MSc or PhD students with background in molecular biology, cell biology and/or biochemistry.
Course description
This is an advanced, seminar-based course designed to provide an in-depth examination of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that contribute to malignant transformation.
The objective of the course is to improve your analytical and critical thinking skills and to establish an understanding of the interplay of metabolism, epigenetics and tumorigenesis.
Topics will include:
include the role of chromatin regulatory mechanisms that impact tumor cancer stemness;
moonlighting function of metabolic enzymes that reshape cancer cell status and modulate chromatin modifications, transcriptional activities and signal transduction;
characterization of molecular links between obesity/diabetes and cancer progression and discussion of genome wide technologies yielding new insights towards cancer therapeutic intervention.
Structure
This class is structured as a journal club.
Each week a paper will be presented by one student.
If you are not presenting, you are expected to contribute to the discussions of each paper.
This course is offered in the Fall and repeated in Winter term.
Thursdays, 10:30 am - 1:00 pm.
Location: MS 2290
Evaluation methods
Oral presentations of assigned papers (50%)
Original scientific papers from selected areas will be used for student presentations and discussions. During the course, each student will present two original papers with each presentation being assessed by coordinator.
Participation in discussions (20%)
Active participation by all students during discussion period is a requirement.
For each weekly student presentation, all non-presenting students will be expected to submit a short 1 - 2 page critique of the assigned scientific paper and come to class with prepared questions for the student presenter.
Research Proposals (30%)
Proposals will be in typical grant style (max 4 pages). Topics will be in areas unrelated to the students current area of investigation or area of investigation in their supervisors lab.
