Global Health: Inequality, Culture, and Human Well-being Around the World examines human health from a global perspective. Using ideas and methods from anthropology, you will explore how inequality and culture intersect to produce the world’s predominant health problems. Further, you will look critically at efforts to address the global burden of disease, using multiple case studies to help you develop more politically and culturally constructive solutions.

This course is a people-centered investigation of affliction and healing. It asks: How do social processes affect disease and health outcomes in individuals and communities? How do medical professionals influence individual health improvements? How do the political and historical determinants of health disparities manifest in day-to-day life? Together, we will analyze the varied approaches through the lens of anthropology, public health, and medical humanities to understand individual suffering and population health.

Formalized humanitarian institutions developed in response to mass movements of people following World War II. This course examines the history of global systems of humanitarianism and the growth of the field in response to humanitarian disasters including war, famine, disease epidemics, and climate change. We will interrogate motivations of humanitarian actors, with you conducting your own ethnographic projects, positioned with critiques of humanitarian agendas.

Interested in the science behind the headlines? This course is designed for people who love to figure out to how things work. After mastering the key principles behind essential molecular techniques, you will engage in an exploration of the ways in which those endless variations can be used to answer questions, both pure and practical, in genetics and immunology. And, we will practice strategies for navigating primary literature so you'll learn to independently evaluate the supporting data and understand the conclusions.

Antibiotic resistance - the ability for bacteria to mutate and evolve, and thus cause antibiotics to fail - is a major global health threat. Pharmaceutical companies are less likely to fund research and development of new antibiotics due to their relatively low profitability (they don't make a significant amount of money for the pharmaceutical company). As bacteria become more resistant to the antibiotics we use today, it is critical that we have a pipeline of novel antibiotics to combat these pathogens. This is a Course-based Research Experience (CRE).

Ever wonder...
Why do you do high or low repetitions of weights?
Why there are work and rest intervals? Dynamic vs. Static warm-ups?
When and what you should eat before, during, and post-exercise?
What exercise advice is based on myth and fact?
This one-week "crash" training course will give you the necessary basics for understanding how exercise programs are created based upon scientifically driven data.

Black and Brown people in the US have shorter life expectancies, live with more physical and mental illness, and have more disabilities than White people. This course will help you explore the connections between inherent health inequities with systematic racism in our society and its institutions.

Groundbreaking advancements in our understanding of human health and disease could not be accomplished without the help of some interesting creatures. In this course we will explore the usage and scientific contributions of several model organisms. You will have the opportunity to learn about both common and lesser-known model organisms and understand how they have allowed incredible discoveries in biomedical research.

Have you ever questioned why certain types of cancer are so difficult to treat or how basic science discoveries translate into clinical practice? As advances over the last decade have increased the awareness and knowledge of cancer, today's discussions about this disease have changed. This course will use a combination of lecture and laboratory exercises to teach you the fundamentals of cancer biology.

The prevalence and profound impact of cancer on society has resulted in intensive investment in research leading to numerous advances in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment over the last decades. However, cancer still poses a unique biomedical puzzle. This is a Course-based Research Experience (CRE).

Scientists have been studying cause and effect for centuries. Performing experiments help us determine the answers to basic questions like "What happens if I water plants with salt water?" to more complicated questions like "Will drug A treat cancer better than drug B?" You will be engaged in an intensive and interactive research environment guided by expert scientists in the C. elegans field. This is a Course-based Research Experience (CRE).

Through intensive laboratory work, you will explore genetic phenomena at the molecular level. Beginning with structured experiments that reinforce key principles, you will advance to more self-directed projects and explore applications in research and medicine. Topics include analysis of the correlation between genetic variants and specific human traits, the genetic basis of drug metabolism in personalized medicine, and mechanisms by which environmental factors influence gene expression.

As a student enrolled in this course, you will become a disease investigator! How are disease outbreaks managed? Who should be involved in the day-to-day decision making for the response? You will look at all social and environmental factors that influence how we respond to outbreaks. The main objective is for you to understand the basics of infectious disease epidemiology, dissemination of critical information, and identify all potential barriers for success in containing the outbreak.

The goal of this course is to provide you with practical and accessible tools that will allow for the design, analysis, and interpretation of biological experiments. This course provides a rare opportunity for you to experience the scientific process firsthand. You will be mentored in developing a novel question and hypothesis all the way through the final stages of producing a scientific manuscript. This is a Course-based Research Experience (CRE).

Regenerative Biology is a field of study that deals with the "process of replacing, engineering or regenerating human cells, tissues or organs to restore or establish normal function." Stem cells are vital to regenerative biology by providing a basis for tissue-specific precursors and unlocking the door for personalized medicine. You will uncover the molecular mechanisms behind stem cells and how they are being used to drive new discoveries and treatments.

Genetics has come a long way since the time of Mendel. This course will provide a broad overview of modern molecular genetics, including recent advances in the field. We will explore both Mendelian and non-Mendelian biological systems, and discuss the ways in which genetic systems can defy the "Central Dogma" of molecular biology (genes encode RNAs encode proteins). This course will emphasize both fundamental concepts and cutting-edge topics in genetics.

Empathy is the soul of effective communication. In this class, we will define empathy and how it relates to Health Communication and learn fundamental tools for interacting with patients and physicians and how to navigate challenging health-related conversations. We will also discuss and research the recent phenomena of medical misinformation and false data generated by social media.

America. The wealthiest country the world has ever known ranks last among peer countries in the overall healthcare system. Yet we spend a fifth of our gross domestic profit (GDP) on this same healthcare system. How can that be? In this course, we hope to help mold the future healthcare leaders of our country, providing them the requisite knowledge and tools they will use during their careers.

Addictive substances have been part of the human experience since prehistory. But why do some people develop substance use disorders, while others never become addicted? How can we reduce the harms of substance abuse? In this course, you will understand how drugs affect the brain and behavior, learn the common risk and protective factors for developing addiction, compare and contrast different treatments for addiction, and critically analyze the historical context of drug use.

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (aka the worm) is an outstanding model to study the genetics of human disease as many of the genes in the C. elegans genome have functional counterparts in humans. In this project-based lab course, you will identify wild-caught nematodes from the soil using PCR and DNA sequencing analysis. Moreover, you will be introduced to primary literature, developmental biology, genetics, microscopy, and worm maintenance.

Understanding how pathogens are transmitted, lead to illness, and how they can be controlled or cured is the cornerstone of medical science. We will explore a variety of pathogenic organisms by examining their life cycle, transmission from host to host, and why some pathogens result in epidemics. You will discover not only the treatment of epidemic disease and also the molecular mechanisms behind why each treatment works.

Have you ever wondered why we have different types of cells even though they all contain the same DNA? Have you asked yourself why some of these cells develop diseases and why some of them don’t? In this course, we will learn how to answer all these questions by exploring the basics of genetics and epigenetics.

So you think you want to be a doctor? This course is designed to help you answer that question by letting you see the practice of medicine in the United States firsthand, giving you a taste of what an American medical school would be like, and helping you evaluate how well your talents and preferences match those of a career in medicine. Students who take this course are expected to have a strong foundation in biology and a willingness to explore beyond the science and truly understand the practice of medicine.

How can a fruit fly teach us about neuromuscular disease? How can the yeast we find in bread teach us about how the human body prevents cancers from starting? In this course, we will explore how model organisms are used in biomedical research. This will be done through a mix of lectures and labs that will include hands-on work with real life model organisms.

Whether you are interested in studying cancer biology, immunology, viruses, or to better understand the fundamental molecular and cellular processes of any living organisms, being familiar with laboratory techniques associated with nucleic acids and proteins is fundamental. In this course, you will gain essential laboratory skills and exposure to life in the laboratory.

This timely and compelling course will introduce you to the major opportunities and challenges associated with the field of global health. The COVID-19 global pandemic tracks the fault lines of inequality—and this is not by accident. The correlation between infections and racial and economic inequalities has played out time and time again throughout history, as TB, HIV, Ebola, and cholera have shown. Far from being an equalizer, COVID-19 has amplified pre-existing structural inequities tied to race, class, and geography which increase the risk for disease and are associated with decreased access to health care in the US and globally.

Medical science has brought enormous advantages to the 21st century: extending human life and reducing suffering. However, there are also major ethical and practical concerns arising with scientific progress. How do we frame, re-frame, and decide these controversial issues as ethicists, doctors, individuals, and as a society?

