MEDS 360 Current Research Approaches to Biomedical Problems
Prerequisites: BISC 220L or BISC 221L, and CHEM 103 or 105.
Faculty Instructor: Omid Akbari, Ph.D., with guest lecturers from Keck School research
faculty
Contact information and Office hours: akbari@usc.edu, 323 442 7930, Thursday 10-12
AM, by appointment, or by e-mail
Blackboard link: TBA
Introduction and purpose:
Because of the striking advances in contemporary biomedical research, students who
plan to have a career in this exciting new area will need to access a broader range of
concepts and skills. The modern biomedical scientist uses a wide array of advanced
techniques, ranging from special measuring instruments, novel imaging systems,
computer methods, and quantitative analytical tools and models. Current Research
Approaches in Biomedical Science will provide a theoretical foundation of a range of
laboratory approaches that help the biomedical or physician scientist to understand a
disease. This includes genetic and system biology approaches to understand our
immune system in health and disease.
Course Requirements and Grades
 The student will have free access to the most recent and relevant original reviews
and papers in the literature through OVID, as recommended by each lecturer for
each session. One review article and one peer-reviewed publication will be required
for each lecture. These articles will be updated annually to keep current. Beside
those materials a copy of lecture slides will be provided to the students. The course
will consist of one meeting each week, which will consist of 2, 50 minute
presentations.
 Attendance is expected as much of the material is lecture-based. While recognizing
that there may be illness, personal emergencies or religious holiday observances,
unexcused absences may result in a reduced overall course grade. Excused
absences for examinations may be obtained for illness, personal emergencies or
religious holidays by calling the course director before the date of the absence.
Excused absences from exams may be made up.


Examinations: will be in short answer, short essay format
o Midterm Exam: 40% of course grade
o Final Exam: 60% of course grade
Grading Scale:
o A - 85-100%;
o B – 75-84%;
o C – 65-74%;
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o D – 55-64%;
o F – 0-54%
Class Sessions
Lecture Title
26 Aug
9 Sept
Topics
Omid Akbari
Omid Akbari
16 Sept
Introduction to new approaches in biomedical science
New approaches to understand our immune system, Flow
cytometry
Emerging pathogens in a changing world
23 Sept
The Human Ecosystem: Microbiota in Health and Disease
William De Paolo
30 sept
Identification of new targets for therapeutics approaches
Omid Akbari
7 Oct
New approaches to diagnose and treat cancer
Ite Laird--Offringa
14 Oct
Gregor Adams
21 Oct
New Approaches to understand Stem cells and
regenerative Medicine
Mid term exam
28 Oct
Genetic approaches to understand diseases
Hooman Allayee
4 Nov
11 Nov
Animal models of disease
bioinformatics
Hooman Allayee
Ha Youn Lee
18 Nov
Epigenetics and human disease
Ite Laird--Offringa
25 Nov
Proteomics in health and disease
Ebi Zandi
2 Dec
System biology: a new perspective in biology
Ha Youn Lee
16 Dec
FINAL EXAM
2-4 PM
Pinghui Feng
Statement for Students with Disabilities
Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to
register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of
verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure
the letter is delivered to me (or to TA) as early in the semester as possible. DSP is
located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The
phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776.
Statement on Academic Integrity
USC seeks to maintain an optimal learning environment. General principles of academic
honesty include the concept of respect for the intellectual property of others, the
expectation that individual work will be submitted unless otherwise allowed by an
instructor, and the obligations both to protect one’s own academic work from misuse by
others as well as to avoid using another’s work as one’s own. All students are expected
to understand and abide by these principles. Scampus, the Student Guidebook,
contains the Student Conduct Code in Section 11.00, while the recommended sanctions
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are located in Appendix A: http://www.usc.edu/dept/publications/SCAMPUS/gov/.
Students will be referred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community
Standards for further review, should there be any suspicion of academic dishonesty.
The Review process can be found at: http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/SJACS/..
Emergency Preparedness/Course Continuity:
In case of emergency, and travel to campus is difficult, USC executive leadership will
announce an electronic way for instructors to teach students in their residence halls or
homes using a combination of Blackboard, teleconferencing, and other technologies.
Instructors should be prepared to assign students a "Plan B" project that can be
completed at a distance. For additional information about maintaining your classes in an
emergency please access: http://cst.usc.edu/services/emergencyprep.html
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