MSc Drug Discovery Science

Our MSc Drug Discovery Science course explores the drug discovery and design techniques used in the pharmaceutical industry to discover chemical entities as new pharmaceuticals.

Through our Drug Discovery Science MSc you’ll be trained in the skills needed for roles in the pharmaceutical industry. You’ll also master the problem-solving and analysis skills that employers value in a variety of sectors, spanning manufacturing, consumer goods, data science, consulting, public administration and research.

Whether you want to advance your understanding of the topics you found most interesting during your undergraduate studies, or gain the skills needed to achieve your goals, our one-year course is designed to help you build the foundations for a successful career.

Taught by world-leading scientists, you’ll have access to state-of-the-art screening and analysis facilities. You’ll study topics such as pharmacology, toxicology and genomics, learning how target molecules to treat specific diseases are identified, characterised and optimised for potential clinical trials.

Your training will cover the fundamental chemistry and biology of drug targets and their role in disease. You’ll learn about computer-aided drug design techniques, used to predict how well a potential drug might work, and screening technologies for testing a drug’s effect on its molecular targets.

One of the biggest parts of your degree is a research project. Under the guidance of a supervisor, who is an expert in their field, you’ll work as part of a team on a project relevant to the various stages of drug discovery. You’ll review research literature, conduct your own research, and handle and analyse data. You’ll also gain experience communicating your findings verbally and in writing.

Examples of recent research projects include:

• The Synthesis of Novel Proteolytically Stable Peptidomimetics of Nafarelin, a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH agonist) medication which is used in the treatment of endometriosis, by Solid-Phase Peptide Synthesis
• Design, synthesis and evaluation of β-amino acid-based peptide nanostructures for drug delivery
• Design, synthesis and evaluation of proteolytically stable anti-quorum sensing peptide antibiotics