HBTM Curriculum
Overview
The PHBTM is based in the Programs in Biological and Biomedical Sciences in the Harvard Division of Medical Sciences (DMS), and provides an interdisciplinary program of scholarship and research training in human biology and human disease-oriented research. The curriculum of the Harvard Program in Human Biology and Translational Medicine includes courses, seminars, and research training opportunities in the biomedical, clinical and population sciences relevant to human diseases. The core PHBTM courses incorporate case-based presentations as a fundamental component of the curriculum. The principal focus is the HBTM Ph.D. program, but selected courses and activities of PHBTM are of interest to medical students, advanced undergraduate students in the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and students in other schools of the University.
The PHBTM core curriculum includes three required new semester-length courses that complement and significantly extend current graduate course offerings at DMS and FAS. In the first semester, there is only a single required course, Microbiology 230 (Analysis of the Biological Literature), which is required for all BBS students. Since there are no HBTM courses in the first semester, graduate students who wish to pursue studies in HBTM can begin their engagement with program-specific courses starting in January of the G1 year, and then pursue the rest of the HBTM curriculum in subsequent semesters. One of the HBTM new courses (Cellular Metabolism and Human Disease) is currently being offered as a regular BCMP course. In the January term, PHBTM students will participate in a new one-month course “Discovery in Human Biology and Translational Medicine.” In the summer between years 1 and 2, students will participate in a new “Disease-Centered Tutorial and Clinic,” which meets ½ day/week during their summer laboratory rotation. The required and elective courses for the Graduate Program in Human Biology and Translational Medicine are listed below.
Fall Year 1:
- Microbiology 230: Analysis of the Biological Literature (required) plus
- Laboratory Rotation and/or Elective Courses, including
- Genetics 201: Principles of Genetics, or
- BCMP 200: Molecular Biology, or
- New Quarter Courses led by HBTM faculty focusing on specific human disease, and/or
- CB 704.0: Biology of the Cancer Cell, or
- Chem 285 (FAS): Molecular Etiology and Mechanistic Pharmacology, or
- IM 201: Principles of Immunology, or
- BIO222: Basics of Statistical Inference.
January Year 1
- Medical Sciences 324 (new): Discovery in Human Biology and Translational Medicine (required)
Spring Year 1
- BCMP234 (new in 2007): Cellular Metabolism and Human Disease (required), and
- Genetics 234 (new): Genes to Phenomes (required; may be taken year 2) and
- HT035: Principles and Practice of Pathology (required), and
- Laboratory Rotation (required), and
- Course Electives, including
- Cell Biology 201: Molecular Biology of the Cell, or
- BCMP 201: Proteins- Structure, Function and Catalysis, or
- Microbiology 200: Molecular Microbiology and Pathogenesis, or
- BCMP 207: Molecular Approaches to Drug Action, Discovery and Design, or
- Physics 136 (FAS): Physics of Medical Imaging, or
- PHBTM Quarter Courses.
Summer Year 1
- Laboratory Rotation (required) and weekly half-day Disease-Centered Tutorial and Clinic (required)
Year 2 Fall
- BCMP 235: Pharmacology, Pathophysiology and Therapeutics (required)
- Preliminary Qualifying Exam
Year 2 Fall or Spring
- One Elective Course, which may include HBTM Quarter Courses (note: students who defer Genetics 234 in year 1 must take this course Spring Semester of the G2 year)
Course requirements
PHBTM students will be required to take a total of 8 semester courses, plus the January Year 1 block course, as well as two or three laboratory rotations. Students with a prior doctoral degree (M.D., D.V.M., D.M.D.) will be required to take at least 4 courses, depending upon their preparation; medical students who have completed the premedical curriculum will be required to take between 4 and 6 courses.
The five required semester courses are Genetics 234 (Genes to Phenomes), Micro 230 (Analysis of the Biological Literature), BCMP234 (Metabolism), HT 035 (Pathology); BCMP235 (Pharmacology and Pathophysiology); the final required course is the January course Medical Sciences 324 (Discovery in Human Biology and Translational Medicine). All HBTM courses are open to other HILS graduate students, and may also be taken by advanced undergraduate students (with permission of the instructor).
