Female student using a pipette in the lab

An opportunity for medical, dental and veterinary students to gain an in-depth understanding of multisystem disorders and therapies 

Key Information

Duration
1 year full-time

Start date
21 September 2026

Application deadline
27 February 2026

Main Teaching Campus
Hammersmith Hospital Campus

Enquiries

Course Administrator
Claire Wade
c.wade@imperial.ac.uk

Application Process Enquiries
feo.bsc@imperial.ac.uk

Register for the iBSc Fair

*New Intercalated BSc*

Subject to University approval, the application process for BSc Multisystem Disorders and Therapies is expected to open in mid-February 2026. 

Introduction

The BSc in Medical Sciences with Multisystem Disorders and Therapies (MSDT) is directed at all students with an interest in the scientific basis of medical practice. The course focuses on a wide array of disorders including cardiovascular diseases, cancers, autoimmune diseases, metabolic disorders and allergies. In addition, with recent advances in our scientific understanding several new pioneering therapies have emerged that are/will transform patient care.

This course has a particular focus on a panel of these therapies, including gene therapy, targeted antibodies, bi-specific antibodies, BiTEs & CAR T-cells. The course also provides skills and transferable knowledge that are important for nearly every medical discipline (including, but not limited to cancer biology, cardiovascular science, pharmacology, cell biology, immunology and autoimmunity).

The Course Director is Professor Jim Crawley (j.crawley@imperial.ac.uk)

Aims and objectives

After taking this course students will be able to:

  • Analyse data and critically review scientific articles
  • Explain the principles of a wide variety of state-of-the-art research techniques
  • Discuss and explain the scientific basis of selected malignant transformations, cardiovascular diseases (e.g. thrombotic disorders), autoimmune and metabolic disorders.
  • Explain how recent research has transformed our understanding of these disorders and how scientific advances have influenced the diagnosis, the development of novel therapies and the management of patients with these disorders.
  • Relate the underlying science and the results of recent research to the clinicopathological features of multisystem disorders and their management.

Seminars will be given by experts in these areas from Imperial College. You will also receive training in research techniques, data analysis, science communication and presentation skills, discuss current and future research and clinical challenges in multisystem disorders and therapies, and gain research experience via a clinical or laboratory-based project within an active research group.

Eligibility

This is a one-year intercalated BSc. To be eligible to apply you must:

  • Be registered on a recognised Medical, Dental or Veterinary course at a UK or Irish university or at one of our recognised International Partner institutions.
  • Have completed at least one year of that course before you apply to Imperial College. i.e. you must be at least in Year 2 in 2025/26.
  • Have at least one year of your degree left when you return to your home institution after completing your intercalated BSc.

Application Process

The application process for 2026-27 entry will open around mid-February subject to University approval.

Selection is based on your application form and the supporting documents you will upload with your application. Please find further information about the application process in the Imperial Intercalated BSc Guide for 2026-27 Entry (PDF).

If you have any queries about the application process, please email the BSc Programmes Team at feo.bsc@imperial.ac.uk.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fee rates are the same as the Imperial College London MBBS Course. Further information can be found here.

Programme Structure

The BSc Multisystem Disorders and Therapies (MSDT) will run from Monday 21 September 2026 until Friday 21 May 2027. The programme is comprised of three modules:

 

Multisystem Disorders and Therapies Course Structure

Module 1 - The Taught Module

Module 1 is a 12-week taught module that takes place in the Autumn Term. Students will receive interactive, engaging sessions from leading experts in the field of multisystem disorders research. Module 1 comprises three core teaching blocks:

  • Block 1 – Cardiovascular & Immunity
  • Block 2 – Autoimmunity & Metabolic disorders
  • Block 3 – Malignancy & Therapies

Module 1 Assessment

Module 1 is assessed via three pieces of in-course assessment which account for 30% of the overall BSc mark:

  • Oral Task (15% of Module 1)
    Students will give a 10-minute presentation critically evaluating an area of cardiovascular research followed by 5-minutes of questions from assessors.
  • Written Task (15% of Module 1)
    Students will write a 1,000-word commentary article which will appraise a recent topical or controversial area of autoimmunity research.
  • Data Management and Interpretation (70% of Module 1)
    Students will perform some laboratory research and produce their own flow cytometry results. Each student will also be supplied with an additional flow cytometry dataset to process and interpret. Students will submit a short report-style paper analysing and interpreting the data, along with a scientific abstract and a lay summary. 

How is this Module Taught?

Module 1 provides a blend of face-to-face teaching on campus, lab work and a small amount of online teaching. We aim to make our teaching as interactive as possible to promote student engagement and cohort building. 

The module includes 3 consolidation weeks without teaching, where students can work on assessments, associated self-directed learning, on-line modules and group work. The consolidation weeks will also provide an opportunity to meet with the Course Lead to discuss progress, issues and receive feedback on course work and progress.

 

Module 2 -Self-Directed Learning

Module 2 is a 5-week block which takes place in the Spring Term. It provides students with a collaborative experience of working with their peers to provide a critical synthesis of a scientific problem. Students will also work independently on a clinical case study involving a real patient, where they will investigate the science underpinning the patient's diagnosis and/or treatment.

Module 2 Assessment

Module 2 is assessed via two pieces of in-course assessment which account for 25% of the overall BSc mark:

  • Group Literature Review (60% of Module 2)
    Students will work in groups of 4-5 to develop their team working, communication, critical appraisal and clinical translation skills through a literature review assignment that focusses on translation of basic understanding of cancer into patient-orientated research.
  • Science in Context (40% of Module 2)
    Students will attend a cancer and autoimmunity clinic led by an NHS consultant/clinical facilitator. From this, students will obtain details of a clinical case that forms the basis for an in-depth scientific exploration of the current and emerging evidence for either the underlying cause of the disorder or current treatment options. Students will be assessed via a scientific poster and poster presentation.

How is this Module Taught?

Module 2 is self-directed learning so there are fewer taught sessions. For both Module 2 assessments, students will be supported by an academic supervisor who is an expert in the field of study. 

Module 3 - Research Project

A 14-week supervised research project (clinical or lab-based) to explore/test novel hypotheses basic or clinical research.  Module 3 takes place in the Spring and Summer terms. Students will choose from a range of current and topical research projects. Examples of past projects include:

Clinical Projects

  • Bleeding and thrombotic complications from Temporary circulatory support for cardiogenic shock.
  • Changes in depth of response after autologous stem cell transplantation in multiple myeloma and their importance for clinical outcome.
  • The non-malignant morbidity of HTLV-1.

Laboratory Projects

  • Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) defining the mode of action of an essential anticoagulant.
  • ADAMTS13 conformation: determinant of function and targeting as an autoantigen in TTP.
  • Functional analysis of the upstream promoter region of the EVI1 oncogene inEVI1+ myeloid leukaemia cells.

Module 3 Assessment

Module 3 is assessed via two pieces of in-course assessment which account for 45% of the overall BSc mark:

  • Project Report (78% of Module 3)
    Students will produce a 5,000-word project report.
  • Oral Presentation of Project (22% of Module 3)
    Students will give a 10-minute oral presentation reflecting on their individual research journey and future research directions, followed by 5-minutes of questions.

How is this Module Taught?

All students will have a dedicated project supervisor who will be a senior academic at Imperial. The supervisor will provide guidance and support throughout the research journey. 

Additional support will be provided by the Module Lead, who will run regular project support sessions. Students will give a project progress presentation with their BSc MSDT cohort at regular intervals.