Faculty of Arts & Sciences

What are the fundamental features of living systems? What are the molecules imparting them and how do their chemical properties explain their biological roles? The answers form a basis for understanding the molecules of life, the cell, diseases, and medicines. In contrast with traditional presentations of relevant scientific disciplines in separate courses, we take an integrated approach, presenting chemistry, molecular biology, biochemistry, and cell biology framed within central problems such as the biology of HIV and cancer.

How are observable characteristics of organisms influenced by genetics? How do genomes change over time to produce the differences we see among species? This course takes an integrated approach, showing how genetics and evolution are intimately related, together explaining the patterns of genetic variation we see in nature, and how genomics can be used to analyze variation. In covering Mendelian genetics, quantitative genetics, and population genetics, this course will emphasize developments involving our own species.

Why is the human body the way that it is? This course explores human anatomy and physiology from an integrated framework, combining functional, comparative, and evolutionary perspectives on how organisms work. Major topics, which follow a life-course framework, include embryogenesis, metabolism and energetics, growth and development, movement and locomotion, food and digestion, stress and disease, and reproduction. Also considered is the relevance of human biology to contemporary issues in human health and biology.

Explores the moral, political, and scientific implications of new developments in biotechnology. Does science give us the power to alter human nature? If so, how should we exercise this power? The course examines the science and ethics of stem cell research, human cloning, sex selection, genetic engineering, eugenics, genetic discrimination, and human-animal hybrids. Readings will be drawn from literature in the areas of biology, philosophy, and public policy.

A laboratory course that immerses students in a dynamic project-based research environment. Participate in experimental projects directly linked with ongoing faculty research. Students select a project from the following research tracks: neurobiology, microbial sciences, cell biology, and synthetic biology. New projects, including some in other research fields, are offered every term. In a highly collaborative atmosphere, students form a fully-functional and diverse research group based on the sharing of ideas and progress reports between projects. New projects every term. Students collaborate to form a fully-functional and diverse research group based on the sharing of ideas and progress reports between projects. The spring microbiology project is part of the "genomes to Biomes" series.

The multidisciplinary application of epidemiology, molecular biology and genetics, pathogenesis, drug discovery, immunology and vaccine development, and economic analysis to understanding and combating major threats to human health in developing countries. Emphasis will be on critical readings and scientific writing. Grades will be based on papers in which students will propose the application of multidisciplinary approaches to global health threats not covered in lecture.

Graduate students who take this class will help to shape the structure of a course to be offered the following year and will be encouraged to serve as its teaching fellows. That course is a year-long integrated double course that will introduce a group of motivated freshman to the concepts that they will need to do interdisciplinary scientific research. Problems in the life sciences will be used to illustrate and integrate critical concepts from mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science, and biology.