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LSC-30039 - Module Specification
School of Life Sciences
Faculty of Natural Sciences

For academic year: 2025/26 Last Updated: 04 December 2025

LSC-30039 - Regeneration and Repair in the Nervous System
Coordinator: Christopher Adams Room: N/A Tel: +44 1782 7 33943
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 6
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 734414

Programme/Approved Electives for 2025/26

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2025/26

The adult nervous system displays quite a remarkable ability to regenerate following degeneration or trauma. Furthermore, it has been extensively demonstrated that primary neuronal tissue/cells can be transplanted into the adult nervous system, and given an appropriate time period can integrate with the host tissue, ultimately restoring neurological function.
You will explore regeneration and repair strategies across the peripheral and central (brain and spinal cord) nervous systems, and examine their application in an array of neurological disorders.
The module is mainly delivered through the release of asynchronous material (e.g. short, pre-recorded videos and/or directed reading) which will be fully supported by live workshops and tutorials all delivered by tutors with active research in nervous system regeneration and repair. You will hear about their current research and get involved in discussions on current regeneration topics. Additionally, thanks to the in-course assessments and associated workshops, you will explore and learn two important and essential skills in science: how to write a grant proposal and how to critically peer-review.

Aims
To provide an in-depth grounding in the mechanisms underlying regeneration and repair in the nervous system, and how these can be manipulated by new technologies to improve repair.

Intended Learning Outcomes

define and explain the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in repair and regeneration of the central and peripheral nervous system: evaluate evidence from experimental and clinical trials to draw own conclusions regarding the efficacy of regenerative therapies: 1
discuss current bioengineering approaches used in repairing and regenerating the nervous system: prepare and critique research proposals in the area of neural regeneration: 1

Study hours

46 h active learning:
Active lectures – 10h
Tutorial – 16h
Engaging with asynchronous content – 20h

104 h independent study:
60 hours for in-course assessment:
- Assessment 1 (panel): 25 hours
- Assessment 2 (grant proposal): 35 hours
44 hours private study
- 33 h reading around lectures
- 11 h preparation and reflection on tutorials

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Group Assessment weighted 40%
Grant Panel - 1000 word justification of grant ranking, submitted as a group
Students will be assigned grant applications written by the previous year group (provided with consent - grant submissions have a tick box to indicate consent or not). They will be asked to write a 500 word peer review of these grants. The students will then be randomly assigned to groups and will come together as a grant panel to discuss their grants and rank them. The groups will be required to submit a 1000 word document detailing the ranking of the grants and the justification of the ranking. The group will receive one mark, with no individual marks awarded. Students will have the opportunity to identify non-present or non-engaging students during the work and also after submission. If a student is found to be non-engaging, they will be awarded a zero. Note - the 500 word peer review itself will not be marked. However, it will be used as evidence of engagement in the process of creating the group document. If the group submission does not contain a student's peer review, the student will automatically receive 0 (the rest of the group's marks will be unaffected).

2: Assignment weighted 60%
2,000 word Research Grant Proposal
Students will construct their own research proposal, based on topics within the module. They will need to justify how the proposal aligns with topics on the module. The proposal will include the sections "vision"; "importance"; "aims"; "methods/workplan" and "ethics". Formative work comes from the grant panel exercise and tutorials on how to write the proposal.

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 04 December 2025