The new core PHBTM semester courses will meet three times weekly, and each week’s schedule will include one lecture; one laboratory or conference session; and one hospital- or clinic-based patient encounter. These courses will be coordinated with course content in the elective DMS courses that many PHBTM students take (e.g., BCMP 200, Cell Biol 201). The weekly patient encounters will provide a longitudinal introduction to organ system physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology in the context of the specific clinical correlations made with classroom material. Over the summer between years 1 and 2, while the students are doing a laboratory rotation, they will participate in a weekly Disease-Centered Tutorial and Clinic. The Chief Medical Residents at BWH, MGH, and BIDMC will be closely integrated into the weekly patient encounters in HBTM core courses and during the summer tutorial.
HBTM CORE COURSES: FALL SEMESTER YEAR 1
ONE REQUIRED COURSE:
Microbiology 230. Analysis of the Biological Literature
Critical analysis of original research articles in an intensive small group discussion format. Papers will be analyzed in terms of background, hypothesis, appropriate use of experimental methods, and objective interpretation of results. Covers a wide range of papers in biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, and cell and developmental biology.
PLUS:
LABORATORY ROTATION AND ELECTIVE COURSES (SEE LIST BELOW)
JANUARY BLOCK YEAR 1
ONE REQUIRED COURSE:
Medical Sciences 234: Discovery in Human Biology and Translational Medicine. Course Director: Jeffrey Drazen
This new one-month course for first-year PHBTM students will use selected papers that have recently been published in the New England Journal of Medicine as a platform for the analysis of research methods, as well as for the review and critical discussion of recent advances in human biology and disease-oriented research. This course will meet 5 mornings each week throughout the month of January; HB 1J will be required of all first-year PHBTM students, and will be offered to all students in the Leder Medical Sciences Program. The course director for HB 1J will be Dr. Jeffrey Drazen, editor of the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Drazen and selected PHBTM faculty will choose for discussion recent exemplary NEJM papers that advance our understanding of human biology and human disease states. These same papers will be used as a basis for teaching the students the fundamentals of experimental design and biostatistics in basic, translational, and clinical research. This course will be required for students in the PHBTM and LMS programs, and will be open to other HILS students.
SPRING SEMESTER YEAR 1 PHBTM CORE COURSES:
THREE REQUIRED COURSES:
BCMP 234:
Cellular Metabolism and Human Disease. Course Director: Thomas Michel
(Note: this is a new BCMP course presented for the first time in Spring 2007. HB 201 is also required for students in the Leder Medical Sciences Program. This course is under the direction of Thomas Michel, with the active involvement of several HMS faculty in Human Biology and Translational Medicine.)
Metabolic abnormalities cause or confound myriad human diseases. This new graduate course, “Cellular Metabolism and Human Disease,” considers core topics in human metabolism and metabolic diseases by combining lectures and conference sessions with weekly patient encounters using a case-based approach. Cellular metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins are integrated with analyses of human disease states such as diabetes and hyperlipoproteinemias in the context of their impact on specific human organ systems in both inborn and acquired derangements of metabolism.
The learning objectives of this course are:
- To understand key metabolic pathways in mammalian cells at the molecular level;
- To integrate cellular metabolism with organ homeostasis in human biology;
- To learn the impact of acquired and genetically-determined human diseases on key metabolic pathways, and vice versa; and
- To encounter patients with metabolic diseases and understand approaches to their diagnosis and therapy.
