis of genome complexity.
Model Organisms and Human Disease		5	1st	This course includes in-depth analysis of the applicability of different model organisms (yeast, C. elegans, Drosophila, zebrafish, mouse) to human pathophysiology. Applications of modified organisms in biotechnology and biomedicine, and emerging breakthroughs in gene therapy and regenerative medicine.
Breakthroughs in Neurosciences		5	1st	Modern studies of synaptic plasticity of the neurobiological substrates associated with various physiological and pathophysiological contexts (including memory, learning, drug addiction and pain). The purpose of this treatment is to provide students with knowledge of these plasticity processes from a multidisciplinary perspective at the molecular, cellular and neuronal circuit levels, based on a wide range of experimental approaches.
Elements of Biocomputing		5	1st	This introductory course that provides an overview of the possible uses of information technologies and computational treatments in biomedical research, and provides basic concepts and skills enabling the execution of simple operations related to computational analysis of biosequences and the acquisition and display of 3D structures in biomolecules. The course includes personal practical classes on the use of publicly available databases and tools.
Introduction to Biomedicine		5	1st	Introduction to the basic principles of genetics, cell biology, molecular biology, and the main physiological processes. For students with little knowledge of biology, the course will cover the structural components of the cell, the basic principles of cellular function: transport, signalling, reproduction and the main molecules mediating these processes. Students will familiarize themselves with the language and specific terms used in biology and biomedical science, as well as the most common methodologies used in biomedicine. Important: This optional subject should only be selected in case the student does not have a background in biomedical sciences.