Faculty of Arts & Sciences

Fundamental concepts in developmental biology will be presented within the framework of the developing and regenerating mammal. Where possible, lectures will focus on humans.

The sequencing of the human genome has ushered in a new era of scientific investigation. In parallel, advances in molecular biology have made it possible to explore the processes underlying normal development and disease pathogenesis. We will apply principles and techniques of molecular biology - ranging from DNA structure to the Central Dogma, from PCR to cutting-edge genome-editing technology - to understand how genetics and genomics inform gene regulation and cell identity and, ultimately, the human condition.

This course provides an introduction to the principles of biochemistry in the context of human physiology and disease. We will investigate biochemical pathways governing the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, fatty acids and lipids, and nucleic acids. Additionally, we will address basic enzymology, bioenergetics, energy storage and release, and hormonal regulation of metabolism. Special emphasis will be given to the impact of biochemical pathways on disease as well as the development of new therapies.

This course provides an introduction to the principles of biochemistry in the context of human physiology and disease. We will investigate biochemical pathways governing the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, fatty acids and lipids, and nucleic acids. Additionally, we will address basic enzymology, bioenergetics, energy storage and release, and hormonal regulation of metabolism. Special emphasis will be given to the impact of biochemical pathways on disease as well as the development of new therapies.

Laboratory research in topics related to the Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology Concentration under the direction of, or approved by, members of the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Principal Faculty of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, or others with permission. A paper must be submitted to the laboratory sponsor and to the HDRB Concentration Office for review by the Course Director and Head Tutors.

For honors candidates writing a thesis in Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology.

This course will introduce students to classic experiments in developmental biology. We will explore the historical background, experimental design, and results of a handful of experiments that have defined the field of developmental biology and changed our understanding of the discipline. Students will read primary literature and, in turn, present the conclusions in written and oral formats.

This course will focus on the biology of organismal cloning, cellular reprogramming, and developmental plasticity. The roll that stem cells play in these processes and the genetic and molecular circuitry that underlie developmental potency and reprogramming will be discussed.

Medicines and other therapeutics have revolutionized the treatment of many diseases. Few of us pause to consider how these products are developed from an initial discovery in the lab to the treatment of patients. This course will consider this journey by incorporating scientific, biotechnology, intellectual property, venture capital, and business perspectives. In addition to lectures, students will work on group projects to chart a strategy toward bringing a novel biomedical idea to the clinic.

This course will focus on the biology of organ growth and regeneration from a developmental perspective. How is the size and symmetry of our organs set? How does a regenerating animal sense that something is missing and eventually stop the regenerative process when tissues reform? We will learn about conserved developmental pathways that are necessary for adult regeneration and discuss how the aberrant activation of these pathways can lead to overgrowth disorders such as cancer.

The sequencing of the human genome has revealed the full extent of genetic variation that exists within us as a species. This genetic diversity underlies much of our physical variation as well as our differences in responsiveness to disease stimuli and their treatments. We will explore these and other ramifications of human genetic diversity by applying classical and contemporary genetic tools to the identification of specific genes and pathways that functionally underlie our variable biology.

This course is a hands-on introduction to computational analysis of RNA sequencing data as a measure of genome-wide transcription. We will cover methods spanning the spectrum of RNA-Seq analysis: starting from raw sequencing reads, obtaining gene expression measures, and interpreting biological significance by differential expression analyses, clustering, and visualization. Coursework will consist of programming assignments in Pythonexploring real datasets. The course will emphasize skills applicable to independent biological research.

Cloning of Dolly the sheep suggests that all of our cells have exactly the same genes as a fertilized egg. If this is true, then how is it that each of our cells reads out those genes differently? This course will explain the developmental events that regulate the expression of genes, as well as how this developmental expression is established and maintained.

How does every cell use the same genome template to create a myriad of cellular functions? This course will introduce the basic principles behind genome regulation, ranging from classic studies to next generation approaches and technologies. A particular emphasis will be placed on the roles of epigenetic mechanisms and ncRNA in establishing cell fate. Collectively, students will gain a proficiency in understanding the key principles and questions faced in the post genomic era.

