Doctor of Philosophy in Molecular Medicine and Translational Research

PhDDoctoralMedicine

About This Programme

The College of Medicine, while consolidating its undergraduate innovative educational programs, initiated post- graduate programs offering Master and Ph.D. degrees in Molecular Medicine and Translational Research. The program started in mid-2016. An agreement has been signed by His Highness, Sheikh Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qassimi, with Lubeck University in Germany to support postgraduate training and research in laboratories. An important aspect of the agreement with Lubeck University is to establish joint supervision of the postgraduate programs in Molecular Medicine and Translational Research. An important aspect of the agreement with Lubeck University is to establish a joint supervision of PhD program in Molecular Medicine and Translational Research where the degree is awarded by the two universities (Dual degree).

Course Highlights

42 credit hours
Taught in English
College of Medicine
Study system: Courses and Theses
Full-time study
AED 6,390 per credit hour

What You'll Study

Completion of a minimum of 42 credit hours in 3-4 years is required. The degree will be awarded based on a dissertation and two publications in international peer-reviewed journals. This includes completing course material in the first year, after which the student will sit for the qualifying exam. This is followed by the submission of a project proposal. Upon completion of all research work, the student will submit a dissertation. A final oral defense of the dissertation will be organized at the University of Sharjah. The Ph.D. Program consists of seven courses (21 credit hours), and a Ph.D. Dissertation. Students are required to complete three compulsory courses and one elective in the first semester (12 credit hours) and two Compulsory and one Elective courses in the second semester (9 credit hours), a total of 21 credits. Students must pass the qualifying exam (0 credit hours) and submit a research proposal (3 credit hours) before registering for the dissertation (18 credit hours). To complete the Ph.D. degree, students must have an accepted dissertation and a minimum of two published papers (either one research article and one peer-reviewed review article, or two research articles) in journals ranked at least B according to the SJR ranking.

Year 1, Semester 1

12 credit hours: three compulsory courses and one elective (Cell-mediated cytotoxicity)

0900801Immunotherapy of Cancer3 credits
This course aims at providing a comprehensive overview of diverse aspects of tumorigenesis and various therapeutic strategies with emphasis on targeted therapy and precision medicine. We will particularly discuss various perturbations of key cell signaling pathways that lead to programmed cell death resistance and uncontrolled cell growth of cancer cells. These include Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and downstream signaling. We will also discuss the success and challenges of targeting these pathways for various therapies. In addition, we will discuss the molecular pathology of the commonest solid tumors and the recent advances as well as the limitations of immunotherapeutic approaches in cancer. A particular emphasis will be placed on biomarkers predictive of patients' response and development of resistance to targeted therapies.
0900802Cytokines and chemokines3 credits
This course is intended to provide students an in-depth knowledge regarding soluble mediators known as cytokines and chemokines. The course is intended for students with background in Immunology. There will be a two-hour lecture per week, in addition to presentation every week addressing specific areas such as the genes and proteins involved in immune recognition for the immune response, cell adhesion molecules and their role in regulating cell-cell interaction, migration and homing, intracellular signaling mechanisms, the mechanisms by which the immune system learns "self" from "non-self". Emphasis will be placed on the roles of cytokines and chemokines in orchestrating various aspects of immune and non-immune responses. A thorough explanation of receptors for cytokines and chemokines, as well as signaling pathways induced by these molecules will be done.
0900803Advanced Techniques in Molecular Biology I (Lab)3 credits
This course is ideal for PhD students who need to carry out laboratory work but lack the confidence to do so due to a change in career or lack of recent time in the lab. This course is important if the PhD student is about to embark on a PhD with significant practical component but have limited laboratory experience. The course will introduce the student to the essential molecular techniques that span the areas of molecular biology, cellular biochemistry and analytical chemistry.
0900805Cell-mediated cytotoxicity3 credits
This course is intended to provide students an in-depth knowledge regarding the effects of cytolytic cells such as natural killer (NK) cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs); two of the major cytolytic cells responsible for eradicating viral infections and metastatic growth. Emphasis will be placed on the cross-talk among these cells and other immune cells such as T helper cells and T regulatory cells, among other cell types. In addition the differential ability of these cells to recognize MHC class I molecules will be discussed in details. Phenomenon such as immune surveillance, missing-self hypothesis, and cancer microenvironment will be discussed.

