Biological Sciences 321TD - Parasitology & Trop. Diseases

Neglected tropical diseases are a set of infectious diseases arising from a diverse group of parasites that affect an estimated 1.4 billion people worldwide. These diseases affect the world's most vulnerable populations, almost exclusively poor and powerless people living in rural areas and urban slums of low-income countries. In this course, we will cover the diversity of parasitic organisms, the historical significance of parasitic diseases, and the often-complicated relationships involving parasites. We will also discuss the economic and social impacts of parasitic diseases, as well as reinforcing our understanding of vector biology as key to disease control. This class will also make extensive use of discussions and engagement with the primary literature.

Prereq: BIOL-230 (or BIOL-210 and BIOL-220).