Systems Biology and Bioinformatics Maastricht University

Overview

Just think of the interplay between, for example, our genes, proteins, cells and their environment. Systems biology connects all these factors through modelling, simulating and predicting biological processes in both health and disease - or to personalise medicine.

The MSc Systems Biology and Bioinformatics at Maastricht University  provides you with the necessary knowledge about the cornerstones of this field of study: mathematics and biology. You will learn to model biological systems in order to understand their functions, predict their behaviour and plan new, valuable experiments.

Cutting-edge research in molecular imaging, neurobiology, cardiovascular diseases or cancer cannot be done without the aid of systems biologists. The MSc Systems Biology and Bioinformatics will fully prepare you to take on your expert role in these exciting and important sectors, driving advances in human biology and health. Our mission is to train interdisciplinary scientists who have a broad view of biological systems, with a focus on one of Maastricht University’s research strengths: biomedical and human healthcare applications. The demand for systems biologists is only growing. 

Your future

The MSc Systems Biology and Bioinformatics prepares you to take on an expert role in the field of human biology and health. The multidisciplinary nature of the programme provides you with a solid scientific basis in biology, mathematics and computational science in relation to systems biology. Your selection of electives will further allow you to connect disciplines and gain relevant technical and soft skills.

After graduation, you will be ready to pursue a career in a wide variety of fields where bridging biology and mathematics plays a key role. You’re able to understand biological systems, model them and predict their behaviour. You will also have the knowledge and skills to design innovative experimental strategies for a wide array of applications in biology and life sciences.

This expertise is not only highly sought after, but also relevant for a wide range of careers in:

• any research institute focused on modelling the human body and diseases using patient data obtained in laboratories or imaging departments that need a systems biologist to extract biologically relevant information from their experiments

• small and medium enterprises (SME) that focus on innovative product, technology or process development, especially related to human biology and health

• academic multidisciplinary research groups involved in life science research generating big data, like omics research

• pharmaceutical companies or medicine agencies who need data scientists to evaluate drugs

• healthcare-related institutes like centres for disease control that model the prevalence and incidence of diseases
• healthcare providers, such as hospitals, that perform research on human health

With your knowledge of systems biology, you’re able to become a professional in a variety of fields. In addition to starting your career as a professional in the industry, you are also qualified to pursue a research career, for example, by obtaining a PhD or joining an academic group or institute as a research assistant or technician. You will also have enough qualifications to set up your own company and become an entrepreneur.

Accreditation

NVAO accredited