TRM6002 - Translational research: pathways to the clinic - 2018

Translational research is a growing and exciting new discipline in medicine that involves many pathways towards developing fundamental scientific discoveries into tangible clinical outcomes. In this unit, students will learn how to identify, critically evaluate and apply translational research processes including the drug discovery pipeline, market needs, intellectual property, commercialisation and/or clinical trials. Underpinning this training, students will learn to identify and critically appraise commercial and ethical decision-making crossroads. They will also learn how to communicate scientific findings to both scientific and non-scientific audiences by developing the ability to prepare a media release, a critical review of the literature and a scientific poster, conveying translational research. Translational research involves team work and leadership; students undertaking this unit will develop these abilities through engagement in a variety of team and leadership activities.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Critically evaluate the research literature and evaluate the potential for clinical translation
2. Examine and interpret translational research findings in medicine and communicate these to technical and non-technical audiences
3. Critically evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of different translational research pathways to drug development, commercialisation or clinical trials.
4. Demonstrate the ability to work effectively, either individually or in teams, to present a proposal and develop your leadership skills
5. Identify and evaluate commercial and ethical decision-making crossroads in translational research
6. Identify and apply translational research processes including the drug discovery pipeline, market needs, intellectual property, sourcing funding, company spin-offs and regulatory bodies

1. Media release and executive summary (10%)
2. 2x online assessment quizzes: Self-directed learning tasks (total 10%)
3. 2x workshop extended matching questions (EMQs) (total 10%)
4. 2x oral assessments (total 20%)
5. Critical review of research & discussion of proposed translation (40%)
6. Poster presentation (10%)

On-campus: Approximately 4 contact hours to attend media release and executive summary workshop. Approximately 8 hours to complete each online module (total 16 hours) and 6 hours of face-to-face module workshops. Up to 3 contact hours per oral presentation (total 6 hours). Approximately 2 contact hours for poster presentation. The remaining 116 hours (approx. 10 h per week over a 12 week period) comprise preparing for the media release and executive summary, the team-orientated oral presentations, the writing of a critical review of research and interpretation of translation, and a poster presentation in the postgraduate research forum.

See also Unit timetable information

Translational research