Courses

Basic principles and concepts of medical school-level biochemistry and cell biology in a one-semester course. Topics include protein structure and function mechanisms of enzyme action nutrition and metabolism membrane structure and receptor signaling cell cycle regulation DNA and RNA structure and function regulation of gene expression and techniques in molecular medicine. Clinical correlations are provided throughout the course. 6 cr, Fall sem. See more.

Students spend five weeks on two different research cores (15 hours/week). See more.

Prerequisites: Biomedical Research Technologies (BRT) MS Students must be enrolled in GMS MM730. All other students need permission of the course director.

Course Director: Louis C. Gerstenfeld

2 cr, Thu 9:00am – 10:50am

This course has three objectives:  1) It will provide students with basic understanding of how to read a published research paper, critically assess its methodology and technical details, and reproduce its methods to develop new experiments.  2) It will teach students how to access publically available databases and software applications used in the analysis of genetic and omics data. 3) It will teach students how to understand and evaluate technical sheets for commonly used methodologies and of commercial products used in laboratory research.  See more.

This course will address current topics in the molecular basis of non-malignant and non-immunologic diseases of man in the fields of Cardiovascular Disease; Hemostasis; Metabolic and endocrine diseases; Genetics of renal disease; Pulmonary Disease; Reproductive Disorders and Dermal Diseases. Examples of topics that will be covered include the molecular basis of atherosclerotic heart disease and cardiomyopathy; molecular basis of pre-thrombotic disorders (such as Factor V Leyden); leptins and obesity; mitochondrial dysfunction and cystic fibrosis. 2 cr, Fall sem. See more.

This course is designed to teach basic research and translational research skills to students in the Molecular Medicine Curriculum, using general principles of stem cells and their potential use in regenerative medicine. Students will first be exposed to the basic concepts and definitions of stem cells, the detailed study of different types of adult vs pluripotent stem cells, and discuss ethical and practical considerations. Students will also learn about stem cell manipulation by novel gene editing techniques, recent advances in disease modeling and the potential use of stem cells in tissue and organ regeneration. 2 cr, Spring sem. See more.

The major goal of this course is to provide an overview of the principles and applications of modern techniques, which are regularly employed in academia and industry as tools for biomolecular and biomedical investigation. This course will focus on technologies which are available at BUSM. Specific technologies include microscopy, FACS, IHC, qPCR, genomic (next gen sequencing and microarrays), proteomics techniques, HTS, fluorescence molecular tomography, ultrasound and metabolic phenotyping techniques. 3 cr, Spring sem. See more.

Topics include collection, classification, and presentation of descriptive data; the rationale of hypothesis testing; experimental design; t-tests; simple correlation analysis; and analysis of contingency tables. Special attention is directed to the ability to recognize and interpret statistical procedures in articles from current literature. 2 cr, Spring sem. See more.

Students enroll each term up to 2 credits, 4-8 total credits throughout course of study. Students register in the Fall for MS 971 B1 and Spring for MS 972 B1.

This course is an integrative learning experience, combining a comprehensive review of the good clinical practice core principles with an explanation and analysis of selected portions of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), applicable to clinical research during the new drug development process. The case study approach is used in this course since the drug development industry translates these regulations into both written and unwritten standards, practices, and guidelines. Each session will use activities to expand the interpretation of the regulations, into an operational and organizational focus, further integrating real-life issues into the classroom. In order to ensure that classroom learning is linked with the students’ work experiences, there will be an outside project required which will incorporate the course work with the simulated on-the-job situations, and a final presentation to share the learning with the entire class. 4 cr, Spring sem. See more.

This course explains the regulatory requirements for health-care products, that is, drugs, biologics, and devices. It is intended for those interested in regulatory affairs or the clinical evaluation, development, manufacture, testing and/or commercialization of these products. Provides an in-depth review of pertinent FDA regulations and guidance and links these to the scientific and logistical activities involved in taking a medical product from research to market. Content and preparation of regulatory submissions, including an Investigational New Drug Application (IND), an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE), a New Drug Application (NDA), a Biologic License Application (BLA), a Pre-Market Approval Application (PMA), and a 510K Pre-Market Notification are described. 4 cr, Fall sem. See more.

