Syllabus database for doctoral courses
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Syllabus database for doctoral courses
SYLLABI FOR DOCTORAL COURSES
| Swedish title | Epigenetik och dess kliniska användning |
|---|---|
| English title | Epigenetics and its applications in clinical research |
| Course number | 2601 |
| Credits | 1.5 |
| Responsible KI department | Institutionen för klinisk neurovetenskap |
| Specific entry requirements | - |
| Grading | Passed /Not passed |
| Established by | The Board of Doctoral Education |
| Established | 2016-09-06 |
| Purpose of the course | The purpose of the course is to give doctoral students a basic understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms and their role in the etiology of common complex diseases. Through examples of cutting edge technologies and their applications in studying complex diseases such as cancer and chronic inflammation, students will be encouraged to think about translation of epigenetic principles and approaches into novel clinical applications. The course will also help students to practice key academic skills such as asking questions, forming hypothesis and designing experiments, and conducting assessment and providing constructive feedback. |
| Intended learning outcomes | After this course the student should be able to: (i) describe the basic epigenetic mechanisms (DNA methylation, histone modification and non-coding RNAs) and explain how they regulate gene expression, (ii) evaluate selected methodology used in epigenetic research, compare methods and discuss their advantages and limitations, (iii) evaluate and interpret new findings and recent scientific papers in the field, (iv) speculate on epigenetic mechanisms underlying health and disease, and (v) hypothesize on applications of epigenetic research in prediction, prevention and therapy of common diseases. |
| Contents of the course | First part of the course includes overview of basic epigenetic mechanisms (DNA methylation, histone modification, non-coding RNAs and chromatin organization). The course also covers the main methodology used to study epigenetics (such as methods used to detect and quantify DNA methylation, chromatin immunoprecipitation, next generation sequencing and bioinformatics tools, chromosome confirmation capture etc). Second part of the course focuses on key epigenetic mechanisms in cell development, differentiation and disease (cancer, inflammation, metabolic disorders etc). Current applications of epigenetic research in common diseases, and future perspectives will also be discussed. |
| Teaching and learning activities | The course combines traditional lectures, given by internal and international experts in the field, with individual assignments performed by the students. Extra time for students' discussions with international speakers will be allocated. The individual assignments will consist of designing a research study that concerns epigenetic mechanisms in disease or application of epigenetics in clinical research. The students will also participate in evaluating assignments performed by their peers. |
| Compulsory elements | All lectures, individual assignments and evaluations are compulsory. Compensation for absence (in a form of an essay) can be discussed with the course directors. |
| Examination | Examination will be based on a successful completion of the individual assignment and the assessment of assignments performed by peers, which will be done in pairs. The individual assignments will consist of designing a research study that will represent a follow-up of the findings from a high-impact scientific publication concerning epigenetic mechanisms in common diseases. The assignment entails forming a follow-up hypothesis, gathering and connecting relevant information, designing informative experiments, planning the project and presenting it in a written form. The students will also evaluate, give feedback and grade the assignment of one of their peers. |
| Literature and other teaching material | Course literature will consist of lecture handouts, current scientific papers and reviews handed out during the course. We also recommend the following books (not compulsory): Epigenetics, David C. Allis, 2007 (ISBN: 9780879697242); Epigenetics in Human Disease, Trygve Tollefsbol, 2012 (ISBN: 9780123884152). | Course responsible |
Maja Jagodic Institutionen för klinisk neurovetenskap +46851776258 +46739801889 Maja.Jagodic@ki.se Neuroimmunology Unit, CMM, L8:04 17176 Stockholm |
| Contact person |
Andreas Lennartsson Institutionen för biovetenskaper och näringslära 08-524 811 54 andreas.lennartsson@ki.se |
