MSc in Health Data Science for Applied Precision Medicine

Precision medicine is an area of growing importance globally. It integrates genome and biomarker data with big data from healthcare to target safe, effective treatments to individual patients. Understanding why individuals differ in susceptibility to disease and response to treatment has clear benefits, as the global Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted.

You’ll access anonymised real healthcare data linked to genome and clinical imaging data, and use expertise from renowned biomedical scientists to gain applied skills and knowledge in the field.

This unique bioresource, linked to medical records at the University of Dundee, has played a major role in globally significant research and continues to impact our understanding of Covid-19.

In this course you will use anonymised real healthcare data linked to genome and clinical imaging data.

You will be taught by renowned biomedical research scientists and doctors applying precision principals in their clinical practice, giving you a comprehensive range of relevant applied skills, insights and knowledge.

Throughout the course you will learn by doing. This will involve:

• Examining principles and current practice of precision medicine and its clinical benefits
• Gaining data management and governance skills for research use of medical data and using R statistical software within a Trusted Research Environment
• Developing knowledge and experience of a range of bioinformatics techniques
• Exploring epidemiology and population genetics and how genes influence drug response and side effects (pharmacogenetics)
• Understanding the basic principles of how Artificial Intelligence and deep learning are applied to clinical imaging
• Producing a prototype grant application and designing, carrying out, interpreting and reporting a systematic review.
• Undertaking a final research project building on the combination of skills, techniques and insights developed throughout the course, to help you consolidate your data science skills.

Throughout the course, you’ll learn by doing. This will involve:

• examining principles and current practice of precision medicine and its clinical benefits
• gaining data management and governance skills for research use of medical data using R statistical software
• exploring epidemiology and population genetics and how genes influence drug response and side effects (pharmacogenetics)

You’ll gain knowledge and experience in bioinformatics techniques, machine learning, deep learning and artificial intelligence applied to healthcare data, including imaging. You’ll also learn how to produce a grant application and design, carry out, interpret and report a systematic review.

A final research project using advanced techniques will help you consolidate your data science skills in the context of this field.

Teaching

You’ll be taught through a mixture of:

• lectures
• seminars
• self-directed study
• practical sessions accessing and analysing real clinical data in a safe haven environment

Assessment

You’ll be assessed by:

• essays
• class tests
• research project

Core Modules

These modules are an essential part of your course.

• Machine learning and artificial intelligence methods in healthcare (AC52056)
• Epidemiology (GM51011)
• Precision Medicine: Principles and Practices (GM51083)
• Fundamentals of Applied Health Data Science for Precision Medicine Research (GM51084)
• Research Methods (GM52008)
• Advanced Applied Health Data Science (GM52058)
• MSc Health Data Science for Applied Precision Medicine - Dissertation (GM53018)

Precision medicine is a multidisciplinary subject, and therefore, this course is designed to be flexible for a wide range of backgrounds. This includes healthcare professionals wishing to gain a broad base for practical experience in precision medicine as well as bioinformaticians and computer scientists interested in applying their skills in this area.

Whatever your background, you’ll develop a comprehensive understanding of the field. You will enhance your capabilities in disseminating research work as well as developing transferable skills in critical thinking and applying knowledge to problems and systems that are relevant to your current or future place of work. You will understand the process for the successful application of precision medicine in a healthcare system.

Roles in the field include lab-based biomedicine and computational scientists, geneticists, bioinformaticians, data analysts, and clinicians. There are also opportunities for commercial development roles.