Advanced Biomedicine, 30 Credits

Contents

The course integrates the four biomedical research Infection and Immunology, metabolic and metabolic diseases, cancer, and Neuroscience and diseases of the nervous system. With the help of specific examples the principles and mechanisms that regulate normal cell and organ functions, and molecular processes that lead to dysfunction and disease are illustrated.

The course also includes items as literature searches, ethical aspects of research and scientific work, epidemiology and biostatistics and bioinformatics.

The course is divided into the following sections:
Infection and Immunology, incl. Information Retrieval: 7 credits
Cancer incl. Bioinformatics, 7 credits
Metabolic Diseases, 7 credits
Neuroscience, incl. Mini Symposium, 7 credits
Epidemiology and Biostatistics, 2 credits
 

Expected learning outcomes

After the course the student will:

•  have an understanding of basic mechanisms in cells and organs and point out how changes at the molecular level may affect these mechanisms and thus lead to various diseases.
•  understand and discuss the importance of molecular changes in symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of various diseases.
• demonstrate skills in the areas of information retrieval and bioinformatics.
• have developed a scientific approach with an understanding of the responsibility for their own learning.

After “Infection and Immunology”, the student should be able to

• give a general description of the body's responses during infection and inflammation.
• give examples of different infection strategies and reflect on its relationship to immune effector functions.
• explain the relationship between infections and sequelae / other diseases

After “Metabolic Diseases”, the student should be able to

• describe how the body adapts to the metabolic situations meal, fasting and exercise and for how adaptation is regulated at the molecular level
• describe how fat is transported in the bloodstream and blood fat relation to atherosclerosis
• give examples of monogenic metabolic diseases and to discuss and draw conclusions about the metabolic changes that are caused by various diseases
• explain the concept of insulin resistance and its metabolic consequences including the importance of so-called metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes
• discuss the different dietary regimes in relation to obesity and diabetes

After “Cancer and bioinformatics”, the student should be able to

• identify and relate the central cell biological concepts that lead to cancer.
• explain cellular processes that are different between a normal cell and a tumor cell.
• outline the diagnostic criteria at a few common tumor diseases.
• identify and explain structural mechanisms between a proto-oncogene and an oncogene.
• compare the methods of how current and future cancer patients treated

After “Neuroscience” students should be able

• give an overview of the molecular and cellular principles that are important for nervous system function.
• exemplify how the nervous system processes, converts and stores information.
• integrate and synthesize theories of causal mechanisms for a range of neurodevelopmental disorders

After “Epidemiology and Biostatistics” students must

• understand and apply epidemiological design that is ecological design, cross-sectional, case-control and cohort study
• interpret and calculate measures of disease occurrence (prevalence, incidence and cumulative incidence)
• interpret and calculate comparative measures of disease occurrence (risk, RATE-, and the odds ratio; attribute risk and etiologic fraction)
• analyze "bias" and "confounding" in an epidemiological study
• be familiar with how epidemiological analyzes applied, for example concerning cancer and infectious diseases.
• plan and conduct an experimental study, especially factorial experiments and trials based on repeated measurements.
• analyze factorial experiments with continuous outcomes with one-way and multi-way analysis of variance.
• be familiar with methods to analyze factorial experiments where the outcome might be "counts" or binary.
• analyze experiments with repeated measurements on the outcome variable such as Growth experiments

Required Knowledge

180 ECTS including at least 120 ECTS in any of the main field of studies Biomedicine, Medicine, Odontology, Molecular Biology, Biomedical Laboratory Science or corresponding. At least 30 ECTS from completed courses in Chemistry; documented practical experience of laboratory work comprising a minimum of 30 ECTS. Proficiency in English equivalent to Swedish upper secondary course English B/6.
 

Form of instruction

Teaching is by lectures and student active forms of case / PBL work, individual work and group work. Attendance is mandatory at all teaching moments except lectures. The course module Biostatistics includes a number of labs where survey planning, implementation of study, analysis by computer work and appropriate software and reporting  are trained.
 

Examination modes

The examination is a written exam on the theory modules. Examination may be continuous during the course and / or at the end of the course. The student is judged in three-grade scale, with Distinction, Pass or Fail. Course / course modules are examined at an ordinary exam or/and at a re-exam within three months after the regular exam. In case of failure at the re-exam the student can get a new exam at the next time the course /course module is given. A student who has failed an examination is entitled to retake the examination at most five times to pass. After four failed examinations the student is offered to retake the course. Students who after joining the course and the regular examination and at one further opportunity still did not pass the course must interrupt their studies. Student who has failed two exams are entitled on written request to the program board for biomedicine to have another examiner appointed, unless there are specific reasons against it. In case of absence from compulsory parts of the course the examiner decides on whether student must complete the module at a later date or a written complement can replace the missed module.

To achieve a grade of "Pass", the student must leave the individual written assignments within the specified time. The work has to conform to the prescribed limits. Furthermore, active participation in presentations and discussions is required. With active participation it is meant that students contribute with their own posts, reflections and questions, as well as the student tries to answer the questions asked to the student or the group.

For a grade of "Distinction" the student has to fulfill the requirements for approval in addition to be able to use topic-specific terminology and be able to justify their contributions,
On the entire course the three-step rating scale (VG); Pass (G) or Fail (U) is employed. To pass the course, all compulsory elements have to be approved and the score in all module examinations must be at least 60%. For a grade of "Distinction" for the entire course, all compulsory modules have to be approved and to score at least three out of four module examinations exceed 80%.

Exceptions to the 60% (80%) limit can be done if there are exceptional reasons.
 

Other regulations

The course is compulsory course for Master's Degree in Biomedical program.