This course provides students with deep understanding of interactions between genetic and dietary factors and how these may be used in personalised prevention and treatment of chronic disease such as obesity and cardiovascular disease.
It also provides students with knowledge of ethical/legal issues in nutrigenomic research and practice. The skills developed in this course will enable students to critically evaluate current research and commercial practice in personalised nutrition and communicate findings in effective and scientific manner.
This course aims to develop an advanced level of knowledge about how genetic factors may interact with diet and affect the development or progression of diseases and how this knowledge can be used within personalised nutrition in the research and commercial sectors.
This 20-credit, master's level (Level 7) course is a module on the MSc Human Nutrition. Any credit gained on this course can be counted towards the master's degree.
Dates and times
The course will run on a Wednesday morning from 9am-12pm on:
- 31st January 2024 to 7th June 2024.
Location
This course will be delivered in-person at St Mary’s University main campus, Twickenham.
Prices
The full cost is £917 excluding the course assessment.
Participants can opt to take the course assessment at an additional cost of £250. The deposit cost is £50 which is payable upon application. The course fee excludes refreshments and accommodation. Information on accommodation on campus or in local hotels can be provided upon request.
Please ensure you can commit to the scheduled dates as unfortunately we are unable to give refunds.
St Mary's University alumni receive a 20% discount.
Content
Topics included in this module include Fundamentals of Molecular Biology which will cover:
- DNA, RNA and gene structure and functions, the central dogma, single nuclear polymorphisms, and mutations.
Diet-gene Interactions in Health and Disease will cover:
- how polymorphisms may affect nutrient metabolism in hypertension, including individual B vitamin requirements based on the MTHFR genotype, salt intake, and genetic predisposition to salt sensitivity, safety of caffeine based on CYP1A2 genotype
- how polymorphisms may affect nutrient metabolism in obesity, including individual protein requirements and weight loss based on FTO genotype.
The Epigenetics topic will look at:
- DNA methylation, histone acetylation, and non-coding RNAs
- dietary factors affecting epigenetic mechanisms and individual nutrient requirements like folate and cancer.
Benefits and Concerns of Nutrigenomics Research and Practice will cover:
- ethical considerations, regulations, and attitudes towards personalised nutrition
- commercial direct-to consumer genotyping
- scientific validity of gene-based dietary recommendations.
Analytical Methods in Nutrigenomics will look at:
- DNA isolation
- single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping.
Communicating via an e-portfolio will also be covered.
Lead Tutor
Dr Leta Pilic – Senior Lecturer in Nutrition
As a member of the Nutrition and Genetics research group at St Mary’s, Leta is currently exploring the associations between genetics, taste perception and dietary intake. Her PhD explored the effects of genetics on blood pressure response to salt.
Requirements
Students will normally be expected to have achieved a 2:1 or a good 2:2 (or equivalent) from a UK University in biosciences or evidence of recent academic study, or a period of professional experience with responsibilities in a relevant field.
International students should check our country-specific pages for equivalents. If English is not your first language you will need to achieve an IELTS score of 6.5 or above.
Without appropriate evidence, such as a degree certificate, you will not be eligible for this course
Assessment
Participants who complete and pass the course assessments will receive a certificate of accreditation at master’s level.
For participants who choose not to undertake the assignments, a certificate of attendance will be provided.
This course will be assessed through an individual oral presentation on a critical evaluation of a nutrient-gene interaction and its use in nutrigenomics practice, as well as an e-portfolio to evaluate the current practice of genotyping for nutrition and develop recommendations for responsible commercialisation of such services.
Award
Upon successful assessment, learners will be awarded 20 masters level (Level 7) academic credits. Credits may be transferred onto existing master's degrees at St Mary’s University.
Book your place now
For more information about this course please contact the Short Courses team: