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Background Bioinformatics is a transformative science that is at the crux of interdisciplinary research. With the advancements in molecular biology, genomics, genetics and medical sciences, there is currently a high demand for bioinformaticians worldwide, which is unmet, in-part due to shortage in the supply of qualified and trained bioinformaticians. In Malaysia, a number of undergraduate degree programmes have been offered by the local institutions of higher learning to meet this demand locally, however, the necessary broad nature of these programmes makes transition to workplace or further education difficult for majority of the students. We present herein a one-year Postgraduate Diploma Programme to provide students with a strong foundation in bioinformatics. Method The curriculum for the programme was developed over two years, in consultation with leading academic and industry experts of the field and also students from the life science field with interest in bioinformatics. The process, procedures and mechanisms for the curriculum design included a comprehensive 11 step-wise strategy. Results The programme comprises 10 courses to be covered over three-trimesters for a foundation in bioinformatics for students from a pure biology or pure computer science background. The first trimester is designed to establish a common base by focussing on critical thinking, scientific communication and overview of the core discipline areas. In the second trimester, students experience interdisciplinary courses that connect the core discpline areas. These courses are aimed to prepare the students for their research mini-project in the third trimester. All courses are taught in a sequential order, except for the research seminar (starts in first trimester and ends in the second) and the mini-project (preparations start in the second trimester). Discussions The programme is designed with the over-arching goal to empower bioscientists the ability to develop and/or apply innovative bioinformatics solutions to solve biological problems by providing them the foundation necessary to manage and mine the wealth of available biological data for knowledge discovery. The programme aims to provide a balance between theoretical understandings and practical skills, with sufficient exposure to research pipeline, from inception and critique of ideas to communication and defence of research findings. The programme is being implemented at Perdana University with first intake of students scheduled for September 2014. Presented at InCoB 2014 special session on Bioinformatics Education and Training: http://incob2014.org
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A one-‐year postgraduate diploma programme for a founda4on in bioinforma4cs: a case study in Malaysia
Mohammad Asif Khan Director, Centre for Bioinforma4cs
(h@p://perdanauniversity.edu.my/pucbi/)
• Bioinformatics is a transformative science that is at the crux of interdisciplinary research, with a pivotal role in the growth of the biotechnology and pharmacuetical industries
• The field of bioinformatics has grown tramendously in the past decade
• Shortage in the supply of qualified bioinformaticians globally
Why Bioinforma4cs?
BSc MSc
UM
Local efforts to meet the demand
Public Ins4tutes of
Higher Learning
Private Ins4tutes of
Higher Learning
UKM
MMU
UTM
UNISEL
UM
PhD
1 Yr Pg. Dip.
MSc 2 Yrs
PhD 5 Yrs
Workshops/Seminar/Symposium/Forum/Conference
Students
Community
Schema4c of the proposed programme
Industry-‐driven Cer4ficates (3-‐6 Mths) Short courses
Call for Admission OVERARCHING GOALS The over-arching goal of the programme is to empower bioscientists (students, researchers, and IT professionals supporting biologists) the ability to develop and/or apply innovative bioinformatics solutions to solve biological problems. PROGRAMME DETAILS Award Title: Postgraduate Diploma in Bioinformatics Mode / Duration of Study : Full-time (1 year) / Part-time (3 years) Credit Hours: 33 Academic Entry Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Computer Science/IT or a related field with minimum CGPA of 3.00 or other equivalent qualifications approved by the Senate of Perdana University.
h@p://perdanauniversity.edu.my/pusps/programmes/
Process, procedures and mechanisms for curriculum development
1. Needs assessment 7. Define learning outcomes for each courses and the corresponding learning topics
2. Review of needs assessment 8. Iden4fy co-‐curricular opportuni4es
3. Defini4on of programme vision, mission, specific objec4ves, and learning outcome.
9. Define learning methods
4. Defini4on of core discipline area 10. Define assessments
5. Defini4on of courses for the core disciplines
11. Review
6. Define key interdisciplinary courses that link the disciplines
Uniqueness of the programme
• .
• Programme designed in consultation with leading academic and industry experts in the field
• Recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) and the Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA), and endorsed by the Asia-Pacific Bioinformatics Network (APBioNET)
• A one year programme to bridge the gap between local Bachelors and Masters programmes in Bioinformatics
• Cross-disciplinary programme open to life science and computer science / IT graduates
• Low student intake for quality education
Curriculum structure
Bioinforma4cs Research Miniproject
Research proposal contributions by collaborators from • Johns Hopkins University • Broad Institute • National University of Singapore • Macquarie University • Boston University • Locally
• UM • MMU • UKM • MGI
• ??
Part-time pathway
The Biological Data Deluge of Volume and Complexity
The Economist Feb/Mar 2010
Critical Need for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology expertise in the next generation of Biologists
20th C: Century of Physics and the Atom Bomb 21st C: Century of Biology and Biotechnology
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