2013-2014 Course Selection Book - SUNY Upstate Medical University

will be presented as lectures and in discussion ofprimary research articles.Textbook(s): Principles of Virology: Molecular Biology,Pathogenesis, and Control. 3rd Ed.,S.J. Flint, et al, 2008,ASM Press.Location:Room 3109 Weiskotten HallINTRODUCTION TO IMMUNOLOGY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M6282 Credit HoursCoordinator(s):Dr. Steve Taffetand Microbiology & Immunology FacultyPrerequisite(s): Course work in Biochemistryand Molecular BiologyPeriod offered:First half of spring semesterCourse Description: This course is intended to bean introductory course in immunology for graduatestudents. The course goal is to develop a generalunderstanding of immunology including bothadaptive and innate immunity. Sixteen lectures willpresent basic concepts in immunology. In additionthere will be fourteen sessions in which a journalarticle will be discussed which relates to the topic ofthe preceding lecture.Grades: Eighty percent of the grade will bedetermined by the average score of three examsand twenty percent of grade will be determined byclass participation in discussion of journal articles.Textbook(s): Immunobiology, Vol 7 by CharlesA. Janeway, Paul Travers, Mark Walport, and MarkShlomchikLocation:Room 3113 Weiskotten HallRESEARCH IN MICROBIOLOGYVariable CreditM700Coordinator(s):Dr. Jennifer Moffat,Microbiology & Immunology Staff& Adjunct FacultyPrerequisite(s):NonePeriod Offered:Fall/SpringCourse Description: Original research inmicrobiology for the master’s thesis or doctoraldissertation.Textbook(s):NoneM.D. and Ph.D. CoursesRESEARCH DESIGN FOR PHYSICIAN-SCIENTISTS MDPH 6013 Credit HoursCoordinator(s):Dr. Steven YoungentobPrerequisite:MD/PhD students in MSII yearPeriod offered:FallCourse description: This course promotes thedevelopment of critical scientific writing importantto the students’ future career as physician-scientists.The student will gain experience in grantsmanshipby writing and presenting an original hypothesisbasedresearch proposal. Students will learn theessential features of scientific writing, with theemphasis on developing skills necessary for craftingan effective grant proposal. In the first part of thecourse the essentials of clear, unambiguous scientificwriting will be highlighted through examples andwritten exercises. The elements of good and badscientific writing will be discussed and compared.In the second part of the course the importantfeatures of writing a grant proposal will be reviewed.Students will write a grant proposal in their area ofinterest, with help from the Instructors and theirthesis advisors [if chosen]. Attention to incorporatingthe aspects of clinical training and the translationalaspects of the research proposal will be emphasized.Proposals will follow the typical NIH proposal formatfor MD/PhD pre-doctoral fellowships. Students willread and review each other’s proposals, thus gainingexperience in the art of reviewing.Scheduling: The first month of the course willinitially consist of three 90-minute sessions of theentire class. Subsequent meetings will be on anindividual basis (by arrangement) for approximately1 hour every 2 weeks.Course objectives:(1) develop a cogent, hypothesis-based researchproposal that constitutes a “first draft” fortheir thesis work as well as a proposal to besubmitted for extramural funding.(2) give a clear, compelling oral presentation of theproposal and defend it.Grading: The course will use a satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading format. Grades will be basedon effort and improvement on the exercises andassignments.22