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The module will introduce you to the concepts of health and illness, cell adaptation, inflammation, cell injury/death, and neoplasia. Biological mechanisms underlying disease will be studied, including consideration of genetic causes of disease. You will study the development of disease, together with the principles of disease pathogenesis, investigation and treatment. You will be introduced to the general principles of pharmacology, identification of therapeutic targets, mechanisms of drug action, and the potential side-effects associated with medicines
Concepts of health and illness. Tissue responses to damage, acute and chronic inflammation. The principles and current developments in the pathogenesis, investigation and treatment of diseases, exemplified from the molecular level through to system level. Case studies of conditions such as cancer, endocrine disorders, cardiovascular disease, haematological disease; their causes, pathologies, the role of the diagnostic laboratory in diagnosis and the basis of treatments currently available. The advantages and disadvantages of current investigative procedures and treatments are discussed, and the role of lifestyle as a contributing factor in disease development is evaluated.

Upon completion of this module you will be able to
LO1: Evaluate pathological processes at the molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, system and multi-system level
LO2: Critically assess the investigative and therapeutic approaches taken applied to the diseases discussed.
LO3: Critically analyse case studies integrating results of patient investigations and laboratory findings
LO4: Examine the impact of current developments in disease recognition, investigation and treatment.
LO5: Debate and defend the potential impact of experimental therapies and diagnostics on a self-selected disease.