Coursework | Marta Zaccaria

Marta Zaccaria

welcome to my reflective portfolio

My undergraduate journey: the big picture

As I look back at my 1st year at UCL, I am thankful for choosing to study Applied Medical Sciences. I truly enjoyed learning about the human body, both in health and disease. First year layed the foundations for a deeper understanding of the molecular basis of disease in Year 2. Among all new topics,…

Year 3 research project at the Crick

From November 2021 to May 2022 I had the opportunity to join Dr Erik Sahai’s Tumour Cell Biology laboratory at the Francis Crick Institute. As part of my third year of studies in Applied Medical Sciences I was required to carry out a research project in a lab at UCL or at an affiliated institute….

Spotlight on Tamoxifen

Pharmacology and Drug Action (MEDC0013) was one of my favourite modules of Year 2. I really enjoyed going over the physiology learnt in Year 1 and applying this knowledge to understand the mechanism of action of many important drugs which I had only heard of before. Part of the assessment for this module consisted in…

Fibrosis & discussion writing

The Cell and Molecular Biology module (MEDC0107) has given me a detailed background in cell signalling, organisation, replication and more: understanding of these and many other cell processes is key, especially when considering a biomedical research pathway. Actually, also the assessment of the module was linked to the practical aspects of this career: we were…

Alzheimer’s disease, microglia and essay writing

The Nervous System & Neurological Diseases (MEDC0012) was one of the most challenging modules of Year 2, both in terms of content and assessment. The coursework consisted of a 1500-word essay which was definitely a level up compared to Year 1. We were given the possibility to choose from a list of essay titles, so…

Presenting lab techniques

At the start of Year 2 I was looking forward to studying Techniques in Molecular Medicine (MEDC0011). I was expecting to develop some basic lab skills and gain relevant knowledge to further comprehend the “methods section” when reading research articles. Actually, although we were not able to access the labs due to COVID-19 restrictions, I…

Discovering the Immune System

One of my favourite modules in Year 1 was Infection, Inflammation and Repair (MEDC0005). Bacteria, viruses, parasites didn’t grab my attention, but I was fascinated by the complexity of the immune system: the coordinated response of our innate and adaptive armies against pathogens involves a number of different cell types, signalling molecules and cellular processes….

Heart, lungs & the art of summarising

I enjoyed the module cardiovascular and respiratory function in health and disease (MEDC0002). I had a foundation in physiology from secondary school and I was eager to expand my knowledge, also on the main pathologies affecting the heart and lungs. For the assessment, we were asked to create an annotated bibliography on a topic related…

Kidneys, hormones & posters

When I applied to MSci Applied Medical Sciences I hoped this course would lead me to the research world. I became certain of this since my first term at UCL, when we were asked to create a poster for the Kidneys, Hormones and Fluid Balance module (MEDC0004). Actually, before the beginning of Term 1 I…

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