Mechanisms of Disease is a 3 credit-hour course for students in the health sciences and others interested in understanding basic disease mechanisms and their impact on normal function. The course will start with the basic pathophysiologic processes that underlie human disease: inflammation, cell injury, cell death, repair, immunity and neoplasia. It will then continue with specific disease mechanisms or processes in the cardiovascular, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, neurologic, endocrine, and genitourinary/renal systems. Topics will be presented through lectures and reading assignments.

This course will consider the chemical constituents of plants (with emphasis on biologically or nutritionally significant compounds unique to plants), their biosynthesis, contributions to key metabolic and defense processes and the regulation of their synthesis. Included will be discussions of photosynthesis, carbohydrates, lipids, isoprenoids, phenylpropanoids, nitrogen fixation, nitrogen and sulfur reduction and assimilation, alkaloids and additional secondary compound, frontiers in plant biochemistry.

This course will consider the chemical constituents of plants (with emphasis on biologically or nutritionally significant compounds unique to plants), their biosynthesis, contributions to key metabolic and defense processes and the regulation of their synthesis. Included will be discussions of photosynthesis, carbohydrates, lipids, isoprenoids, phenylpropanoids, nitrogen fixation, nitrogen and sulfur reduction and assimilation, alkaloids and additional secondary compound, frontiers in plant biochemistry.

A weekly seminar, required of all students majoring in biochemistry, devoted to discussions of areas not covered in other courses and to recent developments in the field. May be repeated once for a maximum of four credits.

To be useful, scientific research needs to be explained clearly to others--to colleagues, to administrators, to foundations and governmental bodies, and to the public. This course will give students the tools to effectively present their data, their ideas, and themselves to the scientific community. Through a series of directed exercises the students will learn how to write an abstract, a scientific paper, and a grant, and to prepare a poster and to give an oral presentation. The class will draw examples, topics, and exercises from current literature.

May be repeated to a maximum of six semesters.

Residency credit for preparing and taking the qualifying examination. Students may register for one semester of this course in anticipation of completing the qualifying examination during the semester. The course is not repeatable and is not required.

Residency credit for dissertation research after the qualifying examination. Students may register for this course in the semester of the qualifying examination. A minimum of two semesters are required as well as continuous enrollment (Fall and Spring) until the dissertation is completed and defended.

A lecture and seminar course offered on topics of special interest to graduate students. May be repeated to a maximum of six credits.