How do antacids relieve heartburn? Why do your legs hurt after sprinting on the track? How do your cake ingredients react to make it fluffy? This course will provide you with the toolbox to identify acid-base chemistry everywhere.

Are you curious as to what it is like to be in a laboratory, working to solve problems in the medical field? Have you wondered how scientists work to provide breakthrough products and technologies to improve our environment? This course will immerse you in the laboratory as you learn the basics of molecular biology research and gain experience conducting advanced laboratory techniques.

Are you fascinated with how an athlete can compete a task under stress? Do you wonder what conditions you can control or alter that will influence your body’s performance in sport? Do you have a passion for a career in Biology/Sports Science or as a Competitive athlete? You will learn the basic physiological mechanisms that start as soon as your body is in motion and your adrenaline rises and their impact on training plans and performance.

There's a lot of controversy surrounding embryonic stem cells, but did you know that there are many other types of stem cells in your body? Recent advancements in genome editing and our understanding of stem cell specification has set the stage for a revolution in how we treat disease and injury. In this course, you'll achieve a foundational knowledge of what stem cells are, what they do, their importance to research and medicine and the societal implications.

This pathobiology course investigates multiple diseases that have significantly shaped mankind. We will explore the biological basis behind why diseases occur along with exploring the genetic, environmental, and social-economic contributors of multiple diseases. As we review disease through a historical and present-day lens, you will learn to interpret data, develop an argument and collaborate on projects with your peers.

After months of specific training, you are at the starting line of your big race. Before your body is even in motion, your autonomic nervous system takes charge commanding the necessary changes. Your fuel tanks are full and triggered for use. From your warm-up, blood is already shunted to specific muscles for oxygen delivery. The race starts, the heartbeat jumps up and blood is pumped at a greater volume and speed. Blood is diverted to the skin to ward off excess heat and stabilize temperature. Respiration increases to expire excess carbon dioxide, and pH is maintained. Breathe volume increases to gain extra oxygen. Muscle fibers specific to the velocity you need are turned on. Your body provides the power for you to succeed and win.

Environmental pollution is a rapidly growing public health concern. Combating its threats requires understanding the contaminant sources, ‘at-risk’ populations, and physiological effects of exposure. In this course, we will introduce concepts of environmental health and toxicology using primary real-world examples. We will present the delicate yet reciprocal balance of human and environmental health, while providing scientific strategies researchers use to study pollution in the lab.

What does the world look like through the eyes of a lion? How about a mouse? a fish? or a fly? All animals perceive the world differently, but share the same goal: to survive and reproduce. The main objectives of this course are to provide an introduction to neuroscience, animal behavior, and the link between them. What do the eyes of an animal tell you about how it interacts with the environment? or where it falls in the food chain? We will explore these questions by comparing the neuroanatomy, chemical signaling, and social behavior of different species.

Are you interested in medicine, research and biotech? This course will provide an example of how all these different interests can be combined into a compelling biomarker project. Biomarkers are a major foundation of modern, personalized medicine and the key for discovering new therapeutics. The course will provide an overview on how medicine, research and public health work together to positively impact human health.

The brain and its blood supply are incredibly important. A central challenge in animal biology is how protect the nervous system while meeting its energy needs. This class will explore the nervous and cardiovascular systems on an evolutionary basis to study how different species have tackled this problem. We will use these differences to understand fundamentals of the brain, neurovasculature, blood brain barrier, and how to treat human diseases that arise when things go wrong.

The study of the brain is very different from the study of any other organ in the body. Nerve cells share many of the same fundamental characteristics with other cells, yet they produce unique behaviors such as coordinated movements, visual perception, learning and memory, emotion and intelligence. We will study the human brain in health and disease to gain knowledge of its function, appreciate its fascinating complexity and develop skills essential for accurate research in a sea of information.

The human brain is one of the most complicated and mysterious systems on the planet. In recent decades, a huge push has been made to understand the brain through computer modeling and causal manipulation of brain circuits. Scientists developed these models and tools not only to advance our understanding and treatments of neurological and psychiatric illnesses, but also to help us understand what underlies daily human experiences ranging from memory to perception to decision making.

