TOXI 601 and 602 Advanced Toxicology I and II (3 credits each)
A two-semester course that includes lectures and discussions covering basic principles of toxicology and mechanisms by which chemicals cause diseases and environmental damage. Topics include target organ toxicity, major classes of toxic agents, and mechanisms of cell injury and cell death. Offered in sequence in fall and spring semesters.
TOXI 607 Forensic Toxicology (3 credits)
Lectures include discussion of principles underlying forensic and clinical toxicology, mechanism of action of drugs and other poisons, methods of detection and quantitation of drugs and poisons in tissues and body fluids, and interpretation of analytical procedures for the detection and estimation of drugs and chemicals in biological samples. Offered fall semester in even-numbered years.
TOXI 608 Research in Toxicology (2-4 credits)
Designed for students without previous research experience, this course provides training in how to design and conduct research studies, beginning with a two week classroom based introduction to hypothesis driven research and experimental approaches used in mechanistic studies in toxicology. For the remainder of the semester, each student will work individually with a faculty mentor to develop and complete a small lab-based or epidemiology research project. A written report will be generated and results of the project presented at the end of the semester seminar.
TOXI 609 Methods in Toxicology (1-3 credits)
Permission and credit arranged individually. Students become familiar with laboratory methods used by faculty members to study the effect of toxins and environmental pollutants on living systems. May be taken for credit more than once. Offered spring semester.
TOXI 611 Exposure, Risk and Public Health (2 credits)
This course focuses on the challenges in determining human health risks related to complex environmental problems. Beginning with a discussion of the principles of chemical risk assessment, this course examines how risk analysis is used in the development and implementation of regulatory policies to protect public health. Lectures will address how to evaluate strengths and weaknesses of the risk assessment process, with an emphasis on characterizing exposure, and evaluating toxicological data within the public health context. Case studies will be used to demonstrate different approaches to these problems.
GPIL616 Molecular Mechanisms of Signal Transduction (3 credits)
This is a lecture and discussion course that meets twice weekly and focuses on the molecular mechanisms of action of hormones, growth factors, cytokines, extracellular matrix components, and other signaling molecules on target cells. Offered in the Fall of every year.
TOXI 618 Seminar in Toxicology (1credit)
Students, guests, and faculty members review and discuss original research and recent advances in toxicology.
TOXI 621 Risk Assessment and Management in a Regulatory Context (3)
This course is designed to teach students the basic principles that apply to risk assessment of the environmental and human health effects of hazardous chemicals. The course features both lectures and case studies to introduce students to environmental regulations that impact the use, environmental release and clean up of chemical contaminants. Student will learn how to evaluate relationships between exposure to chemicals and health outcomes and how regulations are developed to protect human health. Crosslisted: ELS Risk Assessment and Management in a Regulatory Context (School of Law)
TOXI 622: Critical Issues in Law and Science (3)
This course is designed to teach students about how lawyers, managers and scientists make decisions about controlling the human health effects of environmental pollution. What roles do each of these players have in this process and when are decisions based on science versus policy? Through lectures, class discussions and role play scenarios, students will be taught to understand the underlying assumptions used in making regulatory decisions and will wrestle with difficult issues such as: When should the Precautionary Principle be applied? How well do we handle data gaps? Should human testing be allowed? Is our legal system utilizing science in an appropriate manner? Crosslisted: ELS Critical Issues in Law and Science (School of Law)
GPLS 623 Molecular Toxicology (3 credits)
This course will focus on areas of toxicology in which significant advances are being made in molecular mechanisms. Emergent technologies in toxicogenomics, proteomics and metabonomics will be introduced. Emphasis will be placed on enhancing skills in interpreting and critiquing the primary research literature. The course is intended for students in their third semester of graduate studies who have completed introductory coursework in toxicology and/or pharmacology. Grading is based on student presentations and a term paper.
TOXI 625 Principles of Aquatic Toxicology (3 credits)
This course is designed to provide students with a broad perspective on the subject of aquatic toxicology. It will be a comprehensive course in which a definitive description of basic concepts and principles, laboratory testing and field situations, as well as examples of typical data and their interpretation and use by industry and water resource managers, will be discussed. The toxicological action and fate of environmental pollutants will be examined in aquatic ecosystems, whole organisms and at the cellular, biochemical and molecular levels. Attention will be given to the impact of specific chemical pollutants (e.g. trace metals, nutrients, pesticides, PCB’s and PAH’s). The field of biomonitoring, including the detailed description of a range of commonly employed biomarkers, will be discussed. Classes will consist of lectures by the instructor together with some guest speakers in addition to group discussions. Crosslisted: MEES 743 Aquatic Toxicology
GPLS 790 Advanced Cancer Biology (3 credits)
This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of cancer from diagnosis to treatment as well as the latest research discoveries. The course begins with the biology of cancer cells, the stages of cancer and types of tumors and ends with topics related to animal models for studying cancer. Lectures will include tumor supressors, oncogenes, signal transduction, disruption of growth control networks, DNA damage, oncopharmacology, drug design, robotics, and common forms of cancer. Offered in the Spring Semester.