| Unit name | Mathematical Modelling in Biology, Medicine and Public Health |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SEMTM0009 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Marucci |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
SEMT30006 Methods of Applied Mathematics or MATH20101 Ordinary Differential Equations 2 or equivalent |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Engineering Mathematics and Technology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Engineering |
Why is this unit important?
Biology, medicine and population health dynamics are areas of rapid growth in both research and industry. This unit will give you an introduction to the mathematical foundations underlying these areas, while expanding on your technical and analytical skills from earlier years. You will learn about some of the latest thinking across a range of scales, from synthetic biology and neuroscience to disease dynamics and population health, and you will explore them for yourself using a mixture of analytical and numerical methods. In doing so, you will trace the path from an idea, to constructing and analysing a mathematical model, and its subsequent interpretation.
This unit equips you with the skills to better engage with the latest advances in mathematical modelling for biology, medicine and public health, making a great springboard for those wishing to understand the limitations and assumptions often hidden under headline scientific reporting.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
Previous units will have provided the core technical knowledge to tackle these questions. In this unit, this knowledge will be expanded further and applied to research-inspired examples. You will get insight into how mathematical modelling interfaces with industrial and public interests, and the scientific interpretation and communication skills required to bridge this gap.
An overview of content
The course consists of two parts:
These two parts work synergistically, allowing for the translation of mathematical intuition across different scales.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
You will have greater skills at translating abstract ideas into tractable mathematics, and the ability to translate your mathematical analyses into real-world interpretations. These are highly valuable transferable skills both for research and industrial work. You will also be aware of the ethical questions arising from using personal health data in research.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Teaching will be delivered through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous sessions, including lectures, practical activities supported by workshops, problem sheets and self-directed exercises.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Lectures provide examples and case studies that will be worked through in class: you are expected to use the solutions to these to improve your understanding.You will also be encouraged to use problem sheets and exercises as opportunities for self-reflection and evaluation.
Individual and group feedback will be provided on the formative assessments throughout the unit.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
ILOs (1-3, 5): a coursework assignment (50%)
ILOs (1,2,4,5): a written exam (50%)
When assessment does not go to plan:
Re-assessment takes the same form as the original summative assessment.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. SEMTM0009).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
