Clinical Research
Receive broad training and practical experience in designing, implementing and reporting clinical studies.
Clinical Research
Receive broad training and practical experience in designing, implementing and reporting clinical studies.
Receive broad training and practical experience in designing, implementing and reporting clinical studies
Specialise in diabetes and obesity, human nutrition or translational medicine on a dedicated research pathway
Become familiar with the innovative technologies that underpin novel clinical investigation
Course key facts
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Qualification
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MRes
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Duration
1 year, 2 years
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Start date
September 2025
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Study mode
Full-time, Part-time
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Fees
Home
£15,200Overseas
£25,600 Online
£45,000 On-campus
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Delivered by
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Location
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Hammersmith
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Online (Human Nutrition only)
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Qualification
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PG Cert
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Duration
1 year
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Start date
September 2025
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Study mode
Full-time
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Fees
Home
£7,600Overseas
£12,800 Online
£22,500 On-campus
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Delivered by
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Location
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Hammersmith
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Online
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Course overview
Receive broad and high quality training and practical experience in designing, implementing, conducting and reporting clinical studies on this MRes course within the intensive world-leading clinical research environment of Imperial College London.
You'll build the broad and rounded skillset of a clinical researcher. With core skills such as clinical trial design, conduct and implementation, research dissemination conduct, PPI, critical appraisal, applying for ethics and research funding, and explore a range of challenging clinical research scenarios and contexts.
You'll then specialise in a chosen area of clinical research on one of three dedicated pathways:
- Diabetes and Obesity – Develop a deep understanding of the underlying pathophysiology, and research advances in the prevention, management and treatment of diabetes and obesity.
- Human Nutrition – Gain deep insight into the latest developments of interplay of diet, health and disease, such as gastrointenstinal tract mechanisms, aging and chronic disease , engaging with cutting edge research including investigative techniques such as Camera technology, Metabolomics and and Omic technology, to accurately explore the most clinically relevant research questions.
- Translational Medicine – assess the challenges of drug development including clinical trial design, and learn why most drug development programmes are unsuccessful, and how to improve the success rate. You'll also have an opportunity to apply your practical experience and training to a research project.
This course will allow you to develop the essential clinical research skills in your subject area of interest and prepare you for clinical research oriented career or further research study, such as a PhD.
Receive broad training and practical experience of designing, implementing, and reporting clinical studies on this PG Certificate course
You'll build skills in research conduct, clinical research measures, and explore a range of clinical research scenarios.
You'll then specialise in a chosen area of clinical research on one of three dedicated pathways:
- Diabetes and Obesity - explore modern investigative techniques including MRI and metabolomics and understand the pathophysiology of both types of diabetes.
- Human Nutrition - understand the regulatory requirements of human nutrition and analyse the latest cutting-edge research.
- Translational Medicine - assess the challenges of drug development including clinical trial design.
The course explores innovative technologies in specific areas of clinical research and examines the concepts, theories and developments that underpin novel clinical investigation.
You'll also learn how to critically analyse data and become familiar with governance and ethics in relation to clinical research.
Structure
This page is updated regularly to reflect the latest version of the curriculum. However, this information is subject to change.
Find out more about potential course changes.
Please note: it may not always be possible to take specific combinations of modules due to timetabling conflicts. For confirmation, please check with the relevant department.
You’ll study all the following modules.
Core modules
Explore and investigate the design, challenges and considerations and around research in humans, become familiar with clinical research regulatory frameworks, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), PPI, statistics in clinical research and clinical research study design.
Gain insight into the design and conduct of clinical research in non-typical and challenging situations and populations, as well as developing a rounded researcher skillset, initiative and confidence through a simulated realistic grant application exercise.
Develop the crucial ability to appraise clinical research literature, study design and judge its validity.
You’ll study one optional module depending on your selected pathway at registration.
Optional modules
Examine the research methods required to study human nutrition in controlled and free living situations and analyse dietary assessment methods.
Deepen your understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes and obesity.
Investigate the challenges of developing drug and non-drug interventions, and how to mee these challenges.
Apply a range of clinical and laboratory techniques to a specific research area on an extensive project of your choosing.
The project topic will be based on your selected pathway, and supervised by a Imperial based research academic.
Your work will be assessed by a research proposal, research paper, poster presentation and oral viva voce examination.
You’ll study all the following modules.
Core modules
Explore and investigate the design, challenges and considerations and around research in humans, become familiar with clinical research regulatory frameworks, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), statistics in clinical research and clinical research study design.
Gain insight into the design and conduct of clinical research in non-typical and challenging situations and populations, as well as developing a rounded researcher skillset, initiative and confidence through a simulated realistic grant application exercise.
Develop the crucial ability to appraise clinical research literature, study design and judge its validity.
You’ll study one optional module depending on your selected pathway at registration:
Optional modules
Gain a deep understanding of the most advanced techniques to assess nutritional status and explore how these and other investigative approaches are applied in cutting edge research to provide insight into the role of food and physiology in pathophysiology, prevention and treatment of a range of conditions.
Deepen your understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes and obesity.
Investigate the challenges of research in non-drug interventional research, including regenerative medicine and devices.
