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Inherited Diseases and Public Health

X414 (3 semester units in Molecular and Cell Biology)

An understanding of the role of genetics in individual and community healthcare is an essential aspect of medicine today. This course presents the principles of genetics, from Mendelian inheritance to the Human Genome Project, necessary to understand the role of genetics in human diseases. It covers the chromosomal and molecular basis of inheritance, molecular biology of the gene, and modern tools of recombinant DNA technology used to identify and map genes associated with diseases.

The course also addresses patterns of inheritance of qualitative traits in humans, including diseases with Mendelian inheritance, and analysis of multifactorial characteristics, which include many common diseases. Topics include: the sources of human variation, polymorphism in populations, and population genetics; clinical applications of medical genetics in disorders of chromosomes, hemoglobins, biochemical pathways, and the immune system; genetic factors in common diseases and dysmorphologies; and risk assessment, genetic counseling, and public health aspects of medical genetics. Social and bioethical issues in the application of medical genetics are of critical importance and are addressed throughout the course.

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Tues. Sept. 2, San Francisco