Transfusion Medicine and Cellular and Tissue Therapies
Programme structure
Courses cover a broad range of relevant subjects and provide in-depth theoretical knowledge as well as training in practical skills and advanced research tools.
Programme outline
The Master's Transfusion Medicine and Cellular and Tissue Therapies is an English taught programme. If you choose to follow the parttime variant, the programme lasts two academic years (60 ECTS). If you choose the fulltime programme, you will finish all courses within one year. Below you can find a detailed description of the content of each course.
Year 1
All the blood procedures will be studied in this module, from the communication with the donors and promotion of what is made from a blood donation, up to the procedures of the blood donation laboratory and blood transfusion safety systems. Finally, the preparation of blood components will be studied.
This module is dedicated to blood transfusion, and in it the quality indicators of the different methods for the preparation of blood components. The indications for the transfusion, as well as the incidents and possible adverse effects will be studied. You will gain in dept knowledge on the different alternatives to transfusion, therapeutic apheresis, and plasma exchange and the use of plasma derivatives.
In this module, dedicated to immunohematology, its theoretical bases will be studied:
- The blood groups: their classification, structure and function;
- Diseases, such as neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia, haemolytics diseases of the new born, and more;
- Serological and molecular techniques for the study of red blood cell antibodies, platelets and granulocytes;
- The phenotype and genotype of the different blood groups;
- The HLA system.
This module, the most extensive of the programme, is about advanced therapies. Cell therapy and the basic concepts will be introduced in order to follow with the in-depth study of haematopoietic cell therapy, immunotherapy, and regenerative medicine.
The module will take an in-depth look into the cell banks, cord and tissue banks with an emphasis on safety, standards and quality credentials of the bio-banks, as well as the regulatory and ethical aspects.
This course will be continued in the second year.
Year 2
Continuation of the course in year 1.
This module deals with project management applied to the specifics of blood, cell, tissue banks and other substance of human origin. Knowledge, techniques and basic tools will be introduced to manage the different areas involved in the development of any project within the organisation.
The module contains a theoretical component dealing with research methodology in transfusion medicine (50 hours/2 ECTS). This part covers research paradigms, the scientific method, specific methodologies and the search for information in documentary databases, and students will perform practical work on their own projects, applying the most suitable (qualitative or quantitative) research methodology.
You will work individually, under the guidance of your assigned tutor, on a final project. The topic is directly related to transfusion medicine or cellular and tissue therapies.