A comparative and evolutionary perspective on the origins and
pathogenesis of disease. Topics include: Darwinian medicine,
pathology, natural selection and infectious disease, evolution
of host defenses, evolutionary models of cancer, selective
breeding and disease susceptibility, and relationships between
diet and toxins. Diseases of both man and animals will be
studied.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students: In addition to taking the course exams, graduate students will
be required to write a review of a scientific paper using
guidelines outlined in the syllabus.
Athena Title
ORIGINS OF DISEASE
Undergraduate Prerequisite
BIOL 1108-1108L or permission of department
Graduate Prerequisite
Permission of department
Undergraduate Pre or Corequisite
GENE(BIOL) 3200 or permission of department
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
Students will discuss the evolutionary origins of disease susceptibility in man and animals i.e.: why we get sick and why there are both similarities and differences between human and animal diseases
Students will use knowledge of the evolutionary origins of disease susceptibilities to find and interrogate information about diseases including:
a. Why diseases occurred when and where they did?
b. What factors determined the impacts of diseases?
c. Make predictions about the future impacts of diseases
Topical Outline
1) Introduction to Darwinian medicine
a. Historical perspective
b. Definition
c. Natural selection in disease
d. Importance
e. Veterinary perspective
2) Tools
a. Pathology
b. Genome sequences
c. Fossil genes
d. Epigenomics
3) Infectious disease:
a. Natural selection and pathogens
b. Effects of transmission on virulence
c. Why do new pathogens emerge?
4) Host defenses: the immune system
a. Non-specific (innate)
b. Specific (adaptive)
c. Viruses: The Rosetta stones of the immune system
d. Infectious tumors
5) Cancer: Problems in proliferation
a. Evolutionary models of cancer
b. Implications for treatment
6) Toxic diseases: A tale of plants and drugs
a. Evolution of enzyme systems
b. Drug metabolism
c. Impact on animal models
7) Domestic animals: Survival of the sickest?
a. Intensity of selection
b. Dogs: The downside of breeding for size and speed
8) Mad cow disease: The cost of long term memory?
a. History of prion diseases
b. Structure of memory
9) The pitfalls of looking backwards: How to ask the right
questions
a. Studying disease in an evolutionary context
b. Generating testable hypotheses
Institutional Competencies Learning Outcomes
Critical Thinking
The ability to pursue and comprehensively evaluate information before accepting or establishing a conclusion, decision, or action.
