Program Overview

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If you want to pursue a research career in academia or industry, our MSc Cancer Biology will provide you with the essential advanced skills and knowledge for a role in biopharma, healthcare or cancer research. We offer many opportunities for you to explore medically relevant research in the School of Life Sciences including hospital-based sessions through our collaboration with local cancer specialists and clinicians. An important and exciting part of your programme is an extensive independent research project, based in one of our academic research groups using advanced laboratories facilities and bioinformatics tools. There are also opportunities for research projects to take place within an industrial or clinical setting. Throughout the course, you develop your knowledge in the essential areas of molecular and cellular biology which complement your specialist modules in cancer biology. You gain expertise in areas including:

• Specific cancer types (including breast, prostate, pancreatic and colon cancer)
• Clinical aspects of cancer
• Emerging trends in cancer research

You are also trained in modern research methods and approaches which will develop your skills in complex biological data analysis and specific techniques in cancer research. Visit our biomedical science subject page for more information and content. MSc Cancer Biology at the University of Essex Why we're great.

• Study specialist modules taught by academic staff, cancer specialists and clinicians within the academic and hospital environment.
• Carry out your own 16-week research project, based in an academic, industrial or clinical setting.
• Graduate in a subject which is in demand from the biotechnology and biomedical research industries.

Our expert staff

We have a very strong research team in the area of cancer biology, who are well placed to deliver the specialist teaching on this course. The team includes Dr Andrea Mohr (the role of mesenchymal stem cells in the tumour microenvironment), Dr Ralf Zwacka (apoptotic and survival signalling in cancer), Dr Greg Brooke (steroid hormone receptor signalling in cancer), Dr Metodi Metodiev (clinical proteomics and bioinformatics), Dr Vladimir Teif (computational and systems biology), Professor Nelson Fernandez (tumour immunology), Dr Joaquin De Navascues (radiation biology) and Dr Filippo Prischi (structural biology and biophysics of novel drug targets). External experts also input to your teaching, including guest speakers from hospitals and research institutions, who deliver classes both on-campus and within the hospital environment. As one of the largest schools at Essex, we offer a lively, friendly and supportive environment with research-led study and high-quality teaching, and you benefit from our academics’ wide range of expertise and research. The University of Essex has a Women's Network to support female staff and students, and our School was awarded the Athena Swan Silver Award in October 2020, which reflects the work carried out by staff in our School to continue to improve equality, including a mentorship scheme, support for postdoctoral research staff, and financial help towards childcare costs for academics who wish to attend conferences.

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Specialist facilities

Recent investment has provided modern facilities for functional genomics, computational biology and imaging biological systems. On our course you have the opportunity to:

• Study in an open and friendly department, with shared staff-student social spaces
• Carry out your research project in shared lab space, alongside PhD students and researchers engaged in cutting-edge cancer research
• Learn to use state-of-the-art research facilities , including an advanced microscopy suite, proteomics laboratory, cell culture, bioinformatics and genomics facilities, modern molecular biology laboratories, and protein structure analysis

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Your future

Graduates who are skilled in the research methods embedded into your course are in demand from the biotechnology and biomedical research industries in this area of the UK and beyond. Many of our Masters students progress to study for a PhD, and there are many opportunities within our school leading to a career in life science. We work with our University’s Employability and Careers Centre to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.