Students are required to the following full-semester courses—
University Program in Genetics 778 (Genetic Approaches to the Solutions of Biological Problems)- fall of first and second years (note- this is a modular course with 6 modules per year. 1/3 of these modules can be substituted with modules from CMB710)
University Program in Genetics 700 (Critical skills in scientific presentation)
University Program in Genetics 701 (Literature-based genetics and genomic journal club class)- fall of first year
University Program in Genetics 702 (Writing Grant Proposals)-fall of second year
University Program in Genetics 716 (student seminar class)- fall and spring of first and second years
University Program in Genetics 750 (Tuesday series seminar)- fall and spring of first and second years
6-8 credits of additional courses
Classical and molecular genetic approaches to understanding eukaryotic cell function using unicellular organisms such as yeasts. Experimental approaches as well as illustrative studies of secretion, cell cycle, signal transduction, and cytoskeleton. Discussion of current literature and student presentations.
Cross-Listed As: MGM 522
Typically Offered: Spring Only
Topics include segregation, genetic linkage, population genetics, multifactorial inheritance, biochemical genetics, cytogenetics, somatic cell genetics, neurogenetics, cancer genetics, clinical genetics, positional cloning, complex disease. Lectures plus weekly discussion of assigned papers from the research literature. Prerequisites: University Program in Genetics 778 or equivalent, and graduate status or consent of instructor.
Cross-Listed As: MGM 532
Typically Offered: Spring Only
This class is aimed at biologists who want to gain an appreciation of how mathematical approaches can supplement experimental approaches. We will teach you how to convert cartoon diagrams to differential equations, and re-familiarize you with some basic concepts from math and physics that help us develop a better intuition of how the world works. Then we will discuss how quantitative approaches can yield insights into how control systems behave. The class will use calculus at an elementary level and an occasional computer simulation, but we will focus more on concepts and applications.
Cross-Listed As: CMB 640
Typically Offered: Spring Only
Principles of modern structural biology. Protein-nucleic acid recognition, enzymatic reactions, viruses, immunoglobulins, signal transduction, and structure-based drug design described in terms of the atomic properties of biological macromolecules. Discussion of methods of structure determination with particular emphasis on macromolecular X-ray crystallography NMR methods, homology modeling, and bioinformatics. Students use molecular graphics tutorials and Internet databases to view and analyze structures. Prerequisites: organic chemistry and introductory biochemistry.
Cross-Listed As: BIOCHEM 658, CBB 658, CELLBIO 658, CMB 658, SBB 658
Typically Offered: Occasionally
Continuation of Biochemistry 658. Structure/function analysis of proteins as enzymes, multiple ligand binding, protein folding and stability, allostery, protein-protein interactions. Prerequisites: Biochemistry 658, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, and introductory biochemistry.
Cross-Listed As: BIOCHEM 659, CBB 659, CELLBIO 659, SBB 659
Typically Offered; Fall Only
Survey of theoretical and empirical aspects of modern population genetics in the post-coalescence era. Coincident with the development of coalescence theory, evolutionary biology began a profound and pervasive transformation. This course presents the basics of coalescence theory. It builds upon this perspective to address an array of summary statistics and inference methods developed for the analysis of genomic data.
Curriculum Codes: NS
Cross-Listed As: BIOLOGY 660
Typically Offered: Fall Only
Explores various aspects of RNA biology and function. Topics will include splicing, translation, RNA: Protein interactions, non-coding RNAs, RNA modifications, viral RNA regulation, RNA structure-function relationships, and RNA-targeted drug discovery. Students will also learn about the major techniques used in RNA research, including in vitro and in vivo methods for understanding global RNA regulation. The format will be a combination of weekly lectures which will also include discussion of primary literature. Students will be evaluated based on their participation and performance during in-class presentations. Students will also write a short mock research grant on a topic of their choosing.
Cross-Listed As: BIOCHEM 668, CELLBIO 668
Typically Offered: Fall Only
This is a required course for first year UPGEN program students (and is limited to only those students). In this course, students will focus on communicating science effectively to their peers. This course has a large peer to peer interaction component. Grading is based on class participation and a final "exam" which consists of an oral presentation. This course also has a career development component, consisting of a panel discussion with senior students in the UPGEN program on choosing a thesis lab, an overview of the preliminary exam process, and a panel discussion with UPGEN program alumni who have chosen diverse career paths.
Offered in the Spring
Course open only to first year UPGG graduate class. Weekly discussion of current literature in genetics (Fall semester) and genomics (Spring semester). Permission of instructor required.