Detailed course schedule and syllabus:
This course meets three times each week in the Spring semester. The first meeting each week (Monday) includes a lecture and case presentation. The second meeting is a conference session, for which the students prepare critical analyses of key papers that focus on metabolism in specific organ systems. The third session (Friday) includes classroom-based patient encounters; these encounters may be observational, or may involve the application of molecular principles to diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in the management of these disorders. The Monday lecture will be presented as a live videoconference between the class in HMS and a classroom in Cambridge that will be equipped with high-resolution monitors and bidirectional video feeds to permit interaction between students and faculty at both sites. If there is sufficient enrollment from Cambridge-based students, a separate critical reading session will be held in Cambridge, led by the BCMP course directors, will be held on Friday afternoons. The Friday patient encounter will be held at HMS only and will not be videoconferenced to Cambridge.
Week 1:
Course overview and lecture: Introduction to cellular metabolism
Case presentation and clinical correlation: A patient with diabetes
Lecture: Insulin signaling and the metabolic transformations of glucose
Week 2:
Monday Lecture: Oxidative enzymopathies
Wednesday Critical reading conference: Aldosterone and G6PD
Friday February 9- Clinical correlation: genetic basis of oxidative arteriopathies.
Week 3:
Monday- Lecture and case presentation: Fatty acid oxidation and synthesis
Wednesday- Critical reading conference: Switching between fatty acid and glucose utilization in the heart
Friday: Clinical correlation: Ischemic heart disease and heart failure.
Week 4:
Wednesday- Lecture: Metabolism of arachidonic acid
Friday: Clinical correlation- asthma
Week 5:
Monday Lecture and case presentation: Lipid transport and lipoproteins
Wednesday- Critical reading conference: Lipoprotein metabolism and vascular disease
Friday - Clinical correlation: Peripheral vascular disease.
Week 6:
Monday - Lecture and case presentation: Starvation and satiety
Wednesday Critical reading conference: Metabolic control in adipose tissue: implications for human obesity
Friday Clinical correlation: A patient with obesity
Week 7:
Monday Lecture and case presentation: Integration of metabolic pathways by the liver
Wednesday Critical reading conference: The liver and lipid metabolism
Friday Clinical correlation: Hyperlipidemias.
Week 8:
Monday Lecture and case presentation: Calcium signaling and homeostasis in cell and organism
Wednesday Critical reading conference and clinical correlation: Calcium homeostasis and human disease; a patient with osteoporosis?
Friday Mid-term exam
Week 9:
Monday Lecture and case presentation: Metabolism of purines and pyrimidines
Wednesday Critical reading conference: Gout therapeutics
Friday Clinical correlation: A patient with gout.
Week 10:
Monday Lecture and case presentation: Red blood cells- hemoglobin structure and membrane biogenesis
Wednesday Critical reading conference: Iron metabolism and human disease
Friday Clinical correlation: A patient with thalassemia.
Week 11:
Monday Lecture and case presentation: Integration of organismal metabolism by neuroendocrine pathways
Wednesday Critical reading conference: Metabolic control by transcriptional coactivators
Friday Clinical correlation: A patient with hyperthyroidism.
Weeks 12 and 13
Student presentations
GENETICS 234:
Genes to Phenomes
Advances in human genetics and genomics are defining the future of biomedicine, and progress in many fields is advancing our understanding of the correlations between human genotype and phenotype. This course will combine lectures and laboratory sessions (including problem sets) with weekly patient encounters. Both this course and the spring semester Metabolism course (HB 201) will incorporate a case-based approach to key pedagogical concepts, and will serve as a basis for the longitudinal acquisition of a broad knowledge base in human biology and disease.
Lectures: Statistical genetics; genetics of complex traits; pharmacogenetics; measuring outcomes and associations; implications of the HapMap; non-Mendelian genetics; animal model systems for human development and disease; cancer genetics; proteomics and lipidomics; biomarkers; metabolomics; phenotype characterization; and the challenges of genotype-phenotype correlations.
Laboratories: Analysis of microarray data sets; analysis of SNP data sets; applications of the HapMap; statistical labs; and linkage analysis. Will use real patient data sets. New opportunities will be provided by release of SNP typing from Framingham study.