Year 1, Semester 2

9 credit hours: two compulsory courses and one elective (Vascular Biology)

0900806Advanced Molecular Immunology3 credits
This course is intended to provide students an in-depth knowledge regarding the molecular structures of immune cells. The course is intended for students with background in Immunology. Emphasis will be directed towards diseases such as Asthma, autoimmune and cancer. This course is an advanced course and students' participations are vital. It is intended to provide the students with forum to understand the literature, interrupt the data and analyze the information. Therefore, only the first four weeks will be devoted to instructors giving lectures, and the rest of the course will be focused on students presenting high impact articles related to advanced molecular immunology, in an orderly fashion. All students will participate in the discussion and they are encouraged to ask questions related to the other students' presentation.
0900807Vascular Biology3 credits
Vascular biology is a rapidly evolving area of medical research, with many new and emerging pathophysiological links to a large number of diseases. This course gives an overview on different aspects of vascular biology that helps the PhD students to build their own research ideas. Starting from the basic structure and function of the blood vessels, and the neurohumoral regulation of the circulation, students will recognize the importance of basic research in answering clinical queries. The course also includes important aspects of diseases of the vasculature (e.g. atherosclerosis) as well as angiogenesis and how to target them by medications. The course discusses the vascular consequences/complications of chronic diseases at the molecular level and highlights the therapeutic approaches of such complications.
0900809Advanced Techniques in Molecular Biology II (Lab)3 credits
The aim of this course is to use laboratory techniques in Molecular Biology through a supervised independent research project. The research topic and the special techniques are selected to facilitate development of a doctoral thesis project.

Year 2

Semester 1: Qualification Exam. Semester 2: Proposal.

0900810Qualification Exam0 credits
Prerequisite: completion of all compulsory courses
The qualification exam aims to assess the student knowledge of his/her research discipline, as well as to evaluating the student's ability to think critically, analytically, and creatively in order to solve problems and propose appropriate solutions.
0900811Proposal3 credits
Prerequisite: 0900810 Qualification Exam
The students learn how to plan and execute a research project. Each student should write a proposal that includes a problem statement, study questions and hypotheses, objectives, a literature review, overall methodology, preliminary results, if any, and future work. The students must present their proposal orally.

Year 3

9 credit hours

0900812Dissertation9 credits
Prerequisite: 0900811 Proposal

Year 4

9 credit hours

0900812Dissertation9 credits

What You'll Learn

To train the next generation of basic and clinical scientists in innovative, significant, and state-of-the-art molecular, cellular, and translational investigation to advance disease prevention and treatment and to promote human health. The Molecular Medicine and Translational Science PhD graduate is trained in Analytical approaches to molecular and cellular synthesis, structure and function Genetics and gene regulation, Cell communications, Organ systems, and Pathophysiology.

Entry Requirements

Academic: Admission requirements for Ph.D. programs: • The student must hold a master’s degree with a minimum grade of “Very Good” (3.0 out of 4.0) and a bachelor’s degree with a minimum grade of “Good” (2.5 out of 4.0) or equivalent from a university, college, or institute recognized by the UAE Ministry of Education. • The student must meet the English language proficiency requirement • Passing the personal interview. • Submission of a ‘No Objection Certificate’ from the authorities responsible for national service for male Emirati students. • Submission of a letter of study approval from the Kuwaiti Embassy Cultural Office (for Kuwaiti students only). • Submission of a People of Determination card (if applicable). • If the student is employed, a letter from the employer stating that the student is currently working for this agency must be attached. • Individuals with foreign qualifications must provide a Certificate of Equivalency.

English: For programs taught in English, a score of 550 in TOEFL (ITP) (or its equivalent), or 6 in IELTS English exam must be obtained. Exemptions: • Students whose native language is English and studied a bachelor’s or master’s program in a country where English is the official language are exempt from the English language proficiency requirement. • Students who graduated from a university where English is the language of instruction are also exempt from the English language proficiency requirement provided that they obtained a minimum score of 500 in TOEFL (ITP) (or its equivalent) or 5.0 in IELTS upon enrolling in the bachelor’s program, and 550 in TOEFL (ITP) (or its equivalent), or 6 in IELTS upon joining the master’s program. Equivalent scores (EmSAT / paper-based TOEFL ITP / IELTS academic): 950-1075 / 450 / 4.5; 1100-1225 / 500 / 5.0; 1250-1375 / 530 / 5.5; 1400-1525 / 550 / 6.0. The paper-based TOEFL ITP is offered only by the University of Sharjah, AMIDEAST Dubai, and the Abu Dhabi head offices. The University of Sharjah reserves the right to require students to attend an interview at the Language Institute. Students may also be required to take an additional in-house test to ensure their scores align with their English language proficiency.

Careers

Graduates of the PhD in Molecular Medicine and Translational Research are trained to become: 1. Independent academic researchers and university faculty members 2. Principal investigators in biomedical and translational research institutes 3. Leaders in pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries (e.g., R&D managers, scientific advisors) 4. Experts in molecular diagnostics, personalized medicine, and immunotherapy 5. Contributors to public health policy, particularly in areas related to chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders