Graduate Courses
Fall Semester
CANB 8340: Introduction to Cancer Biology
Course Director- Fiona Yull
Credit hours- 2
Day(s) & Time: Mon. 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Location- PRB 749
Prerequisite- IGP core course or consent of instructor.
This course is focused on molecular and cell biological under-pinning’s of cell migration, with emphasis on cancer motility, invasion and metastasis. It is an in-depth analysis of three to four research areas in molecular and cell biology. It is intended for graduate students with a strong foundation in experimental biology. Students in interdisciplinary fields such as engineering and mathematics are welcome (and encouraged) to take the course if they already have some background biological knowledge, however it is encouraged to discuss enrollment with the instructor first. This course will add options for graduate students interested in cancer metastasis and related biological processes (leukocyte motility, bone and tissue remodeling, embryonic development, etc.) taught by experts in each sub-discipline through lectures and discussions of papers from the current literature. This is a didactic lecture series in which general concepts in Cancer Biology will be reviewed. Topics range from molecular biology of cancer (oncogene and tumor suppressors) to novel concepts such as cancer stem cells and therapeutic approaches.
CANB 8342: Advanced Concepts in Cancer Biology
Course Director- Barbara Fingleton
Credit hours- 4
Day(s) & Time: Wed. & Fri., 10:00 am – 11:55am
Location- PRB 749
Prerequisite- Must be a Cancer Biology graduate student or have consent of instructor.
Advanced concepts in Cancer Biology will be reviewed in depth using a combination of lectures and student-led discussion sessions based on current literature. This course is offered only in tandem with the Introduction to Cancer Biology course to be taken concurrently.
Spring Semester
CANB 8344: Cancer Immunotherapy
Course Director- Sebastian Joyce
Credit hours- 2
Day(s) & Time: TBD Location-TBD
The extraordinary rise of Cancer Immunotherapy is used as a platform to examine the past, current and future implications of this rapidly growing discipline. The team taught course combines didactic lecture with key literature assignments aimed at providing not only an understanding of the current immunotherapy landscape, but also an important sense of perspective. The first half of the course covers basic concepts in adaptive and innate immunology, and cancer, needed to read and understand the literature. The second half is based on recent landmark literature in “Cancer Immunotherapy”. Instructor presentations aimed at addressing overarching concepts will be coordinated with student-presentations of key papers. Joyce, Johnson, Wilson. [2]
CANB 8351: Teaching Assistantship in Cancer Biology Curriculum.
Course Director- Barbara Fingleton
Credit hours- 1
Day(s) & Time: TBD Location-TBD
Prerequisites: CANB 8340 and CANB 8342, Ph.D. candidacy.
Enrollees in the course will act as teaching assistants for one of the Cancer Biology courses (8340 or 8342 in Fall; 8347 or 8384 in spring) with a maximum of 16 hours class contact time. All enrollees will also be required to participate in a monthly journal club for that semester devoted to teaching methods in STEM subjects; and to work with course directors on evaluations. Prerequisites: CANB 8340 and CANB 8342, Ph.D. candidacy.
CANB 8384: Cancer Precision Medicine
Course Director- Kimberly B. Dahlman
Credit hours- 2
Day(s) & Time: TBD Location-TBD
Prerequisite- CANB 8340
This course will provide a unique experience in oncology where medical and graduate students work together to explore the molecular drivers of cancer and how that information is translated into targeted cancer therapies. Students will learn the risk factors for and signaling pathways that are often deregulated in cancer through seminars and literature review sessions. This information will be used as a platform to describe how molecular changes are detected in the laboratory and leveraged in the clinic for personalized patient care. Students will examine the multidisciplinary teams necessary in the care of cancer patients through participation in tumor board meetings, clinical experiences, and roundtable discussions. Furthermore, cancer screening, imaging, pre-clinical drug discovery, the advantages and barriers of clinical trials, and socioeconomic disparities will be presented in this course. Although this course will focus on melanoma, breast cancer, and lung cancer, students will demonstrate an ability to apply their knowledge of tumor diagnosis and targeted inhibition to other tumor types through a group project.
CANB 8999:Research prior to entry into candidacy (completion of qualifying examination) and for special non-degree students. [Variable credit: 0-12]
CANB 9999: Ph.D. Dissertation Research.
SUMMER Semester
CANB 8326: Cancer Biology Grant Writing
Course Directors- Rachelle Johnson, Ann Richmond
Credit hours- 1 (P/F, no didactic credit)
Day(s) & Time: TBD
Location- TBD
Cancer Biology Grant Writing. This self-guided course provides applied training in grant writing for students in their first year in the Cancer Biology program, second overall year in graduate school. Students will write an NRSA proposal and are assigned two faculty reviewers and peer reviewers who will provide feedback in at least three meetings. Input from the mentor is essential but needs to be limited to verbal discussions with the student. The proposal will be written and submitted to the reviewers in stages, with three required face-to-face meetings. Passing of the course depends on the final quality of the proposal, the ability of the student to incorporate suggestions and to respond to criticism, and the adherence to deadlines laid out by the course director at the beginning of the course. Course Directors: Rachelle Johnson, Ph.D., and Ann Richmond, Ph.D. SUMMER. [1]