Patient encounters: Cancer Genetics (Garber, DFCI); Cardiovascular Genetics (Seidman, BWH); Neurogenetics (Pauls, MGH); COPD clinic (Silverman/Weiss, BWH); Multiple Sclerosis (Hafler, BWH/Broad Institute); Polycystic Kidney Disease Clinic (Pollock); Metabolic Clinic (Marsden, CHMC); Sickle Cell Clinic (Neufeld, CHMC); Antenatal Diagnosis Clinic (Bieber, BWH). These encounters will not only be observational, but will also involve the application of statistical principles to risk assessment and association.
HST 034/035: Principles and Practice of Human Pathology
Course Director: K. Badizadegan Course Website: http://web.mit.edu/hst.035/
Provides a comprehensive overview of human pathology with emphasis on mechanisms of disease and modern diagnostic technologies. Topics include general mechanisms of disease (inflammation, infection, immune injury, transplantation, genetic disorders and neoplasia); pathology of lipids, enzymes, and molecular transporters; pathology of major organ systems; and review of diagnostic tools from surgical pathology to non-invasive techniques such as spectroscopy, imaging, and molecular markers of disease. The objectives of this subject are achieved by a set of integrated lectures and laboratories, as well as a student-driven term project leading to a formal presentation on a medical, socioeconomic, or technological issue in human pathology.
HBTM LABORATORY ROTATION (SPRING AND/OR SUMMER) AND ONE ELECTIVE COURSE
SUMMER BETWEEN YEAR 1 and 2
Required: Laboratory Rotation and
Disease-Centered Tutorial and Clinic (DCTC)
This new weekly program will take place one afternoon each week, and will be offered to all students in the Human Biology and Translational Medicine Program as well as the Leder Program. Each weekly session will be organized around a clinic at one of the HMS affiliated hospitals. There will be a one-hour tutorial (led by a physician-scientist member of the PHBTM or LMS faculty) that highlights the scope of medical problems being addressed in the particular clinic, after which the students will “shadow” a physician-scientist as s/he evaluates the patients in the clinic. Each week, up to two students will participate in a given clinic; the participating clinics will be engaged throughout the summer in support of this tutorial and clinical encounter. These clinics will include: AIDS Clinic (MGH), Breast Cancer Clinic (DFCI), Vascular Medicine Clinic (BWH), Metabolic Diseases Clinic (CHMC), Movement Disorders Clinic (BIDMC), Colon Cancer Clinic (MGH), and Sickle Cell Clinic (BWH), among others.
FALL YEAR 2
BCMP235. Pharmacology:
The pathophysiological basis of therapeutics
David Golan, Course Director
Pharmacology: The pathophysiological basis of therapeutics is a basic course in pharmacology presented in the context of human pathophysiology.. This course provides the fundamentals of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics in human studies, and communicates the methods and intellectual excitement of the molecular revolution in drug action and design. Drug discovery, unmet clinical needs, preclinical development, clinical investigation, and regulatory issues are considered, with applications to diseases including cancer, diabetes, and AIDS. Case studies and patient encounters provide a hands-on approach to the development of pharmaceuticals in the real world and to ethical and other issues that are critical to the mission of the industry. Critical reading sessions are designed to promote close reading of the drug development as well as basic pharmacology literature. The course addresses basic pharmacologic principles and concepts and their molecular underpinnings, and teaches modern methods of discovering and designing new drugs. The course also explores pharmaceutical industry issues, pharmacoeconomics, and pharmacovigilance. Contemporaneous with the presentation of these basic principles in pharmacology and therapeutics, this course will also teach the fundamental physiological principles of human biology, as well as about mechanisms of selected diseases in the context of therapeutics. The course is designed with an assumption that students will have had a graduate level course in cell biology, molecular biology, and genetics.
Preliminary qualifying exam should be taken in Fall Semester of the G2 year.