This course introduces students to the regulatory responsibilities of sponsors, monitors, and investigators conducting clinical trials. Practical information and exercises are designed to demonstrate GCP compliance from an industry perspective as well as from an academic perspective. Topics Include: Human protection in clinical trials, institutional review boards, selecting and qualifying investigators, consenting subjects, initiating, monitoring and closing out sites successfully and safety monitoring in clinical trials. Group discussions and exercises help students learn practical skills. 4 cr, Summer II sem. See more.

This course covers important scientific and epidemiologic principles necessary for designing clinical research studies. Topics include bias, confounding, developing the research question, defining an appropriate study population, choosing outcome measures, clinical research ethics and regulation, sample size determination, and statistical analysis issues. Students will design and present a clinical research study during the course. 4 cr, Fall sem. See more.

This course examines evolving ethical and legal issues in the biosciences. Students will study the legal and ethical issues pertaining to work with human subjects both existing and historical. They will go through the historical background that set the standard for today’s existing regulations and how those regulations are still in flux. Each student will do a presentation on a topic that relates to his or her own interest or existing research. Legal cases that have come from clinical research will also be covered. The course will involve class discussions, student presentations, case analyses and in-class lectures. 2 cr, Spring sem. See more.

The goal of this course is to provide students with tools, skills and experience in critically reading and evaluating current advances in basic and clinical sciences published in the literature which are pertinent to understanding the basis of disease mechanisms and treatment. Acquisition of knowledge and skills in critical analysis, statistical inference and experimental design will provide students with the ability to read the medical and scientific literature and to examine it critically to achieve life-long learning. The course format will be based on presentation of chosen topics. It will consist of evaluation of assigned readings of recently published articles in basic and clinical sciences which are relevant to diseases. This format will provide students an opportunity to learn how to critically read and evaluate basic and clinical literature and to present their critical analysis for discussion by peers. This is an important skill needed for their future endeavors in medical research and clinical settings. 3 cr, Spring sem. See more.

The course will provide students with an historical perspective of the fast emerging medical biotechnology field and the innovative processes that ensure the success of such endeavors. The course will cover a host of topics that will provide students with a springboard to develop their creative thinking and explore a new vision of medical biotechnology. 2 cr, Spring sem. See more.

This is a unique 4 credit course meant to provide a solid background of basic laboratory techniques and enrich experiences of students who come with limited research laboratory training.

The purpose of the proposed course is to provide students with a presentation of the different systems in the body, an introduction to their anatomical elements and an understanding of their relationships to one another. Students will be introduced to anatomical terminology and basic concepts of key body systems. Instruction will be by lecture and will also introduce key concepts in Biomedical Imaging. 2 cr., Spring sem. See more.

Introduction to the basic theory and practice of an approach applicable to many cell biology problems. The following topics are covered: early mouse development gene targeting into mouse embryos homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells review of practical aspects of the transgenic technology review of selected studies employing transgenic mice and chimeric (gene knockout) mice. Offered alternate years. 2 cr, Fall sem. See more.

Success in biomedical research requires proposing, developing and testing a novel hypothesis. The generation of a novel hypothesis in turn requires the ability to apply the scientific method and then implement the appropriate techniques to address the experimental question. This course will complement the Foundations in Biomedical Sciences (FBS) curriculum by providing students with a comprehensive understanding of the core experimental methods used in biomedical research. By the end of this course students will master the concepts behind a wide range of experimental techniques and technologies and then be prepared to apply the most appropriate experimental system to a given biological question. Biochemical knowledge regarding “how things work” and “how to cook from scratch in the lab” will enable students to develop their own experimental research strategies. Specific topics to be covered in the Fall 2014 include: the scientific method/lab basics, cell culture and gene transfer, protein extraction and analysis, DNA and cloning, PCR, DNA-protein interactions and chromatin, RNA and quantitative PCR, lipids, transgenic and knockout mice, mass spectrometry, flow cytometry, microarray and next generation sequencing, histology and confocal microscopy. This course is team taught and will use lectures, in class discussions, and focused problem sets. A concise final written assignment is designed to test the students’ mastery of the subject matter. 2 cr., Fall sem. See more.

The application of mass spectrometry to protein, glycoconjugate and carbohydrate structures has propelled developments in proteomics and functional genomics. This course describes how to use mass spectrometry to answer structural and functional questions in biomedical research. The course explores the background necessary to effectively design mass spectrometric (MS) experiments and interpret data. Students gain a full understanding of modern MS and its effective use in research. Lectures are devoted to instrumentation, ionization methods, applications to proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, glycoconjugates, nucleic acids and uses of the technology in proteomics, biotechnology and medicine. 2 cr, Spring sem. See more.

Fall Semester: Overview includes neurophysiology, neurochemistry, neuroanatomy, neurobehavior, and neuropsychopharmacology. Processes occurring at the cellular and physiological levels are related to known central nervous system dysfunction. Spring Semester: Review of brain function and selected topics such as Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, neurotoxicology, aphasia, electrophysiology, and neuroimaging. This course is the same as GMS BN 777 (3 cr) and GMS BN 779 (2 cr), providing students with 50 hours of required course time. May not be taken concurrently with GMS BN 777 or 779. 4 cr, Fall & Spring sem. (2 sem. course) See more.

Fall Semester: Overview includes neurophysiology, neurochemistry, neuroanatomy, neurobehavior, and neuropsychopharmacology. Processes occurring at the cellular and physiological levels are related to known central nervous system dysfunction. Spring Semester: Review of brain function and selected topics such as Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, neurotoxicology, aphasia, electrophysiology, and neuroimaging. This course is the same as GMS BN 777 (3 cr) and GMS BN 778 (4 cr), providing students with 25 hours of required course time. May not be taken concurrently with GMS BN 777 or 778. 2 cr, Fall or Spring sem. See more.

Molecular mechanisms of stroke, multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotropic lateral sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, and neoplasia are considered. Fundamentals and current research in molecular biology are reviewed. Current publication seminar discussions are held with student participation. Distinguished guest speakers give keynote lectures monthly. 2 cr, Fall sem. See more.

Lectures and interactive auto-tutorial case studies presenting the basic morphologic and functional changes associated with cell injury and death, inflammation, response to microorganisms, atherosclerosis, cancer, and organ system pathology. Christensen, 4 cr, Spring sem. See more.

The objective of this course is to introduce students to the creation, maintenance and efficient use of an indispensable component of translational research in medicine — human tissue and its derivatives. Lectures from invited speakers with extensive experience in human bio-specimens generation, maintenance, and utilization, will provide students with knowledge how to successfully obtain and utilize human bio-specimens. Topics will include logistics and legal aspects of creating and sustaining bio-banks, federal and institutional regulatory and funding mechanisms, and concrete examples of human bio-specimens use to generate break-through data in specific field of biomedical research. Special attention will be given to human biospecimens used in neuroscience as four neuropathologists/neuroscientists from Harvard, Yale, Columbia and Boston University are enlisted as speakers to give comprehensive overview of biospecimens utilized in neurodegenerative diseases and brain tumors. 2 cr. Spring sem. See more.

Principles of pharmacology are covered and several major classes of therapeutic agents, with attention to their mechanisms of action. Issues of current and future concern in medical pharmacology are addressed including problems of drug abuse, the ethics of human experimentation, the pricing of new drugs, and new biotechnological approaches to drug design and development. 4 cr, Spring sem. See more.

The objective of this course is to introduce students to the business realities of modern biomedical science which is patent-driven and product-oriented. Lectures from invited speakers from the biomedical, legal, regulatory and business worlds will provide basic terminology and perspective to give an overview for how an idea in the laboratory is translated into a marketable commodity. Topics will include explanation and discussion of intellectual property, medical clinical trials, federal and institutional regulatory mechanisms, logistics of creating and sustaining research collaborations, writing a business plan, patent fundamentals and similar. Keystone speakers who have bridged the science and business experiences will present their stories of inspiration, travails and success. 2 cr., Pass/Fail, Fall sem.