Course Descriptions - Fall 2003

G16. 1999 - Scientific Methods: Survival Techniques for Young Investigators in Biomedical Research

This course is required of all first year Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. students on a non-credit basis. In four sessions, four topics are covered that a graduate student must master in order to survive and to excel in doing research.
This year we have arranged for Dr. Sun to give these four lectures in a one-day Workshop on September 5 (Friday). These lectures will cover the following topics: experimental design; literature analysis; scientific writing; oral presentation.
Course Director: Tung-Tien Sun (212-263-5685) sunt01@popmail.med.nyu.edu
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G16.2001 - Foundations of Cell and Molecular Biology I

This course, offered by the Cell and Molecular Biology Training Program, provides a broad overview of nucleic acid and protein metabolism and function. The fall semester begins with five weeks of Basic Molecular Biology, covering protein and nucleic acid structure, and fundamental aspects of gene expression. This initial section features intensive lectures, and weekly discussion groups. This segment of the course is followed by nine weeks of Selected Topics in Molecular Biology. The latter segment covers prokaryotic and eukaryotic transcription, chromatin structure and gene silencing, telomeres, DNA replication and recombination, protein translation, and RNA splicing and processing. Selected Topics includes two lectures and a discussion section per week. Particularly in the Selected Topics portion of the course, the reading of primary research articles is heavily emphasized. The course has a total of three in-class exams.
6 credits
Course Director: James Borowiec (212-263-8453) - borowj01@popmail.med.nyu.edu
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G16.2004 – Principles of Structural Biology

The goal of this course is to teach students what can be learned about biological processes from studying the structures of proteins and nucleic acids and the modes of interaction that underlie protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid recognition. Two 1.5 hr lectures and one 1.5 hr discussion session per week. Classes will be held in the Skirball 2nd floor conference room. Recommended text: “Introduction to Protein Structure” by Branden and Tooze. The book will be available at the NYU Medical Bookstore (~Sept. 15th) and in the library.
4 credits
Course Director: Steve Hubbard – (212) 263-8938 - hubbard@saturn.med.nyu.edu
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G16.2005/2608 Introduction to Cellular Neuroscience

Introduction to the anatomy, cell biology, molecular structure, and physiology of neurons and glial cells. The course is structured to equip students with skills necessary to read contemporary neuroscience literature, as well as to provide a grounding in the fundamental concepts of cellular neurobiology. Emphasis is placed on basic cellular and molecular mechanisms used by neurons to receive, integrate and transmit information. Subjects covered include the structural anatomy and electrophysiological properties of neurons and glia, synaptic transmission and integration, biochemistry, physiology of neurotransmitters, and regulation of neuronal function by gene expression.
6 credits for G16.2005 and 3 credits for G16.2608
Course Directors:
Stewart Bloomfield (212) 263-5770 - stewart.bloomfield@med.nyu.edu
Esther Gardner (212) 263-5412 - gardne01@popmail.med.nyu.edu
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G16.2010 Molecular Parasitology

The course will provide an in-depth analysis of cellular, immunological and molecular mechanisms in parasite biology and parasite-host interactions. Topics will include mechanisms of host cell invasion, host innate and adaptative immune response, parasite genome structure and expression, antigenic variability, immune evasion and vector-parasite interactions. The course will cover a variety of parasites and their insect vectors. Protozoan (Plasmodium, Leishmania, Trypanosoma, Toxoplasma, Entamoeba) and metazoan (Oncocherca, Schistosoma, Trichinella) parasites which cause disease in humans will be studied.

Each topic will be covered in a three part fashion: 1) previous reading and discussion of assigned articles with a NYU faculty member that will provide a brief introduction of each parasite and will lead the discussion. This will help students understand and participate in the following lecture, 2) a general review lecture by an expert on the topic followed by lunch with the students, and 3) a formal research seminar by the same lecturer. Speakers will include faculty from other universities and some NYU School of Medicine faculty. Students are expected to participate actively in the discussion of the assigned research articles. Some weeks the lecture will be provided by an NYU faculty member and the research seminar by an invited speaker. This course is required for parasitology students.

