GBS 752: GI, Endocrine, and Immune Systems
COURSE SYLLABUS AND SCHEDULE
Monday through Friday, 8:00 am-10:00 am
Biomedical Research Building (BMR) Room 101
Feb. 26 – March 25, 2013
Course Director:
Zdenek Hel, PhD
zhel@uab.edu
(205) 975-7079
Course Administrator:
Block Director:
Shawn Galin, PhD
galin@uab.edu
(205) 934-6687
Block Director:
Catherine Fuller, PhD
cfuller@uab.edu
(205) 934-6227
Jason Noah
Program Manager
GBS Office, Pathobiology & Molecular Medicine Theme
Shelby Biomedical Research Building, Room 120-E
Phone: 934-7810
Email: jnoah@uab.edu
Requirement
This course is designed for doctoral students admitted to the Graduate Biomedical Sciences
(GBS) PhD program and is required for GBS students in the Pathobiology and Molecular
Medicine (PBMM) theme. GBS students from other themes are welcome and encouraged to
take this course as an elective. Individuals outside the GBS program must contact the course
director before enrolling in the course to check availability. Prerequisite(s): Successful
completion of GBS 707, GBS 708 and GBS 709. Any exceptions are at the discretion of the
course director.
Course Description
This four-week course will examine the physiology and pathobiology of the gastrointestinal
tract, followed by sub-modules focused on endocrinology and immunology. Students will learn
how the endocrine system integrates homeostasis of multiple organ systems through a
comprehensive approach—influencing all systems examined in the previous modules. The
mechanisms and consequences of abnormal GI function (e.g., Crohn’s disease, cirrhosis,
pancreatitis), endocrine dysregulation (type II diabetes mellitus, gigantism, hyperthyroidism,
Cushing’s syndrome), and immune dysfunction (HIV, rheumatoid arthritis, type I diabetes
mellitus) will be discussed.The course is divided into three blocks (GI, Endocrine, & Immune)—
each with a block leader.
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Faculty Evaluations
Student feedback is a crucial part of the academic environment. Students should complete an
evaluation on each faculty member who lectures in the course. Graded exams may be held
until the evaluations are complete.
Grading
Three written, closed-book exams will test the student’s knowledge and understanding of
material presented in lectures and if given specific reading assignments. The exam format will
be short answer and multiple-choice at the discretion of the individual lecturer. Attendance is
required. Excused absences are at the discretion of the course director, thus students should
communicate directly with the course director and course administrator in cases of illness,
personal or family issues, or other potential excused absences.
Grade Distribution*
Exam I Endocrine:
Exam II Immune:
Exam III GI:
Attendance:
30%
30%
30%
10%
100%
*The Course Director and Block Directors reserve the right to adjust percentages and
weights for individual exams.
Grading Scale
90-100%
80-89%
70-79%
69% and below
A
B
C
F
Black Board
The UAB Black Board will be used to post required readings, lecture material, and course
evaluations.
Disability Statement
Any student with a disability that may need accommodations in order to successfully complete
all requirements of this course should visit the Office of Disability Support Services, located in
Room 516 of the Hill University Center, 934-4205. This office is responsible for registering
students and in ensuring the University's compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Once registered, this office will then inform faculty
members of all courses in which the student is enrolled of the student's status and the specific
nature of any accommodations required. Any student requiring such accommodation should
discuss this with the course director and assure that the appropriate correspondence is sent
from the Office of Disability Support Services.
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Honor Code
All students are expected to uphold the honor codes of the School of Medicine and the
University of Alabama at Birmingham. Unless otherwise instructed, all work in this course
should represent completely independent work. Students are expected to familiarize
themselves with the Student Honor Code that can be found at http://www.gbs.uab.edu. Any
student found to have committed acts of misconduct will be subject to the procedures outlined
in the Honor Code.
Plagiarism
Cheating and plagiarism are serious offenses. Discovery of such violations will result in an "F"
grade for the entire course. Plagiarism is defined as "literary theft: stealing and passing off as
one's own the words or ideas of another" (Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, 2000).
Students must be sure to give credit through appropriate citation for all words and ideas that
are consciously taken from another source whether a direct quote or not. It is always better to
err on the side of giving too many citations than too few.
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Class Schedule
Block 1 – ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
Block Director: Dr. Shawn Galin (galin@uab.edu)
Day
Title
Lecturer
Feb 27
Introduction to Endocrine Mechanisms
Hypothalamus and Pituitary
Galin
Feb 28
Endocrinology: Adrenal Gland, Thyroid Gland
Frank
Feb 29
Endocrine Control of Growth
Endocrine Pancreas
Messina
Mar 1
Insulin and Its Counter-Regulatory Hormones
Messina
Mar 2
Endocrine Control of Calcium/Phosphate Metabolism
Reproductive Endocrinology-Male
Galin
Mar 5
Reproductive Endocrinology- Female
Pregnancy and Lactation
Galin
Mar 6
Exam
Block 2 – IMMUNE SYSTEM
Block Director: Dr. Zdenek Hel (zhel@uab.edu)
Day
Title
Lecturer
Mar 7
Introduction to Immunology
Overview of the Anatomy of Immune System
Hel
Mar 8
Immune Effector Cells; T cells
Harrington
4
Mar 9
Major Histocompatibility Complex; TCR
Antigen Processing and Presentation
Collawn
Mar 12
Antibodies; B cells
Mestecky
Mar 13
Dendritic cells
Immunophysiology of Skin
Timares
Mar 14
Autoimmune Diseases and Immunodeficiency
Tse
Mar 15
Mucosal Immunology
Lorenz
Mar 16
Vaccines; HIV-1 Infection
Interaction of Immune System with Pathogens and Cancer
Hel
Mar 19
Exam
Recommended text book: Immunology 6th Edition, Goldsby, Kindt, Osborne, and Kuby
Textbook Website: http://bcs.whfreeman.com/immunology6e/
Block 3 – GI SYSTEM
Block Director: Dr. Catherine Fuller (cfuller@uab.edu)
Day
Title
Lecturer
Mar 20
Fundamentals of GI Anatomy and Motility
Humoral Regulation/Salivary Secretion
Fuller
Mar 21
Gastric and Pancreatic Secretion
Digestion and absorption
Fuller
Mar 22
Bile Secretion and Fat Digestion
GI Pathophysiology
Fuller
Mar 23
Exam
Recommended text book:
Gastrointestinal Physiology (Lange Physiology Series) Barrett, K.E., 1st. Edn, McGraw Hill Medical,
2005.
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