DRAFT. This version of the catalogue is a draft version and subject to change.
Unless you have been specifically directed here, you probably want to use the main catalogue.
Last modified: 29 Apr 2026 11:16
In order for biomedical advances to reach the patient, it is essential that the “translational scientist” is both able to recognise opportunities and is familiar with the required pathways and processes that stand between a discovery and the end user. This course will train students in the development of new biomedical ideas, products, discoveries and opportunities. This course is ideal for those who wish to enter the dynamic world of medtech and biotech, or for those interested in working for the various regulatory bodies and organisations that govern and facilitate this process.
| Study Type | Postgraduate | Level | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
|
||
Modern biomedical discoveries have the potential to transform patient care, yet only a small fraction make the journey from laboratory bench to patient bedside. However, this is perhaps misunderstanding the point of research: our aim is not necessarily to cure cancer, but to ensure that our research is part of the unstoppable tide that will eventually lead to a cure for cancer (or whatever it is each of us is working on). Thus, we must ensure that we successfully ‘translate’ our research and ensure that it reaches its full potential – whatever that may be. At one end of the spectrum this can mean proving a concept that others will eventually capitalise on to achieve that key breakthrough; at the other end of the spectrum, it can indeed mean taking a product all the way through to the point at which it achieves a commercial exit or is deployed in clinical practice. In order to do this, the translational scientist needs to have the same degree of creativity, inventiveness and awareness of the bigger picture as any entrepreneur, but must also the same level of focus and specialist subject expertise as the fundamental scientist. In return, the translational scientist gets to be part of that unstoppable tide, and experience a journey like no other.
This course aims to help anyone who would like to work for big biopharma, for a medium-sized biotech company, for a micro-startup, or to continue in research: success in almost any scientific job requires the ability to spot opportunities, to find solutions, AND then to act to make these into a reality. This course will help you to develop a 'prepared mind' such that when an opportunity does come your way, you are ready to seize it.
In this course, you will both come up with your own solution to an unmet biomedtech need and present this as a 3 minute elevator pitch, and will also write a grant outline to further develop one of the projects that has been presented by a member of our entrepreneurial research staff.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
All written work is marked with written comments. Oral feedback is given on all work when required or deemed necessary. |
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
|
|
||
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 30 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback | ||||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
|
|
||
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 30 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback | ||||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
|
|
||
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback | ||||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
|
|
||
There are no assessments for this course.
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Procedural | Evaluate | Identify and assess opportunities for translation within a given area of biomedical research, considering scientific, ethical, regulatory, and commercial perspectives. |
| Procedural | Create | Apply principles of innovation, and entrepreneurship to the development of translational strategies and research proposals. |
| Conceptual | Apply | Apply the key pathways and processes by which biomedical research is translated into applications, products, or practices that deliver impact |
| Procedural | Create | Communicate the potential value and impact of biomedical research effectively to specialist and non-specialist audiences |
| Procedural | Create | Create your own solution to an unmet need |
| Factual | Understand | Understand the key pathways and processes by which biomedical research is translated into applications, products, or practices that deliver impact. |
| Conceptual | Analyse | Analyse the diverse forms of translational success — from conceptual advances to commercial outcomes — and the roles of different stakeholders in these processes. |
We have detected that you are have compatibility mode enabled or are using an old version of Internet Explorer. You either need to switch off compatibility mode for this site or upgrade your browser.
