This module covers aspects of basic management, quality control, total quality management, laboratory performance parameters and Good Laboratory Practices (GLPs). Emphasis will be placed on the various areas of effective laboratory operations, including pre-analytical aspects (pre-analytical variables, laboratory forms and reports, planning and instituting new tests), analytical aspects (method/kit evaluation, laboratory instruments evaluation, maintenance of laboratory equipment) and post-analytical aspects (quantities and units, decision levels, critical values, reference values). The fundamentals of laboratory information systems, costing, finance and budgeting, laboratory safety and reference laboratory services will also be taught.

This module aims to provide you with a theoretical knowledge of advances in the field of genomics and the applications of such knowledge. The module will therefore include a review of genome structure, its mapping and sequencing, expression sequence tags (ESTs) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), as well as techniques used to study gene function, transgenic animals, knockouts, and model organisms. The genetic aspect of disease, the Human Genome Project, and the applications of molecular biology in the diagnosis of diseases and forensic science will also be covered.

This course will cover the processes involved in drug discovery and development, from a drug’s original discovery to its final use in the market. This process will be elaborated through coverage of drug targets, screen strategies, the contrast between the natural product approach and the chemical synthesis approach to drug design, high throughput screening, the characterization of active components, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), preclinical studies and toxicology.

The principles of Clinical Trials and the role of clinical research in drug development are introduced in this module. It will cover the phases and design of trials, research ethics and Good Clinical Practices (GCPs), design strategies, regulatory issues, drug action and the business of clinical research.