Clinical Research (Translational Medicine)
Receive broad training and practical experience in designing, implementing and reporting clinical studies.
Receive training and practical experience in designing, implementing and reporting clinical studies
Develop expertise in using humans as the experimental model
Contribute to future medicines by improving factors in drug development
Course key facts
Qualification
MRes
Duration
1 year, 2 years
Start date
September 2025
Study mode
Full-time, Part-time
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Fees
£15,200 Home
£45,000 Overseas
Delivered by
Location
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Hammersmith
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Course overview
Develop an interdisciplinary understanding of drug development for therapy and contribute to the search for future medicines.
You will receive training in making better use of preclinical science from laboratory and rodent studies, and how we can derive more useful information from experimental medicine.
Clinical Research
This is a stream in our Clinical Research course. Taught through innovative approaches to develop your skills, you will receive high quality training and research experience to embark on a successful career in human clinical research, or laboratory research relevant to human disease within the world-leading clinical research environment of Imperial College London.
You will also gain an understanding of “Bench-to-Bedside” research, where preclinical laboratory findings are translated to living humans to develop the disease treatment approaches of the future.
Whether you are interested in laboratory, data-driven or human clinical trial research, this course will develop the essential clinical research skills in your subject area of interest and prepare you for clinical research-oriented career or further research study, such as a PhD.
Choose your stream
- Translational Medicine (this stream)
- Diabetes and Obesity
- Human Nutrition – on-campus and online
Your pathway will dictate the topic focus of your degree, through a stream-specific module and 10-month research project.
Structure
This page is updated regularly to reflect the latest version of the curriculum. However, this information is subject to change.
Find out more about potential course changes.
Please note: it may not always be possible to take specific combinations of modules due to timetabling conflicts. For confirmation, please check with the relevant department.
You’ll study all the following modules.
Core modules
Explore and investigate the design, challenges and considerations and around research in humans, become familiar with clinical research regulatory frameworks, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), PPI, statistics in clinical research and clinical research study design.
Gain insight into the design and conduct of clinical research in non-typical and challenging situations and populations, as well as developing a rounded researcher skillset, initiative and confidence through a simulated realistic grant application exercise.
Develop the crucial ability to appraise clinical research literature, study design and judge its validity.
Teaching and assessment
Balance of teaching and learning
Key
- Lectures, seminars and independent study
- Research project
- 30% Lectures, seminars and independent study
- 70% Research project
Teaching and learning methods
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Lectures
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Interactive workshops
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Journal clubs
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Virtual learning environment
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Presentations
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Group work
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Project reports
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Research proposal
Assessment methods
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Case studies
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Critical appraisal reports
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Documentation
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Oral examination
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Poster presentation
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Online exams
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Research Article
Entry requirements
We consider all applicants on an individual basis, welcoming students from all over the world.
2:1 in medicine or life sciences.
Footnotes
The department will consider 2:2 on a case-by-case basis.
How to apply
Apply online
You can submit one application form per year of entry. You can choose up to two courses.
This course is divided into two progressional levels of study:
- PG Certificate (PG Cert)
- MRes
Each level of study has its own separate entry point; you can apply to either level in the first instance.
Read more about Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma and MSc degrees
Consider which Clinical Research stream is right for you, according to your career aims and research interests.
When applying via our application portal My Imperial, choose the appropriate stream at the start of the application process:
- On-campus (any stream): Select "Clinical Research"
- Online (Human Nutrition): Select "Clinical Research (Human Nutrition) (Online)"
Choose the relevant options for your intended different mode and level of study: PG Cert, MRes 1YFT (1 year full-time) and MRes 2YPT (2 years part-time).
If an offer of admission is made, it will correspond to a specific pathway. Switching streams is only possible under certain conditions.
There is no application fee for MRes courses, Postgraduate Certificates, Postgraduate Diplomas or research courses, such as PhDs and EngDs.
Find out more about how to apply for a Master's course, including references and personal statements.
An ATAS certificate is not required for students applying for this course.
Fees and funding
All streams - Home
MRes (full-time)
£15,200 total fee
MRes (part-time)
£7,600per year
PG Cert (full-time)
£7,600total
You should expect and budget for your fees to increase each year.
Your fee is based on the year you enter the university, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.
Find out more about our , including how inflationary increases are applied to your tuition fees in subsequent years of study.
Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. Find out .
The NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) is awarding up to four bursaries to home fee students on the MRes Clinical Research Translational Medicine pathway programme.
If you're a UK national, or EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be able to apply for a from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.
For courses starting on or after 1 August 2024, the maximum amount is £12,471. The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
If you live in a country that imposes a GST for online courses, you may incur an additional tax charge on your tuition fees.
Currently, the countries that charge a GST are:
- Singapore
Find out more .
Scholarships
MRes in Clinical Research – Translational Medicine bursaries
Value per award
- £7,450
Who it's for
- Home students on the MRes Clinical Research Translational Medicine stream for 2025/2026.
The Dean’s Master’s Scholarships
Value per award
- £10,000
Who it's for
- All students applying to study a Faculty of Medicine Master’s course
The Dr Jean Alero Thomas Scholarships
Value per award
- Partial or full tuition fee at the Home rate
Who it's for
- All students applying to study a Faculty of Medicine lab-based Master’s course
Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction Bursaries
Value per award
- £2,000 (full-time) or £1,000 per year (part-time, two-years)
Who it's for
- Offer holders for the department's MSc/MRes courses
How will studying at Imperial help my career?
Acquire transferable skills relevant to a career in clinical research.
Develop the clinical expertise required to pursue research positions within healthcare or to attend medical school.
Expert leaders in the field provide practical training for a research career.
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Our graduates often pursue further study in master's programs or doctoral research.
With specialised knowledge, you'll be highly sought after in a range of sectors.
Graduates have gained employment in areas such as clinical trials and the food industry.
Further links
Contact the department
- Telephone: +44 (0)20 3313 6114
- Email: s.hoskins@imperial.ac.uk
Course Directors: Professor Martin Wilkins and Professor Gary Frost
Visit the Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction website.
Register your interest
Stay up to date on news, events, scholarship opportunities and information related to this course.
Events, tasters and talks
Meet us and find out more about studying at Imperial.
Terms and conditions
There are some important pieces of information you should be aware of when applying to Imperial. These include key information about your tuition fees, funding, visas, accommodation and more.
You can find further information about your course, including degree classifications, regulations, progression and awards in the programme specification for your course.
Programme specifications