What happens in your brain when you decide to buy a lottery ticket or go on a date with someone? What about when you spend hundreds of dollars on an expensive gadget that you stop using after a few months, or when you decide to say something that you should have known would be embarrassing? Are economic decisions and decisions in general the result of a messy fight between a 'rational' part of your brain and an 'irrational' one, or is decision-making all the result of one underlying and possibly unconscious mechanism?

Our brains are the driving force of our actions, but our environment and past decisions can greatly shape our brains. In this lecture and project-based course we will examine the bidirectional link between brain and behavior. We will take advantage of innate and learned behaviors to analyze and ultimately attempt to understand how our past experiences can change our brains, leading us to different actions in the future.

The brain has an incredible ability to acquire and store information. Memories collected across our lifetime make each one of us unique. But how are these memories made and where are they stored? Why are some memories amazingly vivid and others are not? Are you sure you can trust them? In this course we will explore precisely how we are able to learn and form different memories, what parts of our brain are responsible, how they change to accommodate learning, and why we sometime get it wrong.

Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and networks of nerve cells, or neurons, that travel throughout the body. Although the field of neuroscience is relatively new, being recognized only in recent decades as a formal discipline, it is growing and expanding at a very rapid rate. The rapid growth of neuroscience and the pace of biomedical research make understanding neuroscience valuable for any student interested in biomedical or health sciences. Moreover, because neuroscience integrates biology, chemistry, physics, physiology, and psychology, it provides various avenues of opportunities for students who come from different academic backgrounds or interests.

Have you ever wondered about the difference between recreational and medicinal usage of psychoactive drugs? How do psychoactive drugs operate in the brain? What makes some drugs legal and others illegal? In this course, you will learn about the societal implications of different legal and illicit drugs. You will also learn the basic biological mechanisms of psychoactive drugs such as cocaine, LSD, nicotine, caffeine, and more.

Ever wonder what drives animals to behave in interesting ways? Curious how we are connected to our furry friends? In this course you will learn the fundamentals of comparative cognition including an introductory look at shared mechanisms across human and non-human animals and the evolution underlying our behavior. You will investigate these questions from a scientific perspective and explore basics in experimental design, understanding literature, and demystifying animal intelligence.

Nurture or Nature? What causes mental illnesses such as depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorder, and neurodegenerative disorders? This course will explore this question and dive into the field of psychopathology to learn more about the brain and human behavior. A practicing mental health therapist and a Ph.D. biologist will be your instructors in this educational journey.

Have you ever wondered how an olympian can reach untold levels of physical prowess? What is movement analysis? How is optimal function achieved? This course provides a deep dive into movement, function, and injury prevention from the level of a High School Athlete to an Olympian.

How our body actually works has to be magic, right? In this course, we will unveil the chemical “magic” that dictates when and how the human body behaves, in its everyday grind to keep us alive. Every biological process in our body, from the most basic function of glucose utilization to complicated pathways of drug metabolism, depends on basic concepts of chemistry in order to function. Without understanding the chemical basis of these interactions, it is almost impossible to fathom the incredibly diverse processes that are constantly occurring in the body.

Pollution can begin from a spill, flow down a river, accumulate in fish, and then be part of a fisherman’s dinner. Solving real environmental problems requires understanding each connected piece including the chemistry, biology, and human communities that are involved. By studying environmental toxicology and chemistry as a complex multidisciplinary science, you’ll learn how to understand, study, and explain what is going on in contaminated events and environments.

Molecular biology and biochemistry are two closely related fields where the properties of key biological molecules, such as proteins and DNA, and how they interact with each other in living organisms are studied. Research in these areas has become so successful at explaining living processes that it is used in almost all areas of the life sciences from medicine to the study of plants. Researchers play an integral role in the discovery of drugs that help prevent and cure diseases. Biochemists and molecular biologists also work in forensic crime labs, agriculture, biotechnology, hospitals, scientific law, and education.

