Spring Selectives

In the second half of the spring semester, doctoral training programs in the College of Graduate Studies offer First Year Curriculum students a choice of discipline- or program-specific courses. These seven-week "Selectives" provide students with more focused studies in their specific fields of interest. Upon registering for the 2008 Spring semester, students are required to enroll in one of the nine Selectives courses listed below. Specific times and locations for each of the Selectives will be announced in advance of the registration deadline.

This course will provide the study of mechanisms leading and maintaining the inflammation process, the oxidative stress, and the pathological factor(s) responsible for this damage. In addition, the course will focus on a variety of stimuli, such as mechanical, anoxic, chemical, immunological or infectious ones, that are responsible for activation of inflammation. Finally, the course will also provide an overview on the animal models to study these diseases.

7-week course meeting 9:00-11:00 BSB 553 - March-April, 45 contact hours.

Grade based on class participation (25%) and assignments (75%). Assignments include weekly written paper report(s) (35%) and presentation of paper(s) in class (40%); Merit-based. No minimum number of students; Open to M.S. and Ph.D. students.

The huge volume of data flowing from biomedical "omics" era high throughput technologies provides great research opportunities, but poses significant challenges for management, analysis and interpretation. This course presents a series of concepts and methods that are fundamental for quantitative inference in biological and medical research. Topics include the importance of "statistical thinking" (recognizing the role of uncertainty in research), experimental and observational study design, data representation, and methods of data analysis selected to highlight key features (independence/dependence, continuous/categorical, dimensionality, etc.) of biomedical data. The implications for studies in comparative and functional genomics, biochemical systems, and proteomics are emphasized. Each topic is complemented by journal articles that students have read prior to class. Students are required to participate in a computer laboratory, and are encouraged to share their interests in specific experimental or observational data sets. Evaluation is based on assignments and participation. Group projects may be assigned and evaluated at discretion of course director.
Course Directors: Elizabeth Slate, Ph.D. (slateeh@musc.edu) and Xinghua Lu, M.D., Ph.D. (lux@musc.edu)

In this course, students will be introduced to the process behind the development of new therapeutic agents targeting cell signaling pathways, from the bench to the bedside. This will include what is required to get a newly developed drug approved for human testing and ultimately, therapeutic application. Recently developed agents for the treatment of cancer and cardiovascular disease will be exemplified. This course will also introduce students to the field of Pharmacology and how it integrates the fields of biochemistry, cell biology, physiology and medicine, leading to the understanding of biological problems which serve as the targets for the development of new therapies.
Course Director: Steven Rosenzweig, Ph.D. (rosenzsa@musc.edu)

This course will teach basic immunological and microbiological concepts through in-depth study of six microorganisms responsible for emerging or epidemic infectious diseases. Each week will focus on the biology, natural history, pathology and immunology associated with one pathogen. Pathogens covered will include avian influenza, tuberculosis, Ebola/Marburg virus, methicillin resistant Staph, aureus, SARS, and anthrax. Classes will include lecture, primary literature reading and analysis, and some in-class small group work. Student performance will be assessed by weekly quizzes (60%), presentation of an assigned paper (10%), and a final exam (30%). Course Director: Laura Kasman, Ph.D. (kasmanl@musc.edu)

The course builds on student knowledge from the Regulation of Gene Expression, Cellular Functions and Receptors and Signaling Units of the First Year Curriculum. New approaches and technology that are being utilized to identify the molecular mechanism and factors at play in cellular function and disease will be discussed. The course will combine lectures, discussion of papers from the literature, student presentations and a formal paper.
Course Director: Edward L. Krug, Ph.D. (krugel@musc.edu), Bryan Toole, Ph.D. (tiikebp@musc.edu)

This course introduces students to some of the topical issues in marine and environmental sciences as they relate to Human Health. The course shows the application of cell and molecular biology and epidemiology approaches to environmentally relevant questions that ultimately impact human health. These topics are put into context of the reports of the International Panel on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, and the latest Bali summit. In addition students will participate in learning how results from research in environmental cell and molecular science are synthesized with economics and law to form public policy. The role of federal and SC state government agencies in these processes will be presented through the appropriate representatives of these agencies on the Ft. Johnson campus. This is a course that includes students reading scientific papers, lay communications, and books in conjunction with active class participation through discussions on topical issues. Course Director: Eric Lacy, Ph.D., (lacyer@musc.edu)

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Cell Biology and Anatomy Students will learn to visualize the microscopic architecture of the human/animal body. A main goal is to teach basic and organ histology as a prerequisite for graduate student participation in a general pathology course. For graduate students in fields other than pathology the course will provide a practical understanding of histology. The primary resource for this course is WebMic, a Virtual Microscope and a Companion Manual of Histology Exercises. Webmic mimics the use of the microscope in learning histology. Emphasis will be placed on guided self-directed learning with ample opportunity for interaction with faculty through direct viewing of specimens with microscopes, the use of dual viewing microscopes, and TV microscopy. This course, including oral and written examinations, will be managed and administered online via WebCT.
Course Directors: Debra Hazen-Martin, Ph.D. (hazenmad@musc.edu) and Robert Ogilvie, Ph.D. (ogilvieb@musc.edu)

Pharmaceutical Sciences This Selective explores the scientific principles underlying targeted drug design. Medicinal chemistry is integrated with molecular biology in the context of identifying tomorrow's best-in-class drugs. The interdependence of pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic structure-activity relationships will be discussed as a feature of drug discovery. Merit grades will be based on class participation (25%) and outside assignments (75%).
Course Director: Kennerly Patrick, Ph.D. (patrickk@musc.edu)

A survey of fundamental knowledge and an introduction to conceptual thinking about structure and function of the nervous system are presented through a series of lectures. Lectures cover brain function and cellular mechanisms of neuronal communication. In addition, the students will be introduced to basic theory/techniques used in neuroscience research in a lecture format. The goal of the course is to prepare beginning researchers in a defined area of neuroscience.
Course Director: David Carr, Ph.D. (carrd@musc.edu)