Offered in the fall of odd number years.
4 credits
Course directors:
Gerald Spaeth (212-263 6763) - spaetg01@popmail.med.nyu.edu
Ana Rodriguez (212-263-6589) - rodria02@popmail.med.nyu.edu
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G16.2110 Advanced Readings in CMB

A tutorial in Advanced Cell and Molecular Biology will be offered in the fall semester. The tutorial will be open to a limited number of first year students with an interest in these fields. Students will form tutorials either singly or in pairs to meet with their tutor. There will be no required final exam as the organization of the tutorial will be according to each tutor.
3 credits
Course Director: Daniel Rifkin (212) 263-5234- rifkid01@popmail.med.nyu.edu
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G16.2213 Genetics

Transmission genetics in diploid organisms. Principles and methods of genetic analysis in diploid organisms, including Drosophila, worms, zebrafish, plants, mice and humans, will be emphasized. Classes include lectures, problem solving and discussion of primary literature. Topics include: linkage, gene interactions, mapping, mutagenesis, clonal analysis, sex determination, transgenic studies, use of mosaics, imprinting and methods of study in human genetics.
6 credits
Course director: Hannah Klein (212) 263-5778- kleinh01@popmail.med.nyu.edu
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G16.2308 Advanced Immunology

The course will run on Thursdays, from 12:00 noon to 1 PM and continue from 2 to 4 PM, between Sept 25th and Dec 18th, except November 6th (no class). Every Thursday at noon we will have a seminar in the Skirball third floor seminar room (possible exception of October 30th, which may have a different location). Before the seminar, all students should read carefully the two-three "papers of the week," which will be sent by e-mail a week in advance. Every Thursday at 2 PM students and faculty member(s) will meet in the Skirball second floor conference room and the students will present the papers. The papers will be discussed for their significance (questions addressed and their relevance), techniques utilized, analysis of data and perspectives. Basically, the students are expected to know the papers before the discussion starts. All students will take turns and will be called to present aspects of the papers. Unless there is confusion among students, the faculty members will try not to cut the students' discussion, and will let the students come to an agreement. During the discussion, the students will have access to the papers and any other material that they wish (i.e. other papers which contain nice schemes that could be drawn for classmates, textbooks). The grades will depend upon 1) class participation (discussion of the weekly papers); 2) a short (4-6 page typed) paper to be delivered to Dr. Lafaille by January 10th, 2004. Seminar attendance is mandatory.
4 credits
Course Director: Jaun Lafaille (212) 263-1489- lafaille@saturn.med.nyu.edu

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G16.2401 Principles in Pharmacology

This course is a combination of lectures, workshops and seminars. The lectures and workshops are part of the Medical Pharmacology course for medical students. Topics include: pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, drug metabolism, drug receptors and log dose response curves and autonomics.
The seminars, for graduate students only, are designed to illustrate how the general principles of pharmacology apply to clinically important areas. Example, since the function of the cardiovascular system is dependent on the autonomic system and a number of cardiovascular diseases are responsive to autonomic drugs, it will be possible to provide an in-depth understanding of the mechanism of action of autonomic drugs. Topics covered are: cardiovascular pharmacology, endocrine pharmacology and oncologic pharmacology. Each seminar will last 1 and a half hours. Instructors/Times/Locations will be announced later in the semester.
3 credits
Course Directors:
Arnold Stern (212) 263-7118 - sterna01@popmail.med.nyu.edu
(Medical School portion)
Jan Sap (212) 263-7120 - sapj01@popmail.med.nyu.edu
(Graduate school portion)
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G16.2406 - Molecular Pharmacology of Receptors

This course gives an overview of the principles in pharmacology, modern approaches to studying pharmacology and molecular aspects of receptors and signal transduction. The course is divided into three parts. The first part, introduction to molecular pharmacology, will focus on some of the basic concepts in signaling and drug-receptor interactions. The second part, modern approaches to pharmacological research, will emphasize methods such as crystallography, mass spectrometry, and genetic studies with Drosophila and C. elegans as pharmacological tools. The third part, applications of pharmacology research, will focus on the structure and function of tyrosine kinase receptors, receptor phosphatases, G protein receptors, insulin receptors, steroid/thyroid hormone nuclear receptor gene family, glycoproteins and proteoglycans of the nervous system , recycling and internalization of receptors, exocytosis and receptors for neurotransmitters, and proteolytic processing of receptors and ligands. Classes include lectures as well as weekly discussions on selected papers.
3 credits
Course Director: Efrat Levy (levye01@med.nyu.edu)
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G16.2610 Developmental Genetics I

This course is an introduction into Developmental Genetics. Fundamental questions, concepts and methodologies of modern inquiry into the genetic and cellular mechanisms of development will be explored through lectures and discussion of primary literature. Topics include embryonic axis determination and the establishment of cellular asymmetry, cell specification through cell-cell interaction and region-specific gene expression, morphogenesis and organogenesis in different species.
Each week two instructors will discuss current topics in developmental biology. Each session includes a lecture and discussion part. In the discussion part students will discuss research articles related to the topic. Students will read 2 research articles as well as a review or book chapter for each session. Each student is expected to have read the articles before each session

and to be able to present a summary, a detailed description of the data, underlying techniques and figures, and a critique of the research papers.
To facilitate discussion, students will meet in small groups Wednesday or Thursday to discuss the papers.
6 credits
Course Director: Ruth Lehmann (212) 263-8071 lehmann@saturn.med.nyu.edu
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