Pandemic preparedness BIOL5463

  • Academic Session: 2025-26
  • School: School of Infection and Immunity
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No
  • Curriculum For Life: No

Short Description

This course was inspired by the work done during the COVID-19 pandemic at the University of Glasgow, where the Lighthouse labs tested 100,000 individuals each day for infection. The UK Government visited Dr Ruth McLaughlin, the Lighthouse Labs Director, and discussed how the large-scale diagnostics labs could be set back up and run, with a quick response time, if there were to be another pandemic. Training students to be the next generation of scientists in skills associated with high-throughput diagnostics would be an essential part of this pandemic preparedness.

Timetable

This course will run as a 5-week 20 credit course.

Requirements of Entry

None.

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

1. Skills lab assessment- 40%; covering ILOs 1 and 2.

2. Written scenario-based assessment- 60%; covering ILOs 1, 2, 3, 4. Students will be given 4 separate questions to answer relating to the ILOs and allowed up to 500 words per section to answer.

Course Aims

This course aims to:

 

■ Provide an understanding of the molecular drivers behind the emergence of a pandemic.

■ Provide training on working in a high-throughput molecular diagnostic regulated laboratory environment.

■ Provide training in bioinformatics relating to global pandemic tracking.

■ Explore the public health aspects of a pandemic, linking to social inequities.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Master expert laboratory skills in molecular diagnostic techniques.

2. Evaluate quality assurance steps of lab methods in a regulated lab environment.

3. Critically appraise bioinformatic approaches to tackle global pandemic tracking.

4. Formulate aspects of public health responses during a pandemic, by developing appropriate responses.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.