Biology of Human Disease: Research, Diagnosis, Prevention, Treatment

3 units

The aim of this course is to develop an appreciation of the complex nature of human diseases. We examine inherited and acquired human diseases, including cystic fibrosis, AIDS, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and diabetes to help us better understand how genetic mutations, environmental stress, and infections affect various cellular processes, disturb normal functioning of tissues and organs, and lead to the development of a disease. We will learn how the latest advances in basic, translational, and clinical research change our understanding of the underlying causes of human diseases and how they drive the development of new and effective methods of diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Prerequisites: General Biology I and II or permission of instructor. Priority given to students enrolled in the Post-Baccalaureate Premedical program.