Human Physiology in Medicine(MSBS 5081S)

Molecular Basis of Physiology (Rutgers 16:761:580)

Spring 2017 (3 credits)

Course Syllabus

Course Times:Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00 – 11:30am

Room:V10, RWJMS Research Tower, 675 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ

Course Director:

Joseph D. Fondell, Ph.D.

Department of Pharmacology

Room 500A, RWJMS Tower Bldg.

732-235-3348

Office hours: available upon request

Course Lecturers:

Drs. Fondell, Runnels, Zhang, Weiss, Pang, Fan, Pintar, Kwan, Breslin, Cai, Jin, Jacinto, Bunting, Soto, Kramer, Sabaawy, Alder, Varia, Zachow.

Course Description:

This is a lecture/research paper discussion course covering the molecular basis of human physiological systems and related methodologies used in modern physiological and medical research. Designed to further extend and supplement areas covered in the companion course Physiological Basis of Disease (and courses in the core MBS/MSBS curriculum),this course is subdivided into six parts including: 1) Nerve and Muscle Physiology, 2) Hormones, Signal Transduction, and Regulation of Gene Expression, 3) Sensory Physiology (hearing, taste, vision, smell, pain), 4) Cellular and Physiological Homeostasis, 5) Pathophysiology of Metabolic Diseases, and 6) Animals Models to Study Human Physiology and Disease. A total of 24 lectures will be given by a diverse group of expert scientists and physicians from across the Rutgers, CINJ and RWJMS research communities. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the course, no single textbook will be used. Rather, clinicallyrelevant research papers, review articles or specific book chapters (assigned by each lecturer) will be available for downloading at the RWJMS AMP website or via the Rutgers RWJMS Library website.

Grading:

Master’s students in the MSBS, MBSand PIB Programs:three multiple-choice type questionexams each worth 1/3 of final grade.

Ph.D. students in Rutgers Molecular Biosciences Graduate Programs: three essay/short answer type question exams each worth 1/3 of final grade.

Grading Criteria:

A: approximately top 25%

B+: approximately second highest quarter

B: Most of the remaining

C+: Below average minus one standard deviation

C: Below average minus 1.5 standard deviations

F: Below average minus two standard deviations

Course Objectives:

  1. Understand the molecular and electrophysiological basis ofneuronal synaptic transmission and muscle contraction.
  1. Outline key human signaling factors and hormones, identify their cognate receptors, and understand the molecular and physiological signaling consequences of ligand-receptor interactions.
  1. Discuss the molecular signaling mechanisms and pathways involved in peripheral sensory transduction (hearing, taste, vision, smell, pain).
  1. Describe the process by which different types of human blood cells are generated and understand their respective functional roles in an immune or inflammatory response.
  1. Understand the cellular signaling pathways utilized in humans to regulate and maintain cellular and physiological homeostasis.
  1. Appreciateimportant animal model systems that are currently used by scientists to study human physiology and disease.

Lecturer Contact Information:

Nameemailphone

Joseph 732-235-3348

Loren 732-235-4593

Huaye 732-235-3433

Harvey 732-235-4626

Zhiping 732-235-8074

Huizhou 732-235-4607

John 732-235-4250

Kelvin 848-445-1781

Paul 848-932-6080

Li 848-445-6559

Estela 732-235-4476

Samuel 848-445-9894

Victor 732-235-4329

Martha 732-235-4424

Sunita 732-235-4226

Hatem 732-235-8081

Janet 732-235-5392

Smita 732-235-5393
Rob 732-235-5658

Course Schedule:

TopicLecturerDate

Course IntroductionFondellTues. Jan. 24

I. Nerve and Muscle Physiology

a. Membrane potentials/action potentialsRunnelsTues. Jan. 24

b. Neurons and synaptic transmissionZhangThur. Jan. 26

c. Ca2+ signaling and muscle contractionWeissTues. Jan. 31

d. Neuronal stem cellsPangThur. Feb. 2

II. Hormones, Signal Transduction and Gene Expression

  1. TRP channels as cellular sensorsRunnelsTues. Feb. 7
  2. Opioid signalingPintarThur. Feb.9
  3. Growth factors/research paper discussionFanTues. Feb. 14
  4. Nuclear Hormone Receptors/research paper discussionFondellThur. Feb. 16

EXAM ITues. Feb. 21

III. Sensory Physiology

  1. Vision CaiThur. Feb. 23
  2. TasteBreslinTues. Feb. 28
  3. Audition/HearingKwanThur. Mar. 2
  4. Smell/olfactionBreslinTues. Mar. 7

IV. Cellular and Physiological Homeostasis

  1. mTOR signaling/research paper discussionJacintoThur. Mar. 9

springrecessTues. Mar. 14

spring recessThur. Mar. 16

  1. DNA repair/cell survivalBuntingTues. Mar. 21
  2. Autophagy JinThur. Mar. 23
  3. MicrobiomeFanTues. Mar. 28

self studyThur. Mar. 30

EXAM II Tues. Apr. 4

V. Pathophysiology of Metabolic Diseases

  1. Pathophysiology of Acid-Base disordersZachowThur. Apr. 6
  2. Diabetes MellitusZachowTues. Apr. 11
  3. Diabetes Mellitus and Metabolic SyndromeZachowThur. Apr. 13
  4. research paper discussionZachowTues. Apr. 18

VI. Animal Models to Study Human Physiology and Disease

  1. C. elegansSotoThur. Apr. 20
  2. DrosophilaKramerTues. Apr. 25
  3. ZebrafishSabaawyThur. Apr. 27
  4. Mouse/research paper discussionAlder/VariaTues. May 2

self studyThur. May 4

EXAM IIITues. May 9