Biomedical Sciences

Biomedical pharmacology presents an overview of the basic concepts and principles of pharmacology. Students explore mechanisms of drug action, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, pharmacogenomics, and toxicology.  Additional classroom sessions highlight the basic and clinical pharmacology of agents that exert effects on a variety of physiologic systems including the heart and vasculature, the neuromuscular junction, and the autonomic and central nervous systems. Students will be required to complete a drug capstone project demonstrating their ability to work on a team, appropriately review and synthesize recent medical literature, and deliver an oral presentation. Successful completion of this course will prepare students for doctoral level study of pharmacology. 

This course introduces students to fundamental concepts of research design in health and disease.  Principles of evidence-based medicine are discussed as they relate to key areas of disease prevention, health promotion and therapy. Community-based issues, problems, and solutions are addressed.  Students who compete the course will be able to understand and apply basic statistical terms and applications as well as various research design models that appear in current medical literature.  Students will learn to assess the quality of medical literature research designs, create a research poster, write a mock grant application and teach peers using team-based approaches and clinical trial studies.  Students will also learn to describe the relationship between the medical literature and evidence-based medicine and interact with industry SME's.

The Medical Humanities course examines the relationships between the humanities and biomedical sciences. Topics vary by year and include, but are not limited to, communication, implicit bias mitigation, human subject research history and ethics, professional identity formation, illness narratives. This course is grounded in a variety of literary and textual sources and involves small and large group discussions, collaboration, written analyses, service-learning, and critical reflection, all of which are intended to foster self-examination and compassionate behavior. 

The goal of this course is to provide MSBS students the opportunity to evaluate and investigate evidence through critically reading, interpreting and presenting research from the primary literature.   This course helps students stay abreast of current knowledge in various fields and develop skills in critical analysis of research in the biomedical sciences. Topics will include advances across biomedical and clinical research. Emphasis is placed on developing skills in critical review, presentation and teaching skills, and in communicating scientific studies in a seminar format.   

This course is designed to introduce students to the foundational skills necessary to be a successful graduate student. This course will focus on a variety of techniques to increase student confidence and develop graduate level study skills, and professionalism. It will cover principles of learning strategies, problem solving, note-taking, test-taking, critical listening and thinking, self-assessment, goal setting, and time management.  

This course is the first semester of a two-semester course that incorporates a multi-disciplinary approach to investigate fundamental biomedical concepts. The objective of the course is to promote student learning of the biochemical, molecular, and cellular mechanisms underlying normal physiology and metabolism, thus providing a foundation for understanding disease processes. The course provides a foundation in cellular and molecular biology, including cell structure, cellular macromolecules, DNA and RNA structure and function, protein synthesis, genetics and regulation of gene expression, flow of genetic information, energetics, metabolism, and the regulation of selected cell activities.

This course is the second of a two-semester course that incorporates a case- based approach to investigative fundamental biomedical concepts. The objective of the course is to promote student learning of the biochemical, molecular, and cellular mechanisms underlying normal physiology and metabolism, thus providing a foundation for understanding disease processes. The course provides a foundation in cellular and molecular biology, including cell structure, cellular macromolecules, DNA and RNA structure and function, protein synthesis, and regulation of gene expression, energetics, metabolism, regulation, organization and function of cellular organelles, flow of genetic information, and the regulation of selected cell activities. 

This introductory course introduces students to the scientific method, the distinct value of primary and secondary information sources, and important concepts such as incidence, prevalence, probability reasoning, and statistical inference. Students will be challenged to interpret data, evaluate research findings, and draw evidence-based conclusions. Through collaborative, team­based learning, students will explore social determinants of health, revealing the profound impact of social factors on individual and community health. Recognizing the multifaceted nature of healthcare, the course encourages students to consider diverse perspectives, including patient experiences, cultural contexts, and ethical implications.

This course is the first of two one-semester courses which together provide a complete, systems-based curriculum to enable the student to build a cognitive framework and knowledge base necessary to understand and medically apply normal human physiology and pathophysiology. Systems covered in the first semester include cellular physiology, homeostatic mechanisms, basic neuromuscular physiology, cardiovascular physiology, respiratory physiology, and renal physiology. Basic clinical skills, clinical reasoning, and physical exam skills are integrated throughout. This curriculum combines lecture with small group discussions, clinical correlations, case studies, independent study, projects, and simulation activities.  

This course is the second of two one-semester courses which together provide a complete, systems-based curriculum to enable the student to build a cognitive framework and knowledge base necessary to understand and medically apply normal human physiology to pathophysiology. Systems covered include the gastrointestinal system, endocrine system, reproductive system, neurophysiology, biomedical ethics, and other advanced topics. Basic clinical skills and clinical reasoning are integrated throughout. This curriculum combines lecture with clinical correlations, case studies, independent study, projects, simulation activities, and a cumulative capstone.

This is the first of a two-semester course encompassing all aspects of human functional anatomy and clinical gross anatomy. This course will focus on the gross anatomy of all systems in the human body. In addition, imaging techniques such as x-ray radiography, CT scans, and MRI emphasizing structural relationships will introduce students to a clinical perspective of the structure of the human body. Course objectives include the acquisition of anatomical structural knowledge, the development of oral presentation and written communication skills, as well as the development of critical assessment of biomedical literature. Students will experience hands on learning with cadavers dissection. Learning is facilitated through lecture, team problem based learning, and clinical case presentations.

This is the second of a two-semester course encompassing all aspects of human functional anatomy and clinical gross anatomy. This course will focus on the gross anatomy of all systems in the human body. In addition, imaging techniques such as x-ray radiography, CT scans, and MRI emphasizing structural relationships will introduce students to a clinical perspective of the structure of the human body. Course objectives include the acquisition of anatomical structural knowledge, the development of oral presentation and written communication skills, as well as the development of critical assessment of biomedical literature. Students will experience hands on learning with cadaver dissection. Learning is facilitated through lecture, team problem based learning, and clinical case presentations. 

This course introduces graduate students to fundamental principles of microbiology including microbial structure/diversity, microbial metabolism and pathogenicity, and classes and actions of antimicrobial drugs. This overview includes discussions of the interaction between pathogen and host during the infectious process and adaptations by the pathogens to overcome or evade the immune system and cause human disease. Representative microorganisms belonging to each class of pathogen (bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic) are discussed. Other topics will include emerging diseases, public health epidemiology, vaccines, antimicrobial resistance, and eradication of disease. A combination of methods will be used to deliver material including, but not limited to, didactic lectures, small group work, and case studies/applications. 

Healthcare Ethics provides students the opportunity to strongly discuss and apply ethical principles to medical practice, healthcare policy, and biomedical research. This course is discussion-focused, with pre-reading and videos to help orient students on the topic at hand. In-class questions and cases will open up dialogue between fellow MSBS students as well as the with course instructors. At the end of this course, students should understand ethical policies, principles, and topics related to the Medical Humanities course, in order for students to better apply ethical dimensions to medical cases.

This course is designed to introduce students to the foundational knowledge necessary to understand the normal and abnormal functions of the immune system. Immunological principles involving innate and adaptive immunity, host responses to pathogens, blood groups, immunopathology, immunodeficiencies, autoimmunity, vaccines, transplantation, classes and actions of immunologically active drugs, and targeted immunotherapies will be discussed. Didactic lectures, small group discussions, clinical case studies, designated reading assignments, flipped classroom and application sessions will be utilized in this course. In addition, there will be an interdisciplinary component to this course in the form of service learning and critical reflection.