CMB 499 & CMB 699

Spring 2007 Syllabus

Course: Cell & Molecular Biology  Directed Reading/Research (2 credit hours)

For a printable Fall Syllabus, click Here.

This course was designed to serve students in the Haumana and MARC programs.  Both of these programs are funded by the National Institutes of Health, and a major component of each is a laboratory research experience. In addition, enrichment activities to supplement the research experience are part of the NIH requirements for the two programs.  This course is the vehicle for those activities which include a journal club, a series of seminars on ethics, training in writing and communication, career development, graduate school preparation, guest speakers, and lab tours.

 

Course Faculty:                     Dr. Healani Chang

Director, Haumana (IMSD)  and

MARC U*STAR Programs

 

Sponsoring Faculty:               Dr. Rebecca Cann

Department of Cell & Molecular Biology

Member of Haumana/MARC Advisory Council

 

Teaching Assistants:             Coty Gonzales, MA                            

                                                 Department of Psychology                  

                                                 Haumana Graduate Assistant            

 

Class Meetings:                    Monday, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.

IBR Conference Room

 

Course goals:

 

1. To enhance scientific literacy by increasing familiarity with the primary research literature.

2. To further develop scientific communication skills and mastery of oral presentation.

3. To foster scientific writing skills.

4. To engage scholars in active discussion on careers in biomedical science with extramural    minority scientists.

5. To facilitate graduate school preparation, including graduate school applications and GRE strategies.

6.  To disseminate information about the ethical requirements and issues in scientific research, including:             

• the use of human subjects

• the use of animal subjects

• contemporary genetic problems

• professional scientific standards and conduct

7. To explore and discuss scientific career options and available resources.

 

Assignments:

Journal club presentations

Brief research progress reports

GRE preparation and test- taking

Post-travel presentations

CV development

Biomedical sciences symposium poster presentation

Final research report

Others, to be announced

Grading: All Haumana and MARC participants are expected to attend class meetings. Grades will be determined by both course faculty and will be based on attendance, active participation, and timely completion of assignments.  The Administrators and the Graduate seminar leaders will jointly consult on the final grades for each undergraduate.  As a guideline, assuming active participation and completion of all assignments:

up to 2 absences = A

      3-4 absences = B

         5 absences = C

(More than 5 absences will seriously jeopardize the scholar’s standing in the program.)

Note: Tardiness is disruptive, impolite, and unprofessional. All students are expected to arrive to class on time and to stay until the end of class. Every 2 instances of tardiness will be counted as an absence.

Journal Club:

1. Scholar’s will pair-off and select a research paper from a contemporary peer-reviewed journal

2. Forward a .pdf file to Dr. Chang, Richard Okubo, Coty Gonzales, and all the CMB participants one-week prior to your presentation.

3. Prepare a creative summary of the journal that includes an: introduction, materials and methods section, results, discussion/conclusion, and the future impact of these findings.

4. Deliver an oral presentation that is 15-20 minutes in length.

Website and email: This syllabus, the course schedule, and assignments will be posted at the pbrc/haumana website for your convenience (www.pbrc.hawaii.edu/haumana/).  The contact person for questions and information regarding this course is Dr. Chang.  You can reach her at healani@pbrc.hawaii.edu.