Antimicrobial Resistance

This course gives you a real-world insight into the approaches used to tackle the global threat of antimicrobial resistance and prepares you for an exciting career in this area. You'll receive hands-on training from scientists, clinicians and biotechnology industry experts.

Course description

Designed in collaboration with the NHS, throughout your course, you’ll learn about the latest clinical practice in the fast-moving area of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) ready for an exciting career in public health, policy making, or academia.

You’ll receive training in the main aspects of AMR, including microbe pathogenesis and resistance mechanisms, treatment regulations, national and international policies, public health, agricultural and environmental factors and potential new therapies and treatments.

To broaden your knowledge and gain an understanding of AMR, you’ll be taught by a wide range of academics at the forefront of the subject, from social science, engineering, clinical academics, microbiologists and other scientists. Guest lectures from experts in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, including GSK, and public health policy from Public Health England, will also introduce you to the different approaches that are being used to overcome this global threat. These lectures cover topics such as how infection outbreaks are managed in real life and how new treatments are taken through to clinical trials.

You’ll get hands-on in the lab during modules led by our scientists and clinicians, where you'll gain a good understanding of host-pathogen interaction. You’ll also receive training in science communication so you can explain AMR to a variety of audiences.

The biggest part of the course will be your Research Project in Antimicrobial Resistance. You’ll spend three months researching an area of your choice that matches your future career aspirations and may include microbiology and host-pathogen interactions, public health or drug discovery and new therapies. Some students may have the opportunity to complete their research project with the NHS or with the local Public Health England centre (Yorkshire and Humber) where you'll focus on epidemiology of AMR and diagnostics.

Example research projects include:

• A new mechanism for AMR? In patient heteroresistance to fluconazole in cryptococcosis and the role of macrophages
• Targeting the lung immune response in treating AMR infection in chronic lung disease
• Targeting neutrophils to improve the immune response to antimicrobial resistant infection
• Combatting the mechanisms underlying antimicrobial-resistant typhoid fever with senolytic drugs
• To kill and cure: Understanding antibiotic action to enhance activity
• Investigation of antimicrobial resistance and other virulence determinants in Cutibacterium acnes causing prosthetic joint infections.