Coordinator: Professor Maxwell Shafer
Offered: Winter 2024 session, in January and February for a total of six meetings.
Weight: One module (0.25 FCE)
Time: TBA
Location: Room TBA
Enrolment: Limited to 10 students
Description:
Evolutionary medicine is the application of insights and knowledge from the fields of evolution and ecology to biomedical research. For example, a better understand of why humans are susceptible to certain diseases can be gained by studying our evolutionary history, and novel treatments can be found through examination of ‘extreme’ physiological adaptations across the tree of life. This course will cover a wide range of topics including research in non-model organisms, neuroscience and behavior, cell biology and cancer, host/pathogen interactions, and human biology, with a focus on emerging methodologies and evolutionary principles. Students will engage with each other and the instructor through presentation and discussion of current primary literature and preparation of a written component.
Evaluation:
Each session will be devoted to one of the above topics, with 1-2 students (depending on enrollment) summarizing primary literature per session. Additionally, each student will write a short Letter of Intent (LOI) proposing a research project related to their presentation topic due at the end of the module.
40% Presentation (one presentation per student)
40% Written component
20% Participation in discussions
Pre-requisites for module: None
Reading materials: Primary literature will be disseminated during an organizational meeting.
Website: TBA
Last updated on August 10th, 2023