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Biomedical Research (Respiratory and Cardiovascular Science)
Gain fundamental skills towards a career in biomedical research and build your knowledge of the basic physiology of cardiac function.
Course key facts
Qualification
MRes
Duration
1 year
Start date
October 2027
Study mode
Full-time
Delivered by
Location
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Hammersmith
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Royal Brompton
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Course overview
Specialise in applied discovery, translational and clinical research at the forefront of cardiovascular and respiratory science.
You will develop technical and scientific skills and have the experience of working in a real-world research environment, through completing two independent research projects of your choice hosted within the world-class research environment of the National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI).
You will participate in a dedicated lecture series covering traditional topics and new trends, advances and developments in our understanding, modelling and treatment of cardiovascular and respiratory disease. These will be delivered by academic and clinical scientists performing active research in these areas, and supplemented by seminars from external speakers representing leaders in their fields.
Graduates most commonly go on to doctoral (PhD) studies within 51³Ô¹ÏÍø and elsewhere, including laboratory positions within academia, biotechs or the pharmaceutical industry, life science consulting, clinical practice/research and medical writing.
Choose your stream
You have the option of choosing our general biomedical research stream, or one of six specialisms. All of our biomedical research streams have the same course structure and each stream has its own tailored set of projects alongside a core programme of lectures, seminars and practical classes.
You should consider which stream is right for you according to your career aims and background. If an offer of admission is made, it will correspond to a specific stream. Switching streams is not possible once you have commenced your studies.
- General Biomedical Research
- Bacterial Pathogenesis and Infection
- Data Science
- Epidemiology, Evolution and Control of Infectious Diseases
- Microbiome in Health and Disease
- Molecular Basis of Human Disease
- Respiratory and Cardiovascular Science (this stream)
Is this stream for you?
This stream is aimed at students with a biomedical, biological or biochemical background wishing to perform applied research in cardiovascular and/or respiratory diseases.
We accept students from diverse professional backgrounds, including those with a basic science background, and clinical practitioners who want to develop their research skills and gain a Masters-level qualification.
This stream is delivered by the Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction in collaboration with the National Heart and Lung Institute.
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 take all of these core modules.
Core modules
Compose a grant proposal, appropriate for submission to an academic funding body.
This will correspond to your research project(s).
Applications open on Wednesday 30 September 2026.
You'll carry out two mini research projects, exploring some of the most technologically advanced approaches currently being applied to biomedical research.
You have a wide range of research projects available to you.
The projects available to you are determined by your chosen stream.
You can also choose projects from other streams, though you will only have priority within your own stream.
Example projects
- Characterising RGL1 as a novel pathway and therapeutic target in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
- Determining the role of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) on lung repair
- Explant-on-chip: Targeted thrombolysis to enable intravascular perfusion and preservation of tissue explants
- Factors affecting the uptake of microplastic particles into the alveolar-capillary barrier
- Use of novel AI machine learning based real-time macrophage phagocytosis assay to evaluate drug synergy
- Development of nanoscale sensors to probe cardiomyocyte function
- Immunophenotyping cells in the airways and blood of children with respiratory disease
- Assessment of PDK1 inhibitors as new drugs for pulmonary hypertension
- Base editing to characterise genetic variants of the transcription factor ERG associated with primary lymphoedema
- Modulating cardiomyocyte function through precision disruption of protein interactions
- Implementing unsupervised online cognitive outcome measurements in patients with cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease
- The role of mitochondrial dynamics in cardiac inflammatory phenotype
- Identification of the miRNA markers of cardiac fibrosis from heart failure patients using new nanopore technology
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of trial evidence evaluating behavioural interventions to reduce asthma symptoms
See a full list of example Biomedical research projects on the Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction web pages.
Teaching and assessment
Teaching and learning methods
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Demonstrations and seminars
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Workshops
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Computing labs
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Journal clubs
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Virtual learning environment
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Tutorials
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Lab-based learning
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Facility Tours
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Lectures
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Debates
Balance of assessment
This is an example of how assessments are usually divided, based on a typical pathway through the course. The actual breakdown may vary depending on the modules you choose.
Key
- Grant writing exercise
- Research projects
- 10% Title 1 goes here
- 90% Title 2 goes here
Assessment methods
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Laboratory-based research
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Computer-based research
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Oral presentation
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Poster presentation
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Research reports
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Oral assessment
Entry requirements
We consider all applicants on an individual basis, welcoming students from all over the world.
