The course teaches the fundamentals of physical chemistry, so that students learn to account for and predict changes of chemical or biochemical state in terms of the constituents of matter and the energy changes they undergo. The course emphasizes problem solving skills and fundamental laws. Chemical principles will be illustrated with examples from life and health sciences, and students will be encouraged to find and discuss further applications.

This course provides a solid foundation for the study of biomedical phenomena and the conditions for cellular life and health. Beginning with the constituents of living things, the course explores the way that molecules and energy interact to produce compartmentalised structures that regulate and reproduce themselves. A special topic on thalassemia will illustrate the way that sub-microscopic components of cells exert their effects across human societies.

Students will learn how biology and health are described and investigated by physical approaches, since living systems have no special laws of their own. They will approach physical concepts through examples drawn from biological scenarios. These studies in physics will be underpinned by workshops, where students will become proficient in mathematical operations and thinking that will be required throughout their academic and professional lives. Finally, students will learn the basics of computing and apply them to a simple biological problem or scenario.

The course introduces students to the social and historical context of health and healthcare, including contemporary problems and dilemmas, and possible future developments. Students will consider their own reasons for aspiring to work in healthcare, and will acquire tools for discussing and evaluating claims about health, disease, and treatment. In the course of this, they will develop their communicative competence and confidence, and become familiar with norms of academic work. In the course of activities and formal assessments, students will develop their own insights into learning style and revision; planning assignments; finding, selecting, and using sources; reading and note-taking strategies, class participation and teamwork; and most importantly, communicating and showing their learning.

This course builds on the work of the Cells and Cellular Processes course to explain system-level phenomena in the life sciences. Students will study the principal physiological systems in mammals. Students are expected to apply physiological principles and mechanistic insights to explain the response of living systems to perturbations, including disease states.

The course surveys the periodic table and organic chemistry, with an emphasis on principles (of atomic structure, of electron movements) that develop students’ skills in chemical problem solving. Functional groups will be studied in the context of reaction mechanisms (free radicals, eliminations, additions, substitutions) and function. Students are encouraged to explore biomedical applications of group chemistry, organic structure, and mechanisms.

This course prepares students to pursue and present their own work at a level appropriate to higher education. They will select a topic of interest, in negotiation with a supervisor, generate their own findings, and present the results in formats adapted to different audiences.