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Explore the genetic foundations of human disease!
Instructor:
Course Description
In this course, you will learn more about how DNA can influence traits - including ones that can lead to serious health issues. From sickle cell anemia to schizophrenia, we’ll study how human diseases can be caused by variation in our genetic makeup and how our genes and our environment can interact to influence our traits. In this course, we’ll discuss what we do and don’t know about the relationship between genetics and disease and think about the possibilities of personalized medicine, with treatments tailored to your specific genetic profile. We’ll also cover the social and ethical implications of genetic research and talk about the risks and benefits of genetic testing and genomics.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
Tangible Outcomes
Students will conduct a final presentation on a disease of their choice in a themed symposium at the end of the course.
Hands-on Activities
Guest Speakers
Guest speakers from past iterations of this course have included: Prof Charleston Chiang, Associate Professor of Population and Public Health Sciences and Quantitative and Computational Biology, Keck School of Medicine at USC
Information is subject to change as instructors finalize course content and syllabi.
Zofia Gajdos, PhD
Zofia Gajdos has served as the Director of Online Education at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth since 2023, where she manages Thayer's online Master of Engineering in Computer Engineering, along with other online course offerings. Prior to joining Dartmouth, she worked with faculty to develop online courses across a variety of STEM fields at Harvard's Office of the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning. In addition to her work in online education, Dr. Gajdos has also developed and taught a number of in-person biology courses, including introductory molecular and cellular biology, genetics, human physiology, and human disease genetics, at a variety of institutions. She has a PhD in Genetics from Harvard, where she studied the genetics of asthma and of the timing of puberty, and an SB in Biology from MIT.
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Course Syllabus
To view a sample syllabus, please contact your program specialist, or reach us at info@summerdiscovery.com or call +1 (516) 447-4907.
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Admissions Criteria
An interest in medicine and genetics is the key to success in this program! Additionally, your application criteria include:
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Who should attend this course?
Aspiring scientists, this is a start to your successful academic and professional career. This course will introduce you to fundamentals that will advance your understanding of this field and help you determine whether a professional track biology or genetics research, medicine, or science policy is right for you.
Benefits of Attending this Course
In addition to a university-level course experience, students will leave this course and the Dartmouth Summer Scholars program with portfolio-building documentation in recognition of their summer achievements, including:
Summer Discovery Certificate of Completion
After successfully finishing this course, you will be awarded a certification completion for your accomplishment.
*This is a preview, not what you will receive