This course will introduce classic experiments and examples of functional RNA genes that comprise the ever-emerging RNA world. We will explore diverse classes of RNA genes and their biochemical mechanisms that have defined field, including overviews of relevant technologies leading to these principal findings. Lecture topics will be followed by students reading and presenting related primary literature. Collectively this course will provide an opportunity to explore the wide spectrum of cellular processes involving RNA molecules.

This advanced laboratory course will apply experimental approaches and surgical techniques to illustrate critical developmental events during mouse embryogenesis. Particular emphasis will be placed on experiments covering the following topics: fertilization and pre-implantation embryology; reprogramming of adult somatic cells into embryonic stem cells; early organ development; and surgical manipulation of late stage mouse embryos in utero.

This laboratory course will allow advanced undergraduate students to explore classical and modern experimental models of regeneration, and through experimentation, understand the important concepts and key challenges of the regenerative biology field. We will focus in particular on the regeneration of complex tissues and entire organ systems using both invertebrate and vertebrate models, including the planarian worm, the salamander, and the mouse.

This practical laboratory course will investigate the fundamental biology of human embryonic stem cells and their remarkable capacity to differentiate into all cells of the body. The underlying developmental pathways that guide embryonic stem cell development into these differentiated cell types will be explored. A chemical biology approach will also be used to probe properties of normal and disease model cells derived from embryonic stem cells.

Stem cells are the basis for tissue maintenance and repair, thus, are essential elements of normal organ and tissue physiology. Stem cells are also targets for disease processes and through transplantation are important therapeutic agents. This course will allow advanced undergraduates to explore how stem cells and tissue regeneration impact human disease pathogenesis and how stem cells might be exploited to advance new therapies for disease.

We will trace the influence of particular philosophical arguments concerning science that have developed over the last 500 years with the evolution of Scientific Method in biology, showing how changes in philosophy wrought changes in methodology. The course will include readings from philosophers, statisticians and working scientists, and select experiments from the time period 1600-2015.

We will explore the biochemistry, cell biology, and physiology that make glucose our main source of energy. How did humans depend on and crave this molecule? What consequences does it hold for normal metabolism and disease? Students will integrate evolution, endocrinology, biostatistics, bioengineering, and regenerative biology approaches in considering sugar and all its consequences. Finally, we will evaluate legal and business issues necessary to move scientific and technical innovations from the laboratory to the patient.

One session each week is a lecture on current topics in immunology. At the second session, three papers are read from the current literature on that topic (including topics in hematopoietic stem cells, immune cell differentiation, autoimmunity, HIV, cancer, and transplantation), each presented by a student in 30-45 minutes. Course work: reading of papers, seminar presentations, and class participation.

This course will discuss cellular and molecular mechanisms of regeneration and repair in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). We will: compare and contrast aspects of neural development with adult neural plasticity; discuss limitations to neuronal regeneration in the mature mammalian CNS following degeneration or injury; examine CNS regeneration approaches directed at overcoming intrinsic limitations; and explore developmental controls and gene manipulation to promote neurogenesis, axonal regeneration, and directed differentiation in the diseased adult brain.

This course will address both the molecular basis of human disease, and the biological and chemical foundation of therapeutic intervention. The course will include lectures by prominent experts, and analysis of the primary literature.

Human beings experience a sense of self that provides a stable foundation from which to understand personal experience, consciously formulate goals, and initiate actions. The view that people act in accordance with freely formed intensions underlies important concepts of moral agency and culpability, yet evidence from neuroscience questions this assumption. This course will examine competing views of human agency grounded in concrete scientific examples to encourage reflection on the implications for identity and moral agency.

This lecture and discussion course will explore the fundamental molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern organismal aging and contemporary strategies to delay or reverse this process.

This interdisciplinary course will examine the process of drug discovery and development through disease-driven examples. Topics include: the efficacy/toxicity balance, the differences between drugs and inhibitors, and the translation of cellular biochemistry to useful medicine.

This survey course provides contemporary approaches to the study of stem cell and regenerative biology.

Critical assessment of the major issues and stages of developing a pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical. Drug discovery, preclinical development, clinical investigation, manufacturing and regulatory issues considered for small and large molecules. Economic considerations of the drug development process.

This survey course provides contemporary approaches to the study of stem cell and regenerative biology.