Enroll Consent: Instructor Consent Required
Typically Offered: Fall and/or Spring
Introduction to grant and fellowship writing; writing assignment of two proposal topics; evaluation and critique of proposal by fellow students. Instructor consent required.
Enroll Consent: Instructor Consent Required
Cross-Listed As: MGM 702
Typically Offered: Occasionally
Weekly lecture presentation on choosing a thesis advisor, the grant proposal and scientific manuscript peer review processes, and other topics related to succeeding in graduate school. Instructor: Noor
Cross-Listed As: BIOLOGY 701, EVANTH 705
Weekly lecture presentation on preparing academic job applications, alternative careers in the biological sciences and other topics related to succeeding beyond graduate school. Instructor: Noor
Cross-Listed As: BIOLOGY 702, EVANTH 706
UPGEN 716 is the UPGG student seminar course. Every other Friday two UPGG students present their current research in the form of 30 min seminars. All second year students are required to present and the remaining presentation slots are filled with senior UPGG students. While attendance is mandatory for first and second year UPGG students, more senior students and participating UPGG faculty are also encouraged to attend the presentations. This is an excellent forum for students to hone their presentation skills and hear about the latest research from their peers.
Presentations by genetics program students on their current research. Required course for all graduate students specializing in genetics. Credit grading only.
Typically Offered: Fall and/or Spring
Topics include genetic mechanisms of disease (rare and common genetic risk variants, multi-factorial inheritance, epigenetics, cytogenetics), as well as disease-specific examples including neurogenetics, cancer genetics, pharmacogenetics, complex diseases and gene therapy. Lectures plus weekly discussion of assigned papers from the research literature. Prerequisite: University Program in Genetics 778 (or any individual University Program in Genetics 778A-F module) or completion of the first-year Medical Scientist Training Program (MTSP) curriculum, or consent of instructor.
Prerequisites
Prerequisite: University Program in Genetics 778 (or any individual University Program in Genetics 778A-F module) or completion of the first-year Medical Scientist Training Program (MTSP) curriculum, or consent of instructor
Cross-Listed As: MGM 732
Typically Offered: Spring Only
Lectures, discussion sections, and seminars on selected topics of current interest in genetics. Required of all students specializing in genetics. Prerequisite: a course in genetics.
Typically Offered: Fall and/or Spring
One of six mini-courses offered sequentially during the fall semester and together cover 24 topics. These courses are part of the core offerings of the University Program in Genetics and Genomics and allow maximum flexibility for a student-designed curriculum. Multiple topics are available during each mini-course and students choose one. The topics address everything from fundamentals of genetics to modern molecular genetic and genomic strategies for the analysis of a variety of biological systems.
Typically Offered: Fall Only
One of six mini-courses offered sequentially during the fall semester and together cover 24 topics. These courses are part of the core offerings of the University Program in Genetics and Genomics and allow maximum flexibility for a student-designed curriculum. Multiple topics are available during each mini-course and students choose one. The topics address everything from fundamentals of genetics to modern molecular genetic and genomic strategies for the analysis of a variety of biological systems.
Typically Offered: Fall Only
One of six mini-courses offered sequentially during the fall semester and together cover 24 topics. These courses are part of the core offerings of the University Program in Genetics and Genomics and allow maximum flexibility for a student-designed curriculum. Multiple topics are available during each mini-course and students choose one. The topics address everything from fundamentals of genetics to modern molecular genetic and genomic strategies for the analysis of a variety of biological systems.
Typically Offered: Fall Only
One of six mini-courses offered sequentially during the fall semester and together cover 24 topics. These courses are part of the core offerings of the University Program in Genetics and Genomics and allow maximum flexibility for a student-designed curriculum. Multiple topics are available during each mini-course and students choose one. The topics address everything from fundamentals of genetics to modern molecular genetic and genomic strategies for the analysis of a variety of biological systems.
Typically Offered: Fall Only
One of six mini-courses offered sequentially during the fall semester and together cover 24 topics. These courses are part of the core offerings of the University Program in Genetics and Genomics and allow maximum flexibility for a student-designed curriculum. Multiple topics are available during each mini-course and students choose one. The topics address everything from fundamentals of genetics to modern molecular genetic and genomic strategies for the analysis of a variety of biological systems.
Typically Offered: Fall Only
One of six mini-courses offered sequentially during the fall semester and together cover 24 topics. These courses are part of the core offerings of the University Program in Genetics and Genomics and allow maximum flexibility for a student-designed curriculum. Multiple topics are available during each mini-course and students choose one. The topics address everything from fundamentals of genetics to modern molecular genetic and genomic strategies for the analysis of a variety of biological systems.
Typically Offered: Fall Only