General Practitioner - Skin & Hair Follicle Science

ProfCert Skin & Hair Follicle Science
Graduate Taught (level 9 nfq, credits 10)

Professional Certificate in Skin & Hair Follicle Science (Online Webinar-Based/ Part-Time)

The webinar-based, interactive lecture schedule and fact-based assessment series will comprise of approx. 24 hours of direct teaching to provide a fundamental and comprehensive knowledge base in the human skin and hair follicle biological sciences. The lecture block will cover an introduction to the biology of the skin and its appendages, and where relevant, will include variations with gender, age, and geographic ancestry. While this professional certificate will not focus specifically on topics of overt clinical pathology of the skin, it will refer to common mild physiological changes (e.g., male pattern baldness, dry skin, oily skin) that may be of interest to the personal care market.

Participants will develop a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of human skin and its appendages (principally the hair follicle and nail) and will enhance their knowledge of the scientific basis of skin function. They will also develop an understanding of the impact of skin and its appendages on our well-being.

This certificate is suitable for a range of graduates from the biological, biomedical, biochemical, bioengineering, and/or general life sciences background, and is also open to clinicians (including nurses) and other professionals working in industrial (Pharma/personal Care) or academic research environments.
The lectures will be delivered by Prof. Desmond Tobin, Full Professor of Dermatological Science and an active skin and hair follicle researcher (https://people.ucd.ie/desmond.tobin). There may be occasional lectures delivered by invited specialists.

Course Features:
- Fully-online interactive webinar course delivered over 1 trimester in one teaching block to equip graduates with the knowledge and understanding of human skin and its appendages.

- Additional reading around the lecture content will be encouraged and supported via a key recent review article for each lecture.

- Lectures are streamed online live with an interactive end of lecture Q & A with faculty.

- Suitable for distance learning and part-time study, with a facility to playback the webinar if the candidate cannot log-in during the interactive webinar.

- Dedicated technical support as offered by dedicated technology consultant and webinar moderator.

- Online MCQ assessment that is externally e-proctored (invigilated) to ensure robustness.

Course Description
Fully-online and part-time interactive course that equips graduates with an understanding of the biomedical science of human skin and hair follicle. Lectures will share comprehensive insights into the biology of human skin and hair/hair follicle, in health and in mild physiological variations (some alopecias, dry skin, sensitive skin etc).

The Professional Certificate will cover all aspects of Human Skin and Hair Follicle Biological Science, with a comprehensive lecture schedule delivered by a world-respected skin scientist (and occasionally others if appropriate) who is an expert in this field. Lectures will be delivered through an interactive webinar series and organised into two main blocks (the skin and the appendages of the skin) over a single trimester (Autumn).

Programme Outcomes
1.Knowledge and Understanding:
Participants will develop a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of human skin and its appendages (principally the hair follicle and nail) and will enhance their knowledge of the scientific basis of skin function. They will also develop an understanding of the impact of skin and its appendages on our well-being.

On completion of the Professional Certificate, participants should have the following competencies:

Have a comprehensive introductory knowledge of the biology of human skin

Have a comprehensive introductory knowledge of the human hair follicle (principally of the scalp)

Have a comprehensive introductory knowledge of the nail

Have a comprehensive introductory knowledge of skin aging

Have a comprehensive introductory knowledge of skin and hair follicle pigmentation

Have a comprehensive introductory knowledge of gender and geographic ancestry-related aspects of the skin and its appendages.

Have a comprehensive introductory knowledge of wound healing in the skin

Have a comprehensive introductory knowledge of skin and hair follicle stem cells

Appreciate the basics of skin and hair care issues

2. Applying Knowledge and understanding:
Webinars will be interactive, allowing the participants to actively engage with the lecturer and facilitating discussion by the participants with experts in the field of skin and hair follicle science. The single assessment at the end of the trimester will evaluate the participant's ability to contextualize their knowledge and understanding of the subject. The course puts assessment at the centre of learning, by incorporating an applied understanding of the topics including via problem-solving, critical analysis and evidence-based personal (non-medical) care.

On completion of this Professional Certificate in Skin and Hair Follicle Science we will expect the student to be able to:

Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the biology of skin and its associated appendages or adnexa

Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of how the skin and its appendages vary by age, gender, and geographic ancestry.

Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the skin and hair follicle responds in wound healing

Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the basics of personal care to physiological or sub-clinical variations in the human skin and hair follicle.

3. Making judgements:
Throughout this lecture series there will be a significant emphasis on the need for self-directed learning and the importance of understanding skin/hair-related research. Critical appraisal of scientific literature will be a major feature of all lectures, so as to be able to separate fact from fiction.

On completion of the Professional Certificate participants should have the following competencies:

Critically appraise the current human skin and hair follicle science landscape

Develop a structured approach to critical appraisal of the cutaneous scientific literature

Assess the contribution of cutaneous research to the development of personal care strategies for human skin and hair follicle.

Evaluate personal learning and develop learning skills

4. Communication and working skills:
On completion of this Professional Certificate in Skin and Hair Follicle Science we will expect the applicants to be able to:

Ensure that skin and hair variations are not inappropriately dismissed as trivial or unimportant to the individual.

5. Learning skills:
Participants should further develop a multitude of learning skills. During this interactive webinar series participants will be encouraged to further explore the content of every webinar through self-directed learning and critical appraisal of current literature.

Participants will also be requested to reflect on their webinar-based content and apply what they have learnt to their current occupational contexts where appropriate. Interactive webinar-based question and answer sessions should further develop their ability to ask pertinent skin/hair personal care- relevant questions.

Stage 1 - Core
Skin & Hair Follicle Science MDCS42330

Topics that will be covered during the Trimester are as follows:

Introductory Lecture: Skin Anatomy/Histology (incl. hair follicle, nail & sweat glands)
Skin Immune System
Skin Interaction with Light (UVR & visible light incl. blue light)
Skin Health & Nutrition (incl. nutraceuticals)
The Human Scalp Hair Follicle & Hair Fibre
Hair Growth Cycle Part 1
Hair Growth Cycle Part 2 & Nutrition (incl. nutraceuticals)
Hair Growth in Health & Common Physiological Variants (thinning)
Skin Heath & Common Physiological Variants (dry/oil/sensitive skin)
Skin Pigmentation (in health & mild physiological variants)
Hair Follicle Immune System
Hair Pigmentation
Skin Aging (Part 1 & 2)
Hair Follicle Aging (incl. hair greying)
Hair Follicle Interaction with Light (UVR & visible light incl. blue light)
Skin Stem Cells
Skin Wound Healing
Hair Follicle Stem Cells
Hair Follicle & Wound healing
Skin Microbiome
Skin in Personal Care / Cosmeceuticals
Hair Follicle Microbiome
Hair Follicle in Personal Care /Cosmeceuticals

Applicants should have a BSc (NFQ Level 8 or international equivalent) in a Biology-based or Life Sciences-based degree from a recognised Irish or international third level institution in subjects allied to medicine i.e., anatomy, physiology & pathology; pharmacology, toxicology; pharmacy;analytical Sciences; and laboratory Practice.

Minimum IT Requirements:
Enrolled students will have to meet the minimum IT requirements for Zoom as well as ensuring they have prepared their laptop/PC before taking an online assessment. Students will also need an integrated webcam and microphone on the device they will be using to take the exam for e-proctoring purposes.

How to Apply?
The following entry routes are available:

Prof Cert Skin & Hair Follicle Science PT (X935)
Duration 4 Months
Attend Part Time
Deadline Rolling*

* Courses will remain open until such time as all places have been filled, therefore early application is advised

*Applications for this course will be open from 12/03/2021.

Application Process/Guidelines:
Please note: If you are applying to UCD for the first time you must register an account. Returning applicants may sign in to an existing account. Once logged in, to find our course go to 'Course Finder' and search for X935. Applicants must meet UCD's English Language Requirements.

A detailed, step-by step guide to the UCD online application process is available here.

- Having paid the application fee and received an e-mail receipt, you must continue to complete the application process by pressing "submit". An e-mail confirming a successful application will be sent to you within 24 hours.

- You can track the status of your documentation online. Log in to your account. Click on your submitted application, which will bring up an application summary. The application requirements are listed at the end of the summary.

- In most cases, applicants will be required to pay an applciation fee.

Please note: Places are subject to availability.

4 months part-time online.

When: 7pm - 9pm on Tuesdays, 12 teaching weeks x 2-hour lectures.

Location: Online via Zoom.