Would you like to learn how scientists can combine mathematics, biology and data science to tackle human health challenges? Then start the master's programme in Systems Biology. 

The field of systems biology is at the heart of modern biology and health research. It is dedicated to understanding the dynamic interactions between all the components of a living system. 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.

Programme overview:

The MSc Systems Biology 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 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. Interested?

Why this programme?

In biology, scientists generate massive amounts of data on sequences and profiles of genes, proteins or metabolites, often resulting in large databases and imaging files. As a systems biologist, you will bridge biology and mathematics to extract biologically relevant information to design follow-up experiments.

To understand biological systems, you must learn to comprehend the key properties of that system:

• the structure of the system
• the dynamics of the system
• the control methods of the system
• the design methods of the system

If you can understand these four key properties, you can make a model with powerful predictive capabilities.

Our master’s programme integrates mathematics and biology, emphasising computational, experimental and modelling tools and methods. After you graduate, you can become a part of multidisciplinary teams of scientists that rely on systems biologists to make sense of their data. You will be prepared for a career in systems biology and ready to explore the secrets of the human body and health.

In this programme, our students explore topics such as:

• Cardiovascular structure, function, metabolism and diseases
• Genetic and epigenetic regulation of gene expression
• Personalised nutrition
• Neural signal analysis in audition and artificial hearing
• Evolutionary game theory
• Mathematical oncology