MSc Genomic Medicine

This M.Sc. aims to provide participants with the knowledge and skills to generate, evaluate and use genomic data, covering analytical, technological and biomedical aspects. Understanding the importance of genomic variation and its impact on biology, opens up the possibility of advanced diagnostics and precision treatments, as well as an improved fundamental understanding of disease mechanisms and the effects of environmental exposures. Such developments will in turn lead to further, more specific therapeutic opportunities.

The M.Sc. will be offered as full time (1 year) or part time (2 year) options encompassing 60 ECTs of taught and self-directed learning, and 30 ECTs for an original research project. It will include multi-disciplinary training on a wide range of topics from genomics and cell biology, to analytical techniques and medical applications catering from basic to advanced levels. Optional modules will allow participants to tailor the programme to best suit their state of knowledge and professional aspirations.

The programme is aimed at participants from a wide range of backgrounds from basic scientists to clinicians and those involved in the life science/ pharmaceutical industry and related fields.

The M.Sc. in Genomic Medicine aims to provide students with a cutting-edge overview of the theory and practical applications of genomics in the health sciences including

1. The contribution of ancient and present-day genomic variation to human health and disease.
2. Critical processes in molecular and cell biology translating genomics to health outcomes.
3. The impact of genomics on disease processes such as cancer and common polygenic and rare monogenic conditions.
4. Personalised & Precision Medicine: the ability to individualise treatments based on a person’s genetic constitution
5. The use of an individual’s genome to predict disease risk such as cancer and common inflammatory conditions.
6. The role of genomics in drug discovery and drug target validation
7. Evaluating the importance of host and environment interactions – for example the impact of the microbiome on health.
8. Appreciating the ethical and legal framework governing the conduct of health science and genomics research.
9. How genomic research is carried out: contemporary genetic analysis techniques and the know-how to analyse genetic data using computational methods.
10. How to conduct genomic and epidemiological studies in large populations
11. Evaluating critically the scientific literature and communicating effectively in oral and written formats, formulating research hypotheses, designing experiments and conducting quality scientific research

The MSc in Genomic Medicine carries 90 ECTS credits in total.
This is comprised of a research dissertation equivalent to 30 ECTs and a Research Skills module (10 ECTS) both of which are core components of the course. 
Taught modules equivalent to a further 50 credits comprise three further core modules worth a total of 20 credits and elective modules equivalent to 30 credits.

The course can be taken full time over one year or part time over 2 years.

4 Mandatory Modules: 30 ECTS
Module 1: Research Skills (Ethics, Literature Reviews, Journal Club, and Lab Practicals) (10 ECTS)
Module 2: Introduction to Computation and Genomic Data Handling I: core concepts in programming and NGS data processing (5 ECTS)
Module 3: Precision Medicine: "Genomic and Translational Aspects" (10 ECTS)
Module 4: Research Integrity and Impact in an Open Scholarship Era (5 ECTS)
A choice of 6 Elective Modules: 30 ECTS
Module 5: Introduction to Computation and Genomic Data Handling II: advanced programming and NGS data analysis (5 ECTS)
Module 6: Statistical Methods for Genomics (5 ECTS)
Module 7: Introduction to Genetics and Development (5 ECTS)
Module 8: Population Genomics (5 ECTS)
Module 9: Genomics Technologies (5 ECTS)
Module 10: Molecular Oncology (5 ECTS)
Module 11: Pathogen Genomics and Metagenomics (5 ECTS)
Module 12: Cellular Biology and Cell Signalling Mechanisms (5 ECTS)

Our lecturers are predominantly research active or clinical scientists who lecture in their areas of expertise and the course content is constantly reviewed and updated.

Prof. Ross McManus. Director, School of Medicine
Prof. Ross McManus is Professor of Molecular Medicine TCD. He is Director of the Molecular Medicine Postgraduate Education Programme since 2003. His research interests are in the genetics of complex diseases with an inflammatory component such as coeliac disease, arthropathies and sepsis and has been involved in several major national and international collaborative investigations into these diseases. He is a member of the Eurolife Educational Alliance, comprising Trinity and seven other leading European universities, promoting leadership in postgraduate education and student exchanges across Europe and developing a common doctoral training programme within the Eurolife network. He is also a member of the Clinical Research Development Ireland Trinity education committee.

Dr. Shigeki Nakagome, Primary Course Coordinator, School of Medicine
Dr. Shigeki Nakagome received his Ph.D. at The University of Tokyo in 2010 with the focus on the evolutionary pressures on alleles associated with Crohn's disease. As a postdoctoral researcher, He first joined The Institute of Statistical Mathematics from 2011 to 2014 where he developed a new statistical method, kernel Approximate Bayesian Computation. He obtained further postdoctoral training at University of Chicago from 2013 to 2016. During this training, he has acquired expertise in population and functional genomics to develop statistical approaches for understanding selective pressures on immunity genes and to connect genetic polymorphisms to their functional consequences in the immune system. Since 2016, he has worked as Ussher Assistant Professor in Genomic Medicine at School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin.