PARACURRICULAR PROGRAMS (all paracurricular programs are shared with the Leder Medical Sciences Program and will be open to all students in BBS)
- Hospital-based Medical Grand Rounds on topics related to Human Biology and Translational Medicine
- Monthly dinner seminar series, “Recent Advances in Human Biology and Translational Medicine,” featuring local and visiting faculty, who will present their research in human biology and disease-oriented research and will meet with students
- Annual Program Retreat, to be held jointly with PHBTM and LMS students and faculty
- Opportunities for ongoing monthly interactions with Program faculty through a longitudinal Disease-Centered Tutorial and Clinic
Preliminary Qualifying Exam (PQE):
Students will take their PQE during their second year, which will be configured according to the PQE format established for all BBS students. The current model for the BBS/PHBTM PQE would comprise an oral examination given by a committee of three faculty members and based on a mock thesis proposal prepared by the student. The topic for the PQE should be linked in some meaningful way to the student’s thesis research. The PQE proposal will demonstrate the student’s ability to formulate, present, and defend a plan to explore a critical research topic distinct from the specific area of the planned thesis research.The proposal will be presented and discussed in depth during the examination. After passing the PQE, students will be advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. and will be ready to work full time on dissertation research.
Dissertation:
After successfully completing the PQE, a student chooses a dissertation committee composed of the student's dissertation advisor (ex officio) and at least three additional members chosen from PHBTM/BBS, DMS, or FAS faculty. The committee meets with the candidate at regular intervals (must occur at least once a year through G4 and every 6 months thereafter) to evaluate progress and give constructive criticism. When the dissertation is complete, a dissertation defense committee administers a dissertation examination and gives final approval of the dissertation.
Suggested Elective Courses (at HMS unless otherwise noted):
FALL COURSES:
DMS Courses:
NEW HBTM Quarter Courses and Nano Courses:
The HBTM faculty are developing several new Quarter Courses and Nano Courses that will be focused on specific human diseases and the translation of basic discoveries to the clinic, including courses (for example) on diabetes, amyloidosis, and atherosclerosis, among others. The content of these Quarter Courses will also be of interest to medical students who are spending a “fifth year” engaged in research activities, including students in the PASTEUR program. The Quarter Course format is ideal for the presentation of core concepts in specific human disease states, and for the exploration of connections between basic biological concepts and the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.
SEMESTER-LENGTH COURSES
Genetics 201 (GN701.0):
Principles of Genetics (highly recommended for HBTM students)
Director: F. M. Winston
An in-depth survey of genetics, beginning with basic principles and extending to modern approaches and special topics. We will draw on examples from various systems, such as Drosophila, C. elegans, Saccharomyces, mouse, human and bacteria.
BCMP 200:
Molecular Biology (highly recommended for HBTM students)
An advanced treatment of the Central Dogma of molecular biology. The course will consider the molecular basis of genetic information transfer from DNA to RNA to protein, using current examples from eukaryotic and prokaryotic systems. Prerequisite: Intended primarily for graduate students familiar with basic molecular biology or with strong biology/chemistry background. Half course (fall term) http://tfiib.med.harvard.edu/bcmp200/.
CB704.0
Biology of the Cancer Cell
Director: J. DeCaprio.
Prerequisites: General knowledge of biochemistry, molecular genetics and cell biology. Credits: 4 CREDITS Offered: Fall. Offered in alternate years. Examines the molecular basis of cancer including alterations in signal transduction, cell cycle, apoptosis and DNA repair with a focus on oncogenes, tumor suppressors, and oncogenic viruses. Explores the development of novel therapies.
Faculty of Arts and Sciences:
CHEM 285
Human Disease: Molecular Etiology and Mechanistic Pharmacology
Faculty: Gregory L. Verdine Credits: Half course Term: Fall
Course Description: Focuses on the causation and treatment of human disease from a primarily mechanistic, structural and chemical point of view. Lectures will provide the background for in-class talks given by prominent outside speakers.
Prerequisite(s): Chemistry 20/30 or 17/27 or equivalent. Biological Sciences 52 or equivalent.
