Revolutionise your summer with our three-week mini-research laboratory project with guest lectures, enabling you to explore cutting-edge research, technology and the future of biomedicine. 

Taught themes

The style of the Summer School is interactive, and you can expect to work in partnership with the course tutors and other students. You will learn four different 'mini courses' which will will cover a range of themes from the population, to the molecular level. You are not expected to have a prior knowledge of the topics covered as the summer school is designed to stretch and challenge you to work in novel ways and develop not only your scientific skills but also your confidence. 

This year we are pleased to offer teaching on the following topics: food and nutrition, drug development and environmental toxins. We are delighted to have the following professors be a part of our summer school this year:

• Professor Charlotte Bevan - Small RNAs as therapeutic targets in cancer
• Professor Paul Freemont - Synthetic Biology - investigating mechanisms of human disease
• Professor Simone Di Giovanni - Diet, Brain and Neurons

Mini-research project

Our immune system consists of organs, cells and molecules that provide us with a remarkable defence system against all kinds of pathogens. Some cells of the immune system protect us against viruses. These cells can directly kill virally infected cells, but they can also survive in our body for our whole life to protect us against the same virus as many times as required.  

In the Mini-research project, you will work in small groups to design your own experimental plans. In a supervised lab environment, you will then stimulate immune cells under your chosen experimental conditions, measure the results of the stimulation quantitatively and qualitatively, analyse your data, and discuss your lab report with the course team. You will get hands-on experience in experimental design and statistics, cell culture, protein extraction, ELISA, and flow cytometry.

Guest speakers and networking events

In addition to the main course there will be a series of guest lectures from leaders in their fields. You will have the opportunity to ask your own questions and to network with these renowned academics at a drinks reception afterwards. 

You will also have the opportunity to reflect on your future in bioscience through our symposium event, where you can speak to our current Master's students to gain an insight into life as a postgraduate student at Imperial.

Course location

The Summer School is based at Imperial College, London. We have multiple campuses, all located within Central London and West London. The main campus for this course is the Hammersmith Campus.