An introduction to the rapidly emerging field of evolutionary
medicine. The aim is to better understand the evolutionary nature
of human health and disease. The course will apply central
concepts from evolutionary biology (such as life history theory,
coevolution, genomic conflict, constraints, and trade-offs) to
problems in medicine and public health, including antibiotic
resistance, aging, cancer, autoimmune disease, and pathogen
virulence.
Athena Title
Evolutionary Medicine
Prerequisite
(BIOL 1108 and BIOL 1108L) or (BIOL 2108H and BIOL 2108L)
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
Students will learn how to use evolutionary principles to identify why we are vulnerable to common diseases.
Students will learn how to evaluate the consequences of pathogen evolution for disease outcomes, treatment, and control.
Students will learn how to apply evolutionary principles for novel treatments of cancer and infectious diseases.
Students will learn how to evaluate data (graphical and tabular information) in order to formulate hypotheses about mechanisms underlying disease.
Students will learn how to apply scientific thinking to assess evidence for different hypothesis regarding specific conditions, such as the menopause or aging.
Students will learn how to create testable hypotheses to assess the impacts of evolutionary history in chronic diseases and reproductive health.
Topical Outline
Why we get sick?
Human evolution and host defense
Genetics of susceptibility and personalized medicine
Aging
Reproduction
Cancer and chemotherapy
Autoimmunity
Microbiomes
Circadian rhythms
Pathogen virulence
Emerging pathogens
Vaccines and evolution
Drugs and evolution
Evolution-proof control
Institutional Competencies
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
Critical Thinking
The ability to pursue and comprehensively evaluate information before accepting or establishing a conclusion, decision, or action.
