NS 248 is an introduction to the principles and practice of epidemiology and the use of data in program planning and policy development. The course covers the major concepts usually found in a graduate-level introductory course in epidemiology: outbreak investigations, study design, measures of effect, internal and external validity, reliability, and causal inference. Assigned readings are drawn from a standard textbook and the primary literature.

The function of the brain can hardly be examined without considering the influence of the endocrine system. The social, nutritional and sensory environment of an organism can dramatically affect the expression of specific hormones. Those hormones, in turn, can determine the development, degree of plasticity and output of the nervous system. Thus, the behavior an organism can have is sometimes determined by the endocrine constraints on the nervous system.

This introductory course will explore the process of doing scientific research in a molecular biology lab. Students will learn numerous techniques in the lab, including DNA isolation, PCR, gel electrophoresis, restriction enzyme mapping, cloning, and basic microscopy. Additionally, we will investigate the historical and conceptual aspects of these approaches. Students will engage in semester-long research projects in which they design and carryout experiments, collect and analyze data, and report their conclusions in written and oral formats.

Plants productivity underlies most of life on Earth. In this three-part course, we will explore the role of plants in addressing some challenging problems, such as climate change, hunger, toxic environment, and social disintegration. First we will survey the use of plants in sustainable solutions. Then we will discover the structure and function of plants, the basis for growth, and the diversity of the plant kingdom. Finally students will design a botanical solution, one that is socially just, economically feasible, and ecologically sound.

With humans as our primary model system, we will cover cellular and general tissue physiology and the endocrine, nervous, cardiovascular, digestive, respiratory, and renal organ systems. Primary emphasis is on functional processes in these systems and on cellular and molecular mechanisms common across systems. Students will engage in class problems, lectures, and reading of secondary science literature. Basic knowledge of and comfort with biology, chemistry, and math is necessary.

Motivated by geometric symmetries found in nature, such as rotational symmetry of snowflakes and bilateral symmetry of some animals, this course will introduce the mathematical foundations of the branch of mathematics known as group theory. Group theory, among other things, allows us to describe symmetries of an object in terms of operations, such as rotations, which leave the object unchanged. The course is divided into three parts. In the first part we introduce the basic definition of a group by considering symmetries observed in nature.

This course is an introduction to the structure, properties, reactivity, and spectroscopy of organic molecules, as well as their significance in our daily lives. We will first lay down the groundwork for the course, covering bonding, physical properties of organic compounds, stereochemistry, and kinetics and thermodynamics of organic reactions. We will then move on to the reactions of alkanes, alkyl halides, alcohols and ethers, alkenes, and alkynes, emphasizing the molecular mechanisms that allow us to predict and understand chemical behavior.

Physics II is a calculus-based physics course that covers thermodynamics, statistical mechanics and electromagnetism at a basic level. Project-like labs look at the thermodynamics of Nitinol, building circuits with operational amplifiers and measuring environmental electric fields.

This is a continuation of Chemistry I: the principles and concepts examined during the previous term will be expanded and applied to more sophisticated systems. Topics will include chemical thermodynamics, nuclear chemistry, chemical equilibrium, acid-base equilibria and their applications, complex ion equilibria, solubility, oxidation-reduction reactions, electrochemistry, and reaction rates. We will also emphasize application of those chemical principles to environmental, biological, industrial and day-to-day real-life situations. Problem sets will be assigned throughout the semester.

This course explores the complex and often controversial role of food in health promotion and disease prevention. The primary goals of the course are to learn to think critically about dietary research and to be more discerning about epidemiologic research in general. Readings will be drawn from the primary and secondary scientific literature as well as the popular media. Dietary exposures will range from the micro to the macro and will include specific nutrients, foods, dietary patterns, public health programs, public policies and agricultural practices.