Dr. Russell McLaughlin, Course Coordinator, School of Genetics and Microbiology
Dr Russell McLaughlin is Ussher Assistant Professor in Genome Analysis in the Smurfit Institute of Genetics at Trinity College Dublin. He obtained his PhD from Trinity in 2013, based on his research into the genomics of the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Dr McLaughlin now leads the Complex Trait Genomics research group in the Smurfit Institute which focuses on the genetic architecture of complex diseases, especially neurodegenerative and neuropsychatric conditions, and the application of population genetic methodologies to the large-scale genomic study of human disease.

Dr. Lina Zgaga, Course Coordinator, School of Medicine
Dr. Lina Zgaga is Associate Professor of Epidemiology at School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin since 2013. She received her Medical Degree in 2005, her M.Sc. in Quantitative Genetics and Genome Analysis at the University of Edinburgh,in 2009, and her Ph.D. in Epidemiology at the University of Zagreb, Croatia in 2012.  She has co-led fieldwork and data collection for the “10,001 Dalmatians” study, one of the most successful genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of its time globally. Her research interests include genetic basis of human diseases and gene-environment interactions, particularly those relating to vitamin D. She has developed Epidemiology module for Undergraduate Medicine and for M.Sc. in Global Health and has received Provost's Teaching award in 2018.

Dr. Lara Cassidy, School of Genetics and Microbiology
Dr. Lara Cassidy is an Assistant Professor in Genomics at the Smurfit Institute of Genetics at Trinity College Dublin. She received her Ph.D from Trinity in 2018, which focussed on the application of next generation sequencing technologies to the study of Irish prehistory and resolved longstanding questions on the origins of the modern population. As a postdoctoral researcher, she expanded on this work, before forming an Ancient Genomics research group at the Smurfit Institute. Her current focus is the creation of a dense temporal dataset of Irish genomes to study the evolutionary forces that have shaped human health and disease on the island. She is also interested in the reconstruction of prehistoric social structures and cultural practices through patterns of relatedness and inbreeding, as well as the optimisation of molecular and computational pipelines within the field of human ancient DNA.

Dr. Elizabeth Heron, School of Medicine
Dr Elizabeth Heron is An Ussher Assistant Professor of Biostatistical Genomics working mainly in the field of psychiatric genetics. She has published in leading peer-reviewed publications in the areas of statistical methods development and applications of statistical approaches for genetics data. Dr Heron has extensive experience in analysing genetic data including human and plant genetics applications. With a background in mathematics and statistics, Dr Heron regularly advises on study design and statistical analysis for a wide range of health-related research projects and is on the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Clinical Research Facility based in St. James's Hospital, Dublin.

Dr. Sinead Corr, School of Genetics and Microbiology
Dr Sinéad Corr is Assistant Professor in Microbiology, School of Genetics and Microbiology.She obtained a BSc Microbiology from University College Cork in 2002 and in 2006 obtained a PhD in Molecular Microbiology at the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (Microbiome Ireland), University College Cork. During this time she investigated the interaction of the food borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes with the gastrointestinal epithelium and the therapeutic potential of probiotics to treat intestinal infection. She subsequently undertook postdoctorate positions with GlaxoSmithKline-Microbiome Ireland, investigating novel therapeutics for the treatment of Inflammatory Bowel disease (IBD) and with Prof. Luke O’Neill at the School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, where she investigated the role of innate signalling pathways in intestinal health and inflammation. She now leads the Host-Microbe Interface lab based in the Moyne Institute of Preventative Medicine, which researches the molecular mechanisms underpinning the crosstalk between the intestinal immune system and the gut microbiome, and the microbial modulation of gut immunity in disease associations, in particular microbiome-associated disorders like IBD. The influence of the microbiome on health and disease, and the potential to harness it as a therapeutic strategy, is a priority research focus.

Applicants should have a primary degree in Biology, Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary or Pharmaceutical Sciences. Applicants with other scientific qualifications may also be considered – please enquire. Those with a science degree must have achieved at least a II-1 honours degree or equivalent.

We welcome students from all over the world, but note that visa applications for those coming from outside the EU may be lengthy, and we encourage these applicants to apply early, where possible.

The programme is based in the Smurfit Institute of Genetics, main campus TCD and in the  Trinity Translational Medicine Institute at the Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, on the St. James's Hospital Campus. St. James's is the biggest hospital in Ireland, and is an academic teaching hospital linked with Trinity College Dublin as part of the Trinity Health Ireland group.

For further information on the course please e: genomic.medic@tcd.ie

Postal Address: Room 1.15, Discipline of Clinical Medicine, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences,  James's Street, Dublin D08 W9RT, Ireland.