How to apply
Applications open on Wednesday 30 September 2026.
We operate a staged admissions process with several application rounds throughout the year.
Apply by 23.59 (UK time) on the closing date of an application round, to ensure you receive a response on your application by the relevant decision date.
Round 1
Business School courses only.
Round 2
- Applications open on Wednesday 30 September 2026
- Applications close on Wednesday 6 January 2027
- Decision by Wednesday 3 March 2027
Round 3
- Applications open on Thursday 7 January 2027
- Applications close on Wednesday 10 March 2027
- Decision by Wednesday 5 May 2027
Round 4
- Applications open on Thursday 11 March 2027
- Applications close on Wednesday 28 April 2027
- Decision by Thursday 1 July 2027
We recommend applying as early as you can – we cannot guarantee that places will be available, or that courses will remain open, in later rounds.
In our application system My 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, you will need to choose Biomedical Research (MRes 1YFT) in the Programme selection search. After this, you will be asked to choose the stream you wish to be considered for.
The Department's Biomedical Research Admissions FAQ provides more details about applying for the course.
If you are applying for a Master’s course, you will need to pay an application fee before submitting your application.
The fee applies per application and not per course.
The application fees for postgraduate courses are:
- £90 for all Master's applications, excluding those to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Business School
- £125 for MSc applications to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Business School
- £150 for MBA applications to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Business School
There is no application fee for Postgraduate Certificates, Postgraduate Diplomas, or courses such as PhDs and EngDs. This includes MRes and PhD combined (1+3) courses with the Centre for Doctoral Training.
If you are facing financial hardship and are unable to pay the application fee, we encourage you to apply for our application fee waiver.
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
Home fee (Biomedical Research streams)
2026 entry
Not set
As a guide, the fee for 2026-27 was £21,600
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 tuition fees payment terms, 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 how we assess your fee status.
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 Postgraduate Master’s Loan from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.
The maximum value of the loan is £13,206 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2026.
The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
Please note that the loan is only available if you’re studying a full Master’s course from the start. If you start on a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) or Postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip) and later move on to the Master’s, you won’t be eligible for this loan.
We offer a range of scholarships for students to support you through your studies.
See what opportunities you may be eligible for on our dedicated Scholarships search tool.
Overseas fee (Biomedical Research streams)
2027 entry
Not set
As a guide, the fee for 2026-27 was £47,300
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 tuition fees payment terms, 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 how we assess your fee status.
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 Postgraduate Master’s Loan from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.
The maximum value of the loan is £13,206 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2026.
The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
Please note that the loan is only available if you’re studying a full Master’s course from the start. If you start on a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) or Postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip) and later move on to the Master’s, you won’t be eligible for this loan.
Scholarships
View all scholarshipsHow will studying at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø help my career?
Graduates of our faculty of medicine courses go on to succeed in a wide range of sectors. These include healthcare, pharamceuticals, government, charities and NGOs, consultancy, technology, research and development, education.
Who do our graduates work for?
Our faculty of medicine graduates have worked for companies including Cancer Research, NHS, Department of Health and Social Care, Costello Medical, Medpace, Sanofi, AstraZenica, Oxford Genetics, Wellcome Stranger Institute.
What jobs do our graduates do?
Data analyst, Policy advisor, Trainee Patent Attorney, Project Manager, Medical Affairs Writer, Associate Scientist, Regulatory advisor, Healthcare Consultant.
What about further study?
PhD at leading institutions worldwide.
What careers support does 51³Ô¹ÏÍø offer?
Our Careers Service can support you as you consider your next steps. You can access one-to-one guidance, workshops, employer events and online resources to help you explore your options and plan your career.
Further links
Contact the department
Email: biomedical.researchmres@imperial.ac.uk
Course Director: Professor Tim Ebbels
Course Deputy Director: Dr Elizabeth Want
Stream Organiser:
Visit the Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction website.
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Our students
Meet Biomedical Research students and see what they have to say about their studies.
You can also read more about our student achievements, including funding, publications and academic prizes.
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Register your interest
Stay up to date on news, events, scholarship opportunities and information related to this course.
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Events, tasters and talks
Meet us and find out more about studying at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø.
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Terms and conditions
There are some important pieces of information you should be aware of when applying to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø. 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