Teaching and assessment
Balance of teaching and learning
Key
- Lectures, seminars and independent study
- Research project
- 30% Lectures, seminars and independent study
- 70% Research project
Teaching and learning methods
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Lectures
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Interactive workshops
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Journal clubs
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Virtual learning environment
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Presentations
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Group work
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Project reports
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Research proposal
Assessment methods
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Case studies
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Critical appraisal reports
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Documentation
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Oral examination
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Poster presentation
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Online exams
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Research Article
Balance of teaching and learning
Key
- Lectures, seminars and independent study
- Research project
- 100% Lectures, seminars and independent study
- 0% Research project
Teaching and learning methods
-
Lectures
-
Interactive workshops
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Journal clubs
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Virtual learning environment
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Presentations
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Group work
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Project reports
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Research proposal
Assessment methods
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Case studies
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Critical appraisal reports
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Documentation
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Oral examination
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Poster presentation
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Online exams
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Research Article
Human Nutrition (online stream)
If you choose the Human Nutrition online stream, all taught components, group activities and assessments will take place online using Blackboard Learn and similar platforms.
Entry requirements
We consider all applicants on an individual basis, welcoming students from all over the world.
How to apply
Apply online
You can submit one application form per year of entry. You can choose up to two courses.
This course is divided into two progressional levels of study:
- PG Certificate (PG Cert)
- MRes
Each level of study has its own separate entry point; you can apply to either level in the first instance.
Read more about Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma and MSc degrees
There is no application fee for MRes courses, Postgraduate Certificates, Postgraduate Diplomas, or courses such as PhDs and EngDs.
If you are applying for a taught Master’s course, you will need to pay an application fee before submitting your application.
The fee applies per application and not per course.
- £80 for all taught Master's applications, excluding those to the Imperial College Business School.
- £100 for all MSc applications to the Imperial College Business School.
- £150 for all MBA applications to the Imperial College Business School.
If you are facing financial hardship and are unable to pay the application fee, we encourage you to apply for our application fee waiver.
Find out more about how to apply for a Master's course, including references and personal statements.
An ATAS certificate is not required for students applying for this course.
Tuition fees
All streams - Home
MRes (full-time)
£15,200 total fee
MRes (part-time)
£7,600per year
PG Cert (full-time)
£7,600total
You should expect and budget for your fees to increase each year.
Your fee is based on the year you enter the university, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.
Find out more about our tuition fees payment terms, including how inflationary increases are applied to your tuition fees in subsequent years of study.
Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. Find out how we assess your fee status.
The NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) is awarding up to four bursaries to home fee students on the MRes Clinical Research Translational Medicine pathway programme for the 2024/2025 academic year.
If you're a UK national, or EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be able to apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.
For courses starting on or after 1 August 2024, the maximum amount is £12,471. The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
If you live in a country that imposes a GST for online courses, you may incur an additional tax charge on your tuition fees.
Currently, the countries that charge a GST are:
- Singapore
Find out more how to pay GST and how much it is.
On-campus streams - Overseas
MRes (full-time)
£45,000 total fee
MRes (part-time)
£22,500per year
PG Cert (full-time)
£22,500total fee
Human Nutrition online - Overseas
MRes (full-time)
£25,600 total fee
MRes (part-time)
£12,800per year
PG Cert (full-time)
£12,800total fee
You should expect and budget for your fees to increase each year.
Your fee is based on the year you enter the university, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.
Find out more about our tuition fees payment terms, including how inflationary increases are applied to your tuition fees in subsequent years of study.
Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. Find out how we assess your fee status.
If you're a UK national, or EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be able to apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.
For courses starting on or after 1 August 2024, the maximum amount is £12,471. The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
If you live in a country that imposes a GST for online courses, you may incur an additional tax charge on your tuition fees.
Currently, the countries that charge a GST are:
- Singapore
Find out more how to pay GST and how much it is.
Scholarships
MRes in Clinical Research – Translational Medicine bursaries
Value per award
- £7,450
Who it's for
- Home students on the MRes Clinical Research Translational Medicine pathway programme for 2024/2025.
The Dean’s Master’s Scholarships
Value per award
- £10,000
Who it's for
- All students applying to study a Faculty of Medicine Master’s programme
The Dr Jean Alero Thomas Scholarships
Value per award
- Partial or full tuition fee at the Home rate
Who it's for
- All students applying to study a Faculty of Medicine lab-based Master’s programme
The Dean’s Master’s Scholarships
Value per award
- £10,000
Who it's for
- All students applying to study a Faculty of Medicine Master’s programme
The Dr Jean Alero Thomas Scholarships
Value per award
- Partial or full tuition fee at the Home rate
Who it's for
- All students applying to study a Faculty of Medicine lab-based Master’s programme
How will studying at Imperial help my career?
Acquire transferable skills relevant to a career in clinical research.
Develop the clinical expertise required to pursue research positions within healthcare or to attend medical school.
Expert leaders in the field provide practical training for a research career.
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Our graduates often pursue further study in master's programs or doctoral research.
With specialised knowledge, you'll be highly sought after in a range of sectors.
Graduates have gained employment in areas such as clinical trials and the food industry.
Further links
Contact the department
- Telephone: +44 (0)20 3313 6114
- Email: f.bibby@imperial.ac.uk
Course Directors: Professor Martin Wilkins and Professor Gary Frost
Visit the Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction website.
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Register your interest
Stay up to date on news, events, scholarship opportunities and information related to this course.
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Events, tasters and talks
Meet us and find out more about studying at Imperial.
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Terms and conditions
There are some important pieces of information you should be aware of when applying to Imperial. These include key information about your tuition fees, funding, visas, accommodation and more.
You can find further information about your course, including degree classifications, regulations, progression and awards in the programme specification for your course.
Programme specifications