Olivia Hought

I liked that the teaching was designed to work all the way up from the more basic to the most complex knowledge of cancer biology which enabled everyone to feel engaged with the appropriate level of challenge maintained throughout.

While completing the Msc Cancer Biology and Therapy course at the Leeds Institute of Medical Research (LIMR) at st. James’ Hospital I got the opportunity learn from experts in the field of cancer research at an internationally renowned research centre.

The course combines teaching of theoretical, subject specific knowledge with laboratory and bioinformatics based practical skills training. Throughout the course I learnt the fundamental concepts of cancer biology, from Hanahan and Weinberg’s hallmarks of cancer to the current developments in immunotherapy. The teaching worked all the way up from the more basic to the most complex knowledge of cancer biology which enabled everyone to feel engaged with the appropriate level of challenge maintained throughout. Each lecture was delivered by an expert in the relevant area of research, so you don’t have the same lecturer for a whole module, and you get to hear about how the teaching relates to their current research. There were also optional modules offered, which is great if you have specific interests that differ from your peers. 

The teaching of practical lab skills also built up from more basic to more complex. I liked the way these practical sessions were structured because I felt as though every session, I was building on a skill that I had learnt previously. This enabled me to consolidate my skills while simultaneously learning new techniques. This ultimately ensured that all students felt comfortable in the laboratory setting when the research projects commenced.

When I started my research project, I got the opportunity to join in with a lab group and participate in lab meetings. I learnt so much from the members of the group who were all carrying out different research projects, and who guided me to complete my own project which built on previous research conducted at the LIMR at st. James’ Hospital. I particularly enjoyed working in tissue culture with cancer cell lines and researching the effects of new treatments. A lot of the projects involved tissue culture, but you can choose from projects with such a range of different skills, you can even do computer-based bioinformatics projects if that is where your interests lie.

I enjoyed my time at LIMR so much that I have stayed to continue my research career as a PhD student – something I could not have achieved without the support of everyone at st. James and what I learned in the master’s course.

I highly recommend the Msc Cancer Biology and Therapy course to anyone with an interest in cancer research because it is designed to equip you with everything you need to take the next step into a career as a research scientist.