Medicines play a major role in human health. Scientific advances continue to provide new drug targets, and the search for improved therapeutics has widened from traditional sources, such as plant and animal products, to include rationally designed drugs and novel biologics. This major covers the main drug classes used to treat disease, drug toxicology, and drug safety, and the discovery process for translating molecules with therapeutic potential into clinical use.

Ultimately human health depends on the correct functioning of the cells, tissues and organ systems of the body. Understanding disease, in turn, rests upon knowledge of the pathological processes on these systems. This major provides an overview of the functional mechanisms of the multiple systems in the human body and explores specific areas in depth with a research-informed focus.

The human immune system defends the body from disease-causing microbial invaders like viruses and bacteria. This major provides in-depth knowledge of the immune system: how it develops, how it functions, its role in health and disease, and what happens when it fails to function. It covers the microbes responsible for infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis and meningococcal disease, how these infectious diseases are controlled, and how antibiotic resistance arises. The major also includes how the immune system can be used to treat diseases such as cancer.

This major explores the molecular mechanisms underpinning cellular communication as they relate to human health and disease. Some of the topics covered include pathways of cell growth, cell survival and death, protein interactions in cell signalling pathways, dysregulation of metabolism, and the expression of disease phenotypes.

This major focuses on the biochemistry and metabolism of essential nutrients, including carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins and minerals, with an emphasis on human health and disease across the lifecycle. Topics covered include nutritional assessment, energy balance, and the role of nutrition in the development and treatment of chronic disease.

One of the key objectives in current biomedical science research is to understand the interplay between our genes and physiology during reproduction and development. In simple terms how do our genes guide our development and what happens when this goes astray? In this major, you will examine the biology of reproduction, embryo formation and development, and the genetics underlying these events. You will also have the opportunity to explore key anatomical and genetic techniques.