COURSES IN EXPERIMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE
101. Scientific Basis of Disease I
09F Offered every year
This course offers a general introduction to molecular medicine through principles from cell biology, molecular biology, neurobiology and physiology. Basic biological concepts will be integrated with clinical correlations and translational research. The class will meet 6 hours per week and combine both lectures and readings from the primary literature. Teaching modules will cover Integration of Biological Systems, Macromolecular Structure, Nuclear Processes, Protein Synthesis, turnover and trafficking, and Metabolism. Course director: Cole. Module leaders: Fejes-Toth, Cole, Kisselev.
102. Scientific Basis of Disease II
10W Offered every year
This course is a continuation of PEMM 101 and offers a general introduction to molecular medicine through principles from cell biology, molecular biology, neurobiology and physiology. Basic biological concepts will be integrated with clinical correlations and translational research. The class will meet 6 hours per week and combine both lectures and readings from the primary literature. Teaching modules will cover Plasma membrane receptors: channels and transporters, Plasma membrane receptors: adhesion, motility, proliferation and survival, Immunology and Inflammation. Course director: Cole. Module leaders: Yeh, Shworak.
103. Biostatistics
09F Offered every year
This course is a survey of the biostatistical methods most often used in medical research, be it bench science, clinical research or translational science. The methods will be illustrated using studies relevant to research in molecular medicine. Course director: MacKenzie.
124. Ethical Conduct of Research (Identical to Physiology 124 and Pharmacology and Toxicology 124)
10W: Arrange. Offered every year
This course is required for all PEMM and MCB graduate students. There will be approximately four one-and-a-half hour small group discussion sessions and four one hour lectures with the times to be arranged. Topics will include: mentoring, data collection, academic integrity, ethical use of human subjects and laboratory animals, authorship, sponsored research and intellectual property.
Faculty lectures and discussion. Course Directors: DeLeo, North.
126. Cancer Biology
11S: Arrange. Offered in alternate years
This course will present a comprehensive survey of the biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, and genetics of cancer. Students will become familiar with such areas as cancer terminology, epidemiology, carcinogenesis, tumor promotion, metastasis, oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, tumor viruses, growth factors, hormones, immunology, and therapy. Where possible, emphasis will be placed on the most recent cell and molecular aspects of cancer. The class will be in lecture format and meet for 3 hours each week.
Faculty lectures and discussion. Prerequisite: PEMM 101 and 102, or permission of instructor. Course director: Eastman.
129. Molecular Pharmacology
10S: Arrange. Offered every year
This course aims to provide a solid introduction into modern pharmacology, focusing on more mechanistic aspects of therapeutics. Topics will include: basic concepts in pharmacology, systems-level pharmacology and emerging therapies. The course will meet 4 hours per week.
Faculty lectures, discussion and student presentations. Prerequisite: permission of the Course Director. Course Director: Robbins.
131. Current Approaches in Experimental Therapeutics
11W: Arrange. Offered in alternate years
This course will present a survey of current methods and approaches in pharmacologic, molecular and experimental therapeutic research. Topics will include pharmacogenomics, pharmacokinetics, functional genomics, in vivo imaging, global gene expression, proteomics, gene targeting, gene therapy and drug screening and delivery. The class will be in lecture format with student discussion and participation. The class will meet for 3 hours each week.
Faculty lectures and discussion. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Course Directors: Spinella and DiRenzo.
211. Neurobiology of Disease
10W: Arrange. Offered every year
This course will introduce students to the cellular and molecular processes that are pathologically altered in a variety of neurological diseases. Students will also learn by reading and presenting seminal papers on neurological disease topics how neuroscientists research the causes and potential treatments of the disease. The course will be team taught by experts from the neuroscience faculty who will give a one hour didactic lecture in the first session of the week. Then, in a 2 hour session later in that week, students will present and critique scientific papers on the topic chosen by the faculty for that week.
Faculty lectures and discussion. Prerequisite: For graduate students—Neurosciences (spring term; R. Swenson, Course Director); For undergraduate students—must be senior Neuroscience major. Instructor: Harris (course director) and others.
271. Advanced Biomedical Sciences
10S Offered every year
This course emphasizes the integration of molecular, cellular, and systems level information and the experimental approaches used to understand physiology and pathophysiology. It is designed to provide graduate students with a more sophisticated understanding of the major systems of an organism and how they act and interact in order for an individual to adapt and survive in the face of changing environmental resources and challenges. The course is organized into week-long, “stand alone” modules that cover integrative, translational topics in immunology, cardiovascular physiology, endocrinology, and neurobiology (e.g.. influenza, congestive heart failure, sleep disorders, drug addiction, space physiology). Course meetings are a mixture of lectures and in-class discussions led by the participating faculty, as well as laboratory exercises and demonstrations, including human brain dissections, visits to clinical laboratories and diagnostic centers, and “hands on” opportunities with state-of-the-art electrophysiological and cardiovascular techniques. Course activities are supplemented by primary research articles, reviews, and other on-line materials. Instructor: Maue.
275. Vascular Biology
10S Offered every year
The principles of development, organization and function of the cardiovascular tree in health and disease will be discussed in lecture format. Topics will include the physiology and regulation of vasculature as an organ system, the molecular and cellular biology of endothelial cell function, and the molecular basis of the disorders of the vascular system. Emphasis will be placed on molecular aspects of cardiovascular disease such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, inflammation and neovascularization. The course will meet 4 hours per week. Course materials will include current literature reviews and research articles.
Instructor: Stan.
137. Project Research (Qualifying Examination)
Summer term: Arrange
141. Research Rotation I
All terms: Arrange
142. Research Rotation II
All terms: Arrange
143. Research Rotation III
All terms: Arrange
297. Level I: part-time research: 1 course equivalent
All terms: Arrange
298. Level II: part-time research: 2 course equivalent
All terms: Arrange
299. Level III: full-time research: 3 course equivalent
All terms: Arrange