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Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences: Drug Discovery and Safety

Drug Discovery and Safety is a specialisation of the Master’s programme Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences of Leiden University. This specialisation offers scientific training on and hands-on experience with a range of state-of-the-art techniques, required for the discovery and characterization of novel drug targets and the synthesis and optimization of new drugs. Research Project 1 will be conducted at the division Drug Discovery & Safety of the LACDR on one of the research themes described below.

To effectively design new drugs, understanding the mechanism by which potential drug targets affect the development and progression of disease at the molecular level is essential. The division unravels these mechanisms, particularly in the area of (breast) cancer metastasis, drug resistance and drug safety. After screening of candidate drug targets using a ‘systems microscopy’ approach, promising targets are evaluated in clinically relevant models and patient material, in close collaboration with clinical centers.

The division is also working on the design, synthesis and evaluation of new compounds that modulate G protein-coupled receptor activity (GPCRs). Essential is that these compounds meet specific requirements that enable them to work effectively as medicinal agents. To this end, a ‘chemical biology’ approach is pursued in which synthetic chemistry, new developments in bio- and cheminformatics, biochemistry/molecular biology and pharmacology are combined. Finally, the interaction with their targets is modelled and evaluated at atomic resolution for a more rational approach of drug design.

First and Second Year

Vak EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Mandatory courses:

Advanced Academic Skills and Career Orientation 3
Introduction Course Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences 4
Scientific Conduct 1
Attended Lectures and Colloquia 1
Literature Study 7

Research Project 1 at the division of Drug & Target Discovery of the LACDR

Research Project 1 - Practical Work 44
Research Project 1 - Thesis 5
Research Project 1 - Oral Presentation 2

Research Project 2

Research Project 2 - Practical work 31
Research Project 2 - Thesis 5

The MSc programme of Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences offers the following Lecture Series in the academic year 2019-2020 (one of these is mandatory):

Regulation of Drug Safety 4
Atherosclerosis 4
Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry 4
A Clinical Pharmacologist Approach to type 2 Diabetes 4
Signal Transduction and Hallmarks of Cancer 4
Quantitative Pharmacology 4
Model organisms in cancer drug discovery and development 4
Drug Delivery 4
Cell adhesion signaling in health and disease 4
Blood-Brain Barrier: Drug Transport to the Brain 4
Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry for Metabolomics 4
Biophysics and Bioengineering for Pharmaceutical Sciences 4

Optional courses in the academic year2019-2020 (list is not restrictive):

Science Methodology (SCM) 4
Science and the public: contemporary and historical perspectives 6
Student assistantship bachelor research assignment 5
IP Law in Science 5
Research Project 2 - Oral presentation 1

Meer info

Course Schedules are published on Blackboard. An overview of Exam Dates as well as Class numbers for enrolling for courses and exams in uSis can be obtained here

General outline of the MSc programme of the research specialisation Drug Discovery and Safety:

Level EC
Introduction Course Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences: Drug Discovery and Safety 500 4
Research project 1, at the division of Drug Discovery and Safety
- practical work 600 44
- thesis 600 5
- oral presentation 600 2
Research project 2, (preferably in another discipline of BPS, not restricted to the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences)
- practical work 600 31
- thesis 600 5
Literature study plus thesis 500 7
Lecture series 1 (in BPS) 500 4
Course Advanced Academic Skills and Career Orientation 500 3
Optional courses or traineeships 400–600 (max 12 EC < 400) 15

Attending more than one lecture series of BPS is optional and may be part of the programme component ‘Optional courses’.