So you want to enter the medical, dental, or veterinary fields. These disciplines require an understanding of life processes. To develop this understanding requires a knowledge of organic and biochemistry. This lecture and laboratory course will take you through the basics of organic chemistry where you will learn chemical structures and structural conversions. This will extend into biochemistry where basic biochemical components are considered from the organic perspective.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has deeply transformed the role machines play in people’s lives, from search engines and voice assistants to self-driving cars. Under this impact, it is crucial to understand the principles of AI, its uses, and risks. The goal of this course is to introduce AI from a computer science perspective. This includes introducing the mathematical foundations and the main areas of study within AI, as well as providing hands-on experience to program "intelligence" on a computer.

This course will give you a deeper appreciation for the wide-ranging applications and impacts of AI and Data Science, and will encourage you to think like a data scientist. A major focus of this class will be the data analysis process. You will learn fundamental AI concepts, brainstorm possible solutions, and formulate and present your own detailed algorithm design.

Advances in computing power have enabled scientists to amass huge amounts of data on everything from genetics to climate science, but there is a need for someone to make sense of this data. In this class, we will learn how to perform basic statistical analysis and visualize data using the statistical software R.

Are you passionate about innovative approaches to improving human health? Biomedical engineers apply principles of biology, medicine, and science, along with problem-solving skills and critical thinking, to solve a broad spectrum of medical problems. In this course, you will specifically explore how the field of biomedical engineering uses math and science fundamentals to develop novel solutions for replacement tissues, organs, and devices.

Have you ever wondered how pacemakers are made, or how cartilage is grown for joint repair? In this course, you will learn how biomedical engineers - specialists in combining the principles of human biology and engineering - develop devices and tissue-engineered technologies that improve, rehabilitate, and even save lives!

There’s a reason medicine is referred to as an art. While science is undoubtedly integral to the field of medicine, equally important are more qualitative abilities in observation, interpretation, navigating ambiguity and emotional complexity, and facing the unknown. The course will explore how such skills are essential to good doctoring and can make medical practitioners better at diagnosing, communicating with patients, and collaborating with a medical team.

Climate change is shifting relationships between people, plants, animals and their shared environment causing diseases to spread where they have never been before. This course highlights how changing ecosystems influence infectious disease transmission and treatment, often with a disproportionate effect on the poor. By the final session, you will understand how climate change amplifies inequalities in infectious disease.

Adaptive, resilient, interdependent, fractal are all traits that describe elements and patterns found within nature, but what do these words and patterns have to teach us about shaping change within the environmental movement? Using wisdom from the book “Emergent Strategy” by scholar adrienne maree brown and the work of other visionaries, this course explores phenomena and patterns within our ecosystems to find inspiration and imagine a way forward in the face of intersectional global crises.

This course is aimed to expose you to the area of environmental health and illustrate how it is directly and indirectly incorporated into numerous elements of our life. Toxic metals, vector-borne illness, food safety, water quality, radiation, pesticides, air and climate change, hazardous waste, risk assessment, and the role of the community in environmental health are some of the topics that will be discussed.

We live in the age of data and thanks to the ubiquity of fast and low-cost computing, data on almost any topic are at your fingertips. This course aims to teach you the skills needed to turn data into intelligence. This course will explain how, where, and why statistics is used to solve real world issues in many fields of research. We'll examine methods of collecting, summarizing, and analyzing data, focusing on issues critical to public health, economics, human behavior, and other fields.

Hands-on Medicine is a one-week course that will integrate you into the life of a medical student. Through classroom activities, anatomy lab, and clinical skills sessions, you will learn how medical students take a holistic view of the human body and discover everything there is to know about its anatomy, physiology, and disease processes.

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a medical student? In this course, you will learn about the fundamentals of the practice of medicine through two exciting weeks of immersive activities. You and your peers will explore the physiology of the human body in an online classroom setting, and experience an in-depth look at the anatomy of organs in the virtual anatomy lab. You will step inside the shoes of a doctor, learning how to conduct a medical interview and perform an extensive physical exam. Finally, you will delve into important ethical issues often encountered in the medical field.

Nanotechnology provides a broad array of applications to solve urgent problems in wide ranging scientific fields. Introduction to Nanotechnology provides an overview of nanotechnology, discussing the fundamental science of nanotechnology and its applications to engineering, biomedical, and environmental fields. We will also discuss the interdisciplinary nature of nanotechnology and how the different basic sciences merge to create the field while leading to novel solutions of pressing issues.

