BIOMEDICAL GRADUATE STUDIES
(MD) {BIOM}
501. Mechanisms of Disease and
Therapeutic Interventions. (B) Dr. Mitch Lewis and Dr. Carolyn Cambor. Prerequisite(s):
BIOM 600 Cell Biology and Biochemistry.
This is the first offering of a graduate course in cellular
pathology analgous to an existing medical course
with the same name. The course was designed
to complement BIOM 600 Cell Biology. This course
will cover basic cellular pathology and the five
basic pathological processes that underlie all diseases:
cellular responses to injury, tissue response to
injury, tissue repair processes, hemodynamic disorders
and neoplasia. The course consists of virtual
lectures, reading assignments, and one discussion
class each week. Sufficient background in immunology
and genetics will be provided as it relates to pathological
processes.
502. Molecular Basis of Disease I. (B) Dr. Mitch Lewis and Dr.
Carolyn Cambor. Prerequisite(s): BIOM 501 or by permission
of course directors. This course is reserved
for BGS students only. BIOM 502 will provide students
an in-depth look at 3-4 human diseases. The
focus will be on understanding the pathophysiology
of the diseases and how research has not only enhanced
our knowledge of the disease mechanisms but has
also led to improved therapy for patients with
these diseases. Students will spend 2-4 weeks
on each disease. The 2007 diseases will include:
diabetes, atherosclerosis, chronic myelogenous
leukemia and colon cancer. Students will
follow a paradigm for learning about diseases that
can be applied to the study of any disease. They
will first learn the normal anatomy, histology,
and physiology of the organ(s) involved in the
disease. Then, they will learn the pathophysiology
and molecular basis of each specific disease. Finally
students will discuss the research in the field
and how this led to current therapeutic approaches
for each disease. Ideas for future research
needed in each disease will also be explored.
SM 510. Case Studies in Translational
Research (CSTR). (A) Drs. Mitch Weiss, Emma Meagher and Skip Brass. This
course starts on August 27, 2007. It is held
on either Monday or Wednesday from 2 - 3:30 pm.
This course is open to MD/PhD, VMD/PhD and Biomedical Graduate
Studies PhD students. All second year combined
degree students are expected to take this course
unless excused by Dr. Brass.
Enrollment is limited to 24 students but interested
VMD/PhD and BGS students are welcome as space permits
CSTR is a seminar
style course where groups of students work with selected
Penn faculty to prepare a discussion and literature
review on disease topics. Topics will include gene
therapy for hemophilia, retinal disease and wound
healing, cytokine therapies for immune disorders,
genetic sleep disturbances and vaccine delopment. Most
of the course will focus on the analysis of successful
translational research projects that are taking place
here at Penn.
555. Control of Prokaryotic and
Eukaryotic Gene Expression. (B) Drs. Marisa Bartolomei and Celeste Simon. Prerequisite(s):
Permission of Instructors.
Regulation of gene expression including chromatin structure,
transcription, DNA modification, RNA processing,
translation, control of gene expression via microRNAs
and post-translationalprocessing.
600. Cell Biology and Biochemistry.
(A) Dr. Michael
Ostap, course diretor. Theme Directors: Drs.
Michael Marks, Mark Lemmon, and Morrie Birnbaum.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of Instructor.
BIOM
600 is an intermediate level graduate course designed
to introduce students to the molecular components
and physiological mechanisms that underlie the structure
and function of cells. The course is designed
as an in-depth survey to cover general concepts central
to the field of biochemistry and cell biology and
to emphasize these concepts within the context of
current scientific research questions and technical
approaches. Lectures will focus on recent discoveries
in contemporary cell biology involving (i) basic
cellular biochemistry; (ii) mechanisms of membrance
transport and excitability; (iii) intracellular compartmentalization
and protein/vesicle targeting, organelle biogenesis;
(iv) cytoskeletal arthitecture, cell motility and
adhesion; and (v) molecular mechanisms of signal
transduction. Efforts will be made to familiarize
students with recent technical advances in molecular,
biochemical, microscopic, spectroscopic, and electrophysiologic
techniques.