Nutrition and Dietetics MNutr

This module will introduce you to the key concepts in the field of nutrition and food Sciences, including:

• constituents that make up food and its ingredients
• their functional properties
• the physiological impact of diet and nutrition on your body
• dietary guidance and recommendations
• analytical techniques to measure dietary and body composition

Nutrients are vital to human and animal health, but how do they work? In this module, you’ll be given a comprehensive introduction to the key concepts in the field of nutrition. Depending on your interests, you can study human or animal nutrition, or both. Understand how the food we eat influences our health. Explore how the food eaten by animals impacts on food production and the global food system.

You’ll study:

• micronutrients, including vitamins and minerals
• macronutrients, including proteins, carbohydrates and fats
• metabolism, and how nutrients give us energy
• the influence of nutrition in diseases such as cancer and diabetes

Have you ever wondered how some crops can resist diseases? This module provides you with the fundamentals for understanding biochemical processes in living organisms. You’ll be introduced to the basic structure, properties and functions of the four key biological macromolecules: nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids. You’ll also look at the metabolic pathways occurring in cells, such as respiration, photosynthesis and the biosynthetic pathways for the key macromolecules. In addition to lectures, you’ll have practical laboratory sessions to learn how to use key biochemical techniques for the separation and analysis of macromolecules and measurement of the metabolic process.

This 10 credit module will develop your knowledge of the nutrient composition of food.

You'll study:

• the principles of healthy lifestyle guidance
• develop the skills to apply this knowledge to different population groups
• essential skills for dietetic practice

What major physiology systems are essential for life in animals and humans? In this module you will learn about:

• the body's principle physiological systems including the nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular, reproductive, renal and digestive systems
• the structure and function of the major organs including the function of individual cell types

Through weekly lectures, we will cover topics on genes, proteins and membranes, transport of molecules across membranes, nerve signalling and biorhythms. 

This module is intended to enhance your transition into university and guide you through the academic expectations of your degree. This module includes three generic sessions on ‘study skills and plagiarism’, ‘study opportunities’ and ‘career and personal development’, and a series of small group tutorials with your academic tutor to develop core skills such as finding crucial information, oral presentation, data handling and presentation of results, preparation for examinations, and essay writing skills relevant to biosciences.

Throughout this module your problem solving skills will be developed while enhancing your knowledge on key topics in nutrition for example: global food security, tackling the obesity epidemic, and positive impacts on consumer behaviour. Every two weeks you will receive a lecture from a different academic introducing the case study topic to be investigated. In groups you will gather relevant information from various research sources, synthesis data and present in appropriate formats. 

Hormones carry signals between different parts of the body. But how do nutrients determine the interaction between hormones and health? In this module, you’ll carry out an in-depth study of the mammalian endocrine system. You'll look at this from cellular, molecular and anatomical perspectives. You'll explore the role that hormones play in controlling homeostasis and metabolism. We use the latest published nutritional research. You'll look at appetite regulation and how endocrine systems determine what, how and when we eat.

You’ll study:

• nutritional energetics and energy expenditure
• appetite regulation by the endocrine system
• homeostasis in relation to the diet

This module allows you to gain awareness of the importance of food knowledge within dietetics, including:

• food production
• processing
• transportation
• legislation
• nutritional content
• institutional catering 

This module, delivered by the School of Medicine, will introduce you to the principles of disease aetiology and diagnosis and to consider the pathophysiological consequences of common diseases likely to be seen in clinical practice by qualified dietitians. You’ll also be introduced to history taking, clinical chemistry based assessments, nasogastric intubation and venepuncture, and will also practice the basic aspects of life support, and measurement of BP.

This module provides insight into formal and informal methods for both written and verbal communication. Educational and learning theories will be taught, and you’ll be introduced to basic counselling skills and provided with the opportunity to practice such skills within a dietetics setting. 

The food we eat determines the functioning of our bodies. But how does metabolism influence whether this leads to health or disease?  You will explore the nutritional biochemistry of metabolism. Looking at healthy outcomes, and factors associated with chronic diseases. These include obesity and diabetes. You will investigate the fed, fasted and starved states. You’ll understand how the body uses macronutrients in different physiological and pathological situations.

You’ll study:

• metabolism, nutrition and exercise in sporting performance
• disorders of metabolism and the therapies used to treat them
• cardiovascular disease risk factors
• obesity and diabetes, from a metabolic perspective

Good nutrition is needed to maintain health at any age. So how do nutritional requirements change as we get older? In this module, you’ll explore nutrition throughout the life course. You'll identify the nutritional needs of different age groups. Starting with pre-conception, to pregnancy, infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and into old age. You'll understand the role of optimal nutrition in preventing disease and promote healthy diets.

You’ll study:

• developmental origins of health and disease
• risk factors for nutritional disease at different stages of life
• epidemiological methods used to identify public health challenges
• nutrition in human physiological development across the life course

This module aims to link the underpinning science of nutrition developed over the first two years of the programme to the applied practice of dietetics. This will consider both the professional aspects of dietetics alongside the theory of the nutritional management of disease in individuals and populations. This will prepare you to start your 12-week practice placement.

Healthy diets are vital for healthy lives. But how do nutritionists change health behaviours to achieve optimal nutrition? In this module, you'll study the psychological origins of dietary behaviour. You will learn the behaviour change techniques nutritionists use to modify food choice. You'll look at how to promote healthy diets using community, legislative, persuasive and empowerment tools. You'll work as an intervention team to achieve improved dietary health. Working together, you'll design an evidence-based behaviour change programme.

You’ll study:

• psychodynamic, behaviourist, cognitive and humanistic explanations of food choice
• social influences on consumer behaviour and the social determinants of health
• behaviour change techniques used in professional practice
• health promotion tools used to achieve dietary health across populations

This module is delivered at the School of Medicine by a pharmacist. You’ll be given an overview of clinical pharmacology, with particular emphasis on route of delivery of drug and principal aspects of pharmacokenetics, including factors influencing drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination. The use of drugs in the treatment of diseases for which there is a dietetic input to the management, and the possibility of drug-nutrient interactions in these, and other, patients will be covered. Activities consist of lectures, private study work on clinical case studies and a review and feedback session. 

This module covers the theoretical and practical aspects of commonly used research methods. It includes hands-on experience of statistical packages and laboratory skills, provides information on systematic reviews, practical and audit based projects, and an understanding of the ethical nature of research. This is preparatory study for your dietetics research project. You’ll have weekly lectures, laboratory and workshop sessions.

In this module you will carry out original research at the forefront of human nutrition and dietetics. You are supported by a member of our academic team.

The research project encourages critical thinking and involves both independent research and teamwork. You'll work on a literature survey, and data handling, analysis and interpretation. 

We have close links with the University's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and local dietetic departments. This means that your research project can directly relate to nutrition and human health.  Alternatively, you can do a laboratory-based project using the specialist facilities within the school. 

Recent research projects include:

• compliance to dietary advice in diabetes mellitus Type 2
• processed food intake in pre-school children
• the relationship between breastfeeding and allergy: a systematic review of the literature 

Students producing the highest quality projects are encouraged to submit abstracts to the British Dietetic Association annual conference and present their work at the conference.

 

This module considers dietary management in specialist areas of advanced dietetic clinical practice and public health nutrition using individual student learning experiences and small group work. You will also cover the aspects of management, leadership and professionalism you will require in order to be suitably prepared prior to registration as a dietitian.

Under the supervision of experienced registered dietitians, you’ll gain active experience in areas of health care that support subsequent application for dietetic registration. At the end of the 12-week placement you will have had the opportunity to work with clients and patients in the same way as a newly qualified dietitian.