New course into cancer research

A degree on cancer and the drugs used to treat the disease will be offered to students in a new course at the University of Bangor.

The cancer biology degree starting in September offers students the opportunity to work with the North West Cancer Research Institute.

The university says it is one of four degrees of its type in the UK.

It aims to allow undergraduates to pursue careers in the pharmaceutical industry and academic cancer research.

"Every week in the UK over 5,000 people are diagnosed with cancer," said Professor Nick Stuart, consultant medical oncologist at North West Wales NHS Trust.

"Added to this, the incidence of cancer in Wales tends to be higher than European average.

"We need to understand the fundamental mechanisms underlying this group of diseases in order to improve the treatments available for cancer sufferers and their survival," he added.

The students will learn skills to help their future careers, said course director Thomas Caspari.

"In addition to careers within the health service and cancer charities, cancer biologists are sought by a wide range of employers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries and in the fields of intellectual property management, business development, project management, public relations, fundraising and marketing," he said.

"The pharmaceutical industry spend around £9m a day on cancer research and development, and there are a cluster of such companies in this region, so it's vital that we produce graduates with the skills necessary for this industry."

source:news.bbc.co.uk