Courses and Seminars

Education is an important part of the HSCI mission. One course for undergraduates, Stem Cells and Cloning, is already in its third year - and its popularity has spawned many others, including graduate, postgraduate and clinical courses in areas including biology, philosophy and ethics. All of these classes place a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary education. Below is a partial list of the 2007-2008 Harvard courses that address stem cell related topics.

Please note that this is a descriptive list only and students should refer to the Office of the Registrar Course Guide for scheduling and location information.

Undergraduate | Undergraduate and Graduate | Graduate

MCB 208. Talking about Science

Jeff Lichtman and Michael E. Greenberg (Medical School)

Teaches advanced students how to give a good research talk while exposing them to seminal scientific discoveries. Emphasis will be on speaking style, lecture organization, and use of video projection tools.

MCB 210. Interesting Questions in Modern Biology

Nancy Kleckner

Progress in scientific discovery is often due to the application of imagination and the associated ability to frame the right question. Correspondingly, we will unite faculty and graduate students in the search for interesting questions in the biological sciences.

MCB 268. Molecular Immunology: Seminar

Jack L. Strominger

One session each week is a lecture on the topics. At the second session, four papers are read from the current literature; each presented by a student in 20-30 minutes.

BPH 205. Introduction to Cancer Biology

Zhi-Min Yuan (Public Health), Karl Kelsey (Public Health, Medical School), and Dieter Wolf (Public Health)

Emphasizes current experimental approaches to studying cancer biology and the process of carcinogenesis.Topics include the biology of cell modification and differentiation, the phenotype of the cancer cell, properties of human and animal cancers, the process of cell transformation, mutagenesis, carcinogen metabolism, and cancer epidemiology.

BPH 210. Pathophysiology of Human Disease

Lester Kobzik (Public Health)

Surveys major human disease problems in the cardiovascular, respiratory, hematopoietic, reproductive and gastrointestinal systems. Emphasis on understanding the pathophysiologic basis of common disease manifestations and the pathogenesis of the disease process.

BPH 213. Cell Response to Mutagens and Carcinogens

Bruce F. Demple (Public Health)

A seminar course based on emerging research on the molecular effects of mutagenic, carcinogenic, and cytotoxic agents. Particular focus on the cellular mechanisms that preserve biological integrity (e.g., cell cycle checkpoints; DNA repair) or mediate cellular responses to stress (e.g., redox signal transduction; apoptosis pathways). Involves analysis and critical discussion of research papers. Written assignments in developing relevant research projects (mini-grant proposals).

Biophysics 205. Computational and Functional Genomics

Frederick P. Roth (Medical School), Martha L. Bulyk (Medical School), and Shamil R. Sunyaev (Medical School)

Experimental functional genomics, computational prediction of gene function, and properties and models of complex biological systems. The course will primarily involve critical reading and discussion rather then lectures.

Biostatistics 280. Introduction to Computational Molecular Biology

Xiaole Shirley Liu (Public Health)

Graduate entry level course to basic problems, algorithms, and data analysis methods in computational biology. Sequence alignment, gene finding and annotation, microarray analysis, gene regulatory network, RNA/protein structure prediction, proteomics and pharmacogenetics.

Chemistry 285. Human Disease: Molecular Etiology and Mechanistic Pharmacology

Gregory L. Verdine

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.

Government 2090. Ethics and Biotechnology

Michael J. Sandel

The seminar explores the moral and political implications of recent advances in biotechnology. Topics include cloning, stem cell research, genetic engineering, eugenics, and patenting of life forms.

BCMP 207. Molecular Approaches to Drug Action, Discovery, and Design

Donald M. Coen (Medical School), David E. Golan (Medical School), James M. Hogle (Medical School), Randy King (Medical School), Steven E. Shoelson (Medical School), Christopher T. Walsh (Medical School), and associates.

Explores how molecular biology, structural biology, and modern enzymology revolutionized understanding of drug action and development of new therapies. Analyzes molecular underpinnings of basic pharmacological principles. Examples drawn from molecular pathways with application to diseases, including, cancer, diabetes, and AIDS.

BCMP 230. Principles and Practice of Drug Development

Robert H. Rubin (Medical School)

Critical assessment of the major issues and stages of developing a pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical. Drug discovery, preclinical development, clinical investigation, manufacturing and regulatory issues considered for small and large molecules. Economic considerations of the drug development process.

Genetics 206. Genetic and Functional Genomic Dissection of Development

Marc Vidal (Medical School), Norbert Perrimon (Medical School), and Gary B. Ruvkun (Medical School)

Discuss classic examples of genetic analysis, as well as functional genomic and proteomic strategies in the context of developmental studies in yeast, Drosophila, and C. elegans.

Cell Biology 207. Developmental Biology: Molecular Mechanisms of Vertebrate Development

Andrew B. Lassar (Medical School), Iain A. Drummond (Medical School), John G. Flanagan (Medical School), Thomas M. Schultheiss (Medical School), Clifford J. Tabin (Medical School), Amy Jo Wagers (Medical School), and Malcolm Whitman (Medical School)

Analyzes the developmental programs of frog, chick, zebrafish, and mouse embryos, emphasizing experimental strategies for understanding the responsible molecular mechanisms that pattern the vertebrate embryo. Principal focus is the establishment of the body plan and the formation of selected organs.

Cell Biology 211a. Biology of the Cancer Cell

James A. DeCaprio (Medical School) and Myles A. Brown (Medical School)

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 target based therapies.

Cell Biology 211b. Growth Factors and Signal Transduction

Charles D. Stiles (Medical School), Alan D. DÍAndrea (Medical School), and Thomas M. Roberts (Medical School)

History, chemistry and biology of growth factors, receptors and downstream signaling pathways. Using receptor tyrosine kinases and their ligands, the course covers other signaling agents and pathways including nitric oxide, Notch/Delta, Wnt and Sonic hedgehog.

Cell Biology 214. Developmental Biology and Genetics

David L. Van Vactor (Medical School), Spyros Artavanis-Tsakonas (Medical School), Jarema Malicki (Medical School), and Jeffrey E. Settleman (Medical School)

The course will explore genetic tools for the analysis of developmental phenomena in flies, worms, and mice. We cover a continuum from pattern formation, cell growth, and cell fate to cell differentiation and morphogenesis.

Neurobiology 207. Developmental Neurobiology

Qiufu Ma (Medical School), Dietmar Schmucker (Medical School), and Rosalind A. Segal (Medical School)

Development of the nervous system. Topics include delineation of neural vs. non-neural tissues; axial and segmental patterning; cell lineage; specification of neuronal identity; axonal outgrowth and guidance; synapse formation and regression; hormonal influences on nervous system development.

Neurobiology 209. Neurobiology of Disease

Edward A. Kravitz (Medical School), Robert H. Brown (Medical School), and Walter J. Koroshetz (Medical School)

Monday sessions involve patient presentations and ñcoreî lectures describing clinical progression, pathology, and basic science underlying a major disease or disorder. Wednesdays, students present material from original literature sources, and there is general discussion.