Aims: (i) to provide a year's training in research, in order to give students a competitive edge in seeking employment in biomedical research laboratories and departments requiring skills in epidemiological and population health research; and (ii) to provide students with the opportunity to plan, execute, interpret and analyse purposeful experiments, appropriate to their research project, and to communicate their results to a wider scientific community. In addition to this they will be required to investigate and present on an area unrelated to their own research topic, but representing important contemporary biomedical research in order to demonstrate their skills in providing a concise critical analysis of the area of research and in communicating its essential features in oral form. The unit tests abilities which were largely ignored in the undergraduate years, and fosters innovative thinking, careful planning and the ability to communicate ideas and findings clearly. Students who excel in Honours are well organised and intensely motivated.

Research projects in this unit include the very wide range of techniques required for modern biomedical research from the biochemical or molecular level, through cell biology, to whole animal and human studies including clinical trials and epidemiological research. Students considering this unit are advised to discuss with prospective supervisors their research areas and possible projects in detail before deciding on a research group for the year.