Syllabus: http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/4005
IM702.0
Principles of Immunology
Directors: M. C. Carroll, U. H. Von Andrian-Werburg
Prerequisites: A background in genetics and biochemistry strongly recommended. Credits: 4 CREDITS (Non-Clinical Elective)
Offered: Fall.
As a comprehensive core course in Immunology, the topics include a broad but intensive examination of the cells and molecules of the immune system. Special attention is given to the experimental approaches that led to the general principles of immunology.
HST COURSES:
HST 040/Microbiology 205
Mechanisms of Microbial Pathogenesis
Clyde S. Crumpacker II (Medical School) and associates
The mechanisms of bacterial, mycoplasmal, fungal, and viral pathogenesis are covered. Topics are selected for intrinsic interest and cover the spectrum of pathophysiologic mechanisms of the infectious process. Emphasis on pathogenesis at the molecular level.
HST 541J Quantitative Physiology: Cells and Tissues
Course Director: D. M. Freeman Course Website: http://umech.mit.edu/6.021J/
Term Offered: Fall
Principles of mass transport and electrical signal generation for biological membranes, cells, and tissues. Mass transport through membranes: diffusion, osmosis, chemically mediated, and active transport. Electric properties of cells: ion transport; equilibrium, resting, and action potentials. Kinetic and molecular properties of single voltage-gated ion channels. Laboratory and computer exercises illustrate the concepts.
Harvard School of Public Health
Please note that HSPH courses require tuition contributions; these costs will be supported by the Program in Human Biology and Translational Medicine.
Course Title: Basics of Statistical Inference
Faculty: Dr. Yi Li
Course Description: 5 credits lectures, laboratories. Two 1.5 hour-sessions each week. One 2-hour lab each week. This course will provide a basic, yet thorough introduction to the probability theory and mathematical statistics that underlie many of the commonly used techniques in public health research. Topics to be covered include probability distributions (normal, binomial, Poisson), means, variances and expected values, finite sampling distributions, parameter estimation (method of moments, maximum likelihood), confidence intervals, hypothesis testing (likelihood ratio, Wald and score tests). All theoretical material will be motivated with problems from epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health and other public health areas. This course is aimed towards second year doctoral students in fields other than Biostatistics. Background in algebra and calculus required. Course Note: One intermediate level biostatistics course such as BIO 210, or BIO 211, or signature of the instructor required.
Course Title: Introduction to Statistical Methods
Faculty: Dr. K. Gauvreau
Course Description: Lectures, laboratories. Two 1.5-hour sessions each week. One 2-hour lab each week. Covers basic statistical techniques that are important for analyzing data arising from epidemiology, environmental health, biomedical and other public health-related research. Major topics include descriptive statistics, elements of probability, introduction to estimation and hypothesis testing, nonparametric methods, techniques for categorical data, regression analysis, analysis of variance, and elements of study design. Applications are stressed. Designed as an alternate to BIO 200, for students desiring more emphasis on theoretical developments. Background in algebra and calculus strongly recommended. Course Note: Credit is given for only one of BIO 200, BIO 201 or BIO 205; this course cannot be counted as part of the credit requirement for a major or minor doctoral field course; course restricted to students enrolled in DBS, EH, EPI, NUT, and MPH/QM programs. Other students allowed with signature of course instructor, if space permits; lab or section times to be announced at first meeting.
Neurobiology 200.
Introduction to Neurobiology.
David Corey, John Assad, Matthew Frosch, Lisa Goodrich, and guest lecturers.
Modern neuroscience from molecular neurobiology to perception and cognition. Includes cell biology of neurons and glia; ion channels and electrical signaling; synaptic transmission and integration; chemical systems; brain anatomy and development; sensory systems; motor systems; higher cognitive function.
