Human Biology offers courses and supervision for undergraduate to PhD study. Each area has units selected to develop skills relevant to the workplace. The multidisciplinary nature of this award prepares graduates for employment in a variety of occupations including biomedical research, hospital laboratory technicians and teaching.
Students also select a minor study area and electives based on their needs and interests.
The Centre for Human Genetics is currently mapping the genes causing diseases such as polycystic kidney disease and distal myopathy with the intention of developing screening techniques and therapy. Another area of research is consanguinity, assessing the extent to which human inbreeding is associated with the prevalence of genetic disorders. The Muscle and Tissue Research Group is conducting studies into ageing and age-related functional changes using single muscle fibre techniques, targetting declines in mitochondrial integrity and energy production.