An examination of children's thinking and cognitive development from infancy to middle childhood. Considers a range of topics including memory, reasoning, categorization, perception, and children's understanding of concepts such as space, time, number, mind, and biology. Major theories of cognitive development are described and evaluated in light of the available psychological data.

Prerequisites: None

Cannabis is a widely used psychoactive substance, yet scientists are only beginning to understand its impact on human health and behavior. This course will expose you to cutting-edge biological and psychological research related to cannabis (i.e., marijuana). By completing this course, students will develop critical thinking skills and learn how cannabis use intersects with neuroscience, physical and mental health, and social policy.

The completion of the Human Genome Project may be the most important scientific achievement of our lifetime, but how much can genes tell us about complex human behavior? How much does the environment impact human behavior and might there be a biological signature of that influence? What research techniques can be used to identify specific genes and specific environments that influence behavior? This course addresses all these questions and more in a dynamic and interactive learning environment.

Have you ever wondered how mental illness affects children and their families? Can kids "catch" autism? Can children really suffer from schizophrenia? From autism and anxiety to pediatric bipolar and schizophrenia disorders, students will learn how psychiatric disorders manifest in children, how disorders are treated, and controversies in childhood psychiatric diagnoses. This class will use pre-recorded lectures, online discussions, and multimedia to present these topics in a fun and interactive way.

This course will delve into personality disorders - what they are, how they differ from normal personality traits, how they impact sufferers' quality of life and possible functional impairment, how we study them, and current treatment approaches. We will also explore current controversies regarding personality disorders. Should they be diagnosed in children and adolescents? Should they be treated at all, or should we strive for greater acceptance?

Have you ever wondered where the terms “cold feet” or “butterflies in your stomach” originate? Have you ever wondered why zebras and other animals don’t get ulcers? This course will answer these and other questions related to the role of psychology in the development, progression, and treatment of physical health conditions. This course will provide an overview of the principles and applications of health psychology: the study of how biology, psychology, and social processes work together to impact a person’s health and illness. You will learn how a person’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors influence their physical health and appreciate the connection between our mental and physical well-being.

Psychology – the study of the mind, the brain, and behavior – is relevant to every aspect of your life! How does personality form? How are memories constructed and stored? How do society and culture impact an individual’s behavior? How are mental illnesses diagnosed and treated? These are just some of the questions we will attempt to answer in this course. This course will introduce a broad range of topics in psychology, including biological psychology, social psychology, personality, developmental psychology, health psychology, and psychological disorders.

The aim of this course is to explore why individuals engage in behaviors such as alcohol and substance use. We will cover a range of topics relevant to psychology and public health including the determinants of health-related behaviors and contemporary theories of addiction that can be applied to education, research and practice. An emphasis will be placed on how individual, interpersonal, and community factors can be used to design and implement prevention and intervention strategies.

Racism can play a critical role in health outcomes for marginalized groups. Racism can not only be associated with physiological processes in the body, but can also impact health at the societal level. During this course, we will look at how racism has affected health in the past and how it continues to affect health from a multi-perspective approach.

The course examines the complicated history of race in America through science. The course starts with an understanding of the establishment of racial groupings as a medical approach and later a social concept to classify people into social strata that facilitate differential outcomes and experiences. The basis of this educational journal is to understand how historical trespasses have helped to facilitate the current distrust of the medical industry by Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC).

From the development of vaccines to the first test of the atomic bomb, the social landscape of the 20th and 21st centuries has been shaped by technological, medical, and scientific advancements. In this course, you will analyze the ever-shifting relationship between science and society through readings drawn from Science, Technology, Studies (STS), Environmental Studies, Bioethics, the History of Science, and the Philosophy of Science.

There is arguably no resource more important for social life than good health. The state of a person's health determines whether they can work, go to school, and participate in family and social life. However, the risk of developing and dying from particular diseases is not equally distributed within countries, or across countries, around the globe. This course introduces concepts, theories, and methods for understanding how social factors influence the distribution of health and illness. We will examine trends in global health inequality and investigate how factors such as race, gender, occupation, and migration affect health. We will think critically about social factors as risk factors for poor health and discuss the implications for health policy and practice in both high and low-and-middle-income countries.