SPRING TERM ELECTIVE COURSES
DMS COURSES:
Cell Biology 201
Molecular Biology of the Cell
(highly recommended for HBTM students in either the G1 year (deferring Genetics 234 until year 2 or in Spring Semester year 2)
Current concepts in cell biology, with emphasis on experimental approaches. Topics include the molecular basis of cellular compartmentalization, protein trafficking, cytoskeleton dynamics, mitosis, cell locomotion, cell cycle regulation, signal transduction, cell-cell interaction, and the cellular/biochemical basis of diseases. The course will also cover various methods, such as protein purification and identification, analysis of protein-protein interactions, and microscopy methods.
Prerequisite: Basic knowledge in biochemistry and genetics. Half course (Spring term) http://cb201.med.harvard.edu/
BCMP 201 (BP714.0) Proteins: Structure, Function and Catalysis
http://bcmp201.med.harvard.edu/
Director: M. J. Eck
Prerequisites: Knowledge of introductory general biochemistry, elementary physical chemistry, and molecular genetics required. Credits: 4 CREDITS (Non-Clinical Elective)
Advanced protein biochemistry with emphasis on the interrelated roles of protein structure, catalytic activity, and macromolecular interactions in biological processes.
Prerequisite: Knowledge of introductory general biochemistry, elementary physical chemistry, and molecular genetics required. Half course (Spring term).
BP715.0
Molecular Approaches to Drug Action, Discovery and Design
Director: D.M. Coen
Prerequisites: Primarily for graduate students. Credits: 4 CREDITS (Non-Clinical Elective)
Offered: Spring.
Explores how molecular biology, structural biology, and modern enzymology have revolutionized understanding of drug action and development of new therapies. Analyzes molecular underpinnings of basic pharmacological principles and their application to clinical therapeutics.
MG726.0
Molecular Microbiology and Pathogenesis
Director: S. Lory
Offered: Spring
Devoted primarily to bacterial structure, physiology, genetics, regulatory mechanisms and pathogenesis. Class time consists of a combination of: 1) lecture, 2) presentations emphasizing methods, results and interpretation of classic and contemporary literature, 3) guest seminars, and 4) small group discussions.
HST COURSES:
HST 521
Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering in Medical Devices and Artificial Organs
Course Director: F. J. Schoen Instructor(s): R. N. Mitchell
Course Website: http://mycourses.med.harvard.edu
Term Offered: G (Spring) Prereq.: HST 030/031 or permission of instructor
Structure, properties, and applications of biomaterials (synthetic or modified natural materials used to evaluate/replace tissues, organs or biological functions) and tissue engineering (use of biomaterials with incorporated cells and biological signals to stimulate tissue regeneration). Emphasizes fundamentals of biomaterials and tissue engineering, clinical problems and practical solutions in a complex ethical, legal and economic context, and state-of-the-art research opportunities. Assesses current challenges and cutting edge technological solutions to medical problems. Probes mechanisms and methods of evaluation of tissue/biomaterials and patient/device interactions. Additional topics include: key biological concepts; biofunctional materials; issues in design; development; fabrication; and clinical evaluation; and novel research directions and applications of materials to medicine.
HST 940J
Bioinformatics: Principles, Methods and Applications
Course Director: G. Stephanopoulos
Course Website: http://web.mit.edu/10.555/www/contacts.html
Introduction to bioinformatics, the collection of principles and computational methods used to upgrade the information content of biological data generated by genome sequencing, proteomics, and cell-wide physiological measurements of gene expression and metabolic fluxes. Fundamentals from systems theory presented to define modeling philosophies and simulation methodologies for the integration of genomic and physiological data in the analysis of complex biological processes. Various computational methods address a broad spectrum of problems in functional genomics and cell physiology. Application of bioinformatics to metabolic engineering, drug design, and biotechnology also discussed.
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Course Title: Physics of Medical Imaging
Course ID: PHYSICS 136 (FAS Cat Number: 0182) Faculty: Andrew Jeremy M. Kiruluta
Presents the physics of modern medical imaging techniques. Explores the physics of diagnostic imaging from a unified electromagnetics viewpoint ranging from a simple mapping of radiation attenuation coefficients in X-ray, gamma radiative single photon (SPECT) and double photon (positron) emission tomography (PET), echo measurements in ultrasound, interferometric pulse echo characterization in optical coherence tomography (OCT) to resonance absorption in a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) induced inhomogeneously broadened RF absorber.
