Program Curriculum | International MSc Molecular Biomedicine, Athens, Greece

MSc Program Structure

1st Semester

MSc Taught Courses

Taught Courses consist of four main modules, which will be attended in parallel during the whole 1st Semester, both at the Medical School of the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens and at BSRC "Alexander Fleming".
The four main modules will cover the following individual fields:

1. Mechanisms of Disease (MOD)

Introduction to Basic Laboratory and Clinical Research Methodology
Molecular and cellular mechanisms in immunological diseases and chronic inflammation
Molecular and cellular mechanisms in cancer
Molecular and cellular mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases
Molecular and cellular mechanisms in metabolic diseases
Molecular and cellular mechanisms in infectious diseases
Systems Biology and identification of new targets: Prevention, diagnosis and targeted therapies

2. Molecular and Cellular therapies (MCT)

Biological therapies (molecular, genetic and cellular)
Cutting-edge technologies in molecular biology and genetics (genomics, metabolomics, proteomics, metagenomics, epigenetics etc.)
Biomarkers and companion diagnostic kits for personalised approaches
Fundamental principles in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology and Biostatistics
Precision Medicine: Methods, trends and challenges
Drug development process - from in silico to in vivo; Innovation in medical product evaluation
Orphan drugs / Orphan diseases
Drug repositioning

3. Bio-innovation (BI)

Emerging markets in the pharmaceutical sector and healthcare
Basic principles of entrepreneurship and innovation: Start-ups, spin-offs and investment funds
Successful examples of business innovation
Advanced Biomaterials and Nanotechnologies
Intellectual property and exploitation of results: the life cycle of a patent
Technology transfer: from academia to industry
Opportunities and challenges in the "big data" era
Ethical, legal and social implications of personalized medicine

4. Transferable Skills (TRFS)

Oral presentations of research results or new business products
Writing research grant proposals or plans for business sponsorship/funding
Writing scientific articles or reports on the activities of companies
Bioethics and ethics in science and the business world
Good safety practices in laboratory areas etc.

For each taught course, there will be an examination period. A first intensive one will take place at the end of the 1st semester (in January) and a second, more concise, at the end of the 2nd semester (in July).

An additional module, which will be attended during both the 1st and 2nd Semesters at BSRC "Alexander Fleming" will introduce students to:

5. Journal Clubs (JC1) - Group discussions on pioneering scientific literature

Students will attend and participate in Journal Clubs, a weekly gathering in which they will initially learn how to read & present research articles found in the current scientific literature. They will then initiate group discussions on specific articles presented by their colleagues and discuss it, all together, by asking clarifying questions and critically commenting on the methods, on the approaches and on the article's scientific conclusions & biomedical perspectives. Students are expected through these forums to develop their own personal skills for presenting in public and exchanging scientific thoughts & ideas.

2nd Semester

International Seminars, Journal Clubs and Laboratory Rotations

1. International Seminars (MCT-5): Systems Biology, Biotechnology and Bioinnovation

These lectures, unlike those of the 1st semester, will take the form of Seminars, which will be given in the fields of System Biology, Biotechnology and Bioinnovation. Seminars will be given by recognized scientists of international standing, of foreign nationality or from Greece who are performing their research abroad. Students themselves choose the international scientists they wish to invite.

2. Journal Clubs (JC2) - Group discussions on pioneering scientific literature

Students will attend and participate in a second series of Journal Clubs and group discussions on pioneering scientific literature, which will be organized with a slightly different format compared to those of the 1st semester. These JCs will thus complement and increase the skills that students will have acquired during the 1st semester.

3. Lab Rotations

During the second semester, MSc students will undertake two 3-month rotations, in two different laboratories, under the supervision of our MSc Lecturers & Research Collaborators (in Greece or abroad, between February–April and May–July).

Under their Mentors' supervision, students will be introduced to the different laboratory techniques, be initiated to independent thinking, learn to critically analyze & evaluate their scientific results, develop cooperations with other lab members, etc.

At the beginning of each practical rotation, students will submit a brief Research Proposal for their intended research work. At the end, they will write and submit an Overall Report covering the aim/methodology/results/conclusions of the research program. Research Proposal & Report will be written in English.

3rd and 4th Semesters

MSc Dissertation Thesis

During the second year, MSc students will undertake a full 1-year internship in one of our partner laboratories and develop a full Research Project. This project will be supervised by a three-member Examination Committee, which consists of Faculty Members and Research Collaborators of the MSc program (Thesis supervisor, plus 2 other Committee’s members) and which will be responsible for monitoring students’ progress during their MSc Thesis.

Following completion of the mentored internship at the end of the 4th semester, students are expected to write a Dissertation Thesis and present it along with their research work to the members of the Examination Committee, on the occasion of the Diploma Dissertation Oral Presentation. This MSc Thesis will be defended in public, in an open seminar, before the Committee.

The Dissertation Research is a core component of our MSc program designed to prepare our students for a further advanced degree and/or to pursue successful careers in Science, Industry, Health and Public engagement sectors.

Students' Conference/Workshop

Every academic year, usually at the beginning of the 3rd semester, our 2nd-year MSc students organize their own Workshop (Conference, Webinar...etc.) around a specific scientific theme. These annual workshops are open to the public and gather prominent keynote speakers, invited guest lecturers and students, from all around Greece and abroad. They usually take place in various prestigious venues of Athens (e.g. Athens Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens historical building, InnovAthens Technopolis, Serafio – City of Athens, etc.) or online (2021 Live Webinar, with nearly 450 registered participants from all around the world).
Read more here...

Organization of the MSc OPEN DAY
Every academic year, our MSc students organize an online ‘Open Day’ Webinar to inform prospective undergrad Students who wish to apply for the coming academic year, about the MSc program and Application's Call.
Past webinars here...

Participation in CIVIS Courses
Our students are invited to participate in the large offer of international Blended Intensive Programs (BIPs) & Summer Schools organized by the CIVIS Alliance of European Universities (11 Universities across Europe, including NKUA). Costs for physical mobility abroad are partly covered by Erasmus+ funding.
The MSc Molecular Biomedicine organizes 2 CIVIS Courses since 2022: