UC Cross Enroll Course Highlight: PHYSCI 121
By Adriana Conte
Dec. 8, 2021 11:59 a.m.
The study of disease development and its underlying mechanisms have become an increasingly important aspect of scientific research. As scientists and medical professionals continue to explore the disease-causing effects of mutations, finding avenues for proper therapeutic intervention is critical to the future of disease treatment. UC Online is excited to promote “Disease Mechanisms and Therapies,” a fully remote course taught through UC Los Angeles that explores the therapies aimed at individual stages of the disease and the complex molecular and cellular mechanisms behind them. Drawing from concepts from genetics, molecular and cell biology, physiology, and biochemistry, this course will require critical and expert-like thinking skills to facilitate higher-order knowledge of basic scientific concepts surrounding disease mechanisms.
Disease Mechanisms and Therapies is an online course that conveys the human aspect of disease through films, poems, readings, and panel discussions. Lectures are based on experiments from primary scientific literature, which are subsequently used to guide students’ understanding of genetic and phenotypic animal models of muscular dystrophy, design experiments, and predict outcomes from research data. By the end of this course, students will be able to critically evaluate scientific research, interpret and evaluate data from diagnostic tests, and appreciate the complex social effects of life-threatening illnesses on families and communities. They will develop an understanding of personalized medicine and will be able to apply that knowledge to other diseases and evaluate proposed therapeutic approaches to disease. For students interested in pursuing a professional degree in medicine, nursing, pharmacology, physical therapy, patent/medicinal law, or research, this course provides a perfect comprehensive foundation needed to advance students’ professional skills.
PHYSI 121 is designed for junior and senior Biochemistry and life sciences majors who have completed the enforced prerequisites of Life Sciences 2-4 or 7A-C, and Chemistry 153A. This course fulfills the Diversity Requirement at UCLA and counts towards an upper-division elective required for all life sciences and biochemistry majors. It is advised that students check their respective institutions to see what this course satisfies within their university. Evaluation and grades will be based on weekly participation, weekly discussion sections and homework, two projects, a midterm, and a final. Video lectures are online and can be viewed any time, however, there is a weekly synchronous online discussion section in which attendance and participation are highly encouraged to get the most out of this course. The midterm and the final will be
proctored online. Please refer to the class syllabus for further information about course expectations, learning objectives, and grading.
All class assignments are designed to expand upon course materials and bring undergraduates into the real world of scientific research, therapy design, and clinical application. Upon successful completion of this course, students will understand therapeutic approaches to disease and how learning takeaways from one disease can be applied to others. For all those looking to enter an MS or Ph.D. professional program, this course is for you!
For more information about this class and other classes UC students can add to their study lists, visit UC Online’s website.