Principles of Drug Discovery and Development
Course ID: MCB 192 (FAS Cat Number: 2188) Faculty: Mark Charles Fishman
How is new medicine created? What steps are taken to go from observed medical need to efficacious treatment with minimal side effects? Case-study based introduction to the process of Drug Discovery co-taught by Harvard faculty and researchers from the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research. Topics include: identifying possible drug targets, chemical screening and lead discovery, medicinal chemistry, drug formulation, preclinical safety and clinical trials.
Readings and assignments drawn from primary scientific literature and drug study reports.
Prerequisite(s): BS 52 and one year of organic chemistry. BS 54 is recommended.
Syllabus: http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/2188
Biological Sciences 60. Ethics, Biotechnology, and the Future of Human Nature
Douglas A. Melton and Michael J. Sandel Half course (spring term).
Explores the moral, political, and scientific implications of new developments in biotechnology. Does science give us the power to alter human nature? If so, how should we exercise this power? The course examines the science and ethics of stem cell research, human cloning, sex selection, genetic engineering, eugenics, genetic discrimination, and human-animal hybrids. Meets jointly with Government 1093. Readings will be drawn from literature in the areas of biology, philosophy, and public policy.
Harvard School of Public Health
Course Title: Functional Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics
Course ID: ID509
Faculty: Dr. M. Wessling-Resnick, Dr. D. Wolf, and Dr. S. Liu Credits: 2.50 credits
Lectures, seminars, case studies. This interdisciplinary course is intended for students who have background knowledge of molecular biology and are interested in the application of genomics and proteomics to their research. The course will introduce basic bioinformatic applications for genome sequence analysis (BLAST), use of CLUSTAL-W, basic methods in DNA sequence acquisition and DNA expression analysis by microarray, use of genomic information in the public health arena, basic methods and application of proteome analysis and the demonstration of proteomic research tools. Course notes: HSPH degree candidates only; ordinal grading option only: instructor's signature required.
Course Title: BPH 222. The Science of Human Nutrition Catalog Number: 0216
Frank M. Sacks (Medical School, Public Health), Clifford Lo (Medical School, Public Health) and members of the Department. Half course (spring term).
A review of the biochemistry of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals in the context of human disease. Contemporary topics are emphasized. Particular emphasis given to current knowledge of the mechanisms that may explain the role of diet in the causation and/or prevention of ischemic heart disease, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and cancer. Recommended dietary intakes of selected nutrients are discussed.
Note: Offered jointly with the Medical School as BPH 733.0 and with the School of Public Health as NUT 202. Prerequisite: Introductory nutrition course. Prior familiarity with nutrition and the health sciences expected, as well as a basic knowledge of biochemistry and human physiology.
Programs and Resources for Advanced Graduate Students: Affinity Groups and Teaching Fellows
HBTM faculty will also assume a significant role in advising senior graduate students throughout BBS. The HBTM Program and BBS leadership will partner with faculty in BBS and throughout Harvard to create “affinity groups” centered around key topics in disease-oriented research. This initiative will be part of a broader effort within BBS to enhance the later years of graduate education. One example of an affinity group engaging PHBTM faculty is a “Metabolic Diseases Affinity Group,” which would bring together faculty and students from multiple departments, programs, and institutions who are studying diabetes and the metabolic syndrome.The HBTM Program will hire a Teaching Fellow in Human Biology and Translational Medicine (supported by hospital funds), similar to the extant Cell Biology teachingfellow model. The"teaching fellow" would be an advanced postdoctoral-level person who is interested in teaching as amajor career endeavor, and would help organize and teach courseswithin the Program and would provide an interface with “affinity groups.”
For information on lab rotations, exam and dissertation preparation, and extracurricular activities, please go here
Harvard University Home / GSAS Home / HMS Home 
