Instructor: David Segal, Genome Center and Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine
Description: This seminar is intended to provide science and non-science majors with an overview of the goals, methods, and history of gene therapy. Topics to be covered will include an introduction to the human genome, how we learn about what genes do, what is a genetic disease, and how recent advances have enabled scientists to attempt to fix genetic diseases. Anyone curious about the sequencing of the human genome and how that information might be used to improve public health is welcomed to attend.
Format: The seminar will be one hour per week for ten weeks. There will be two informal lectures for orientation and introduction to the basics. The subsequent format will be discussions, debates and presentations based on reading materials, including articles from scientific journals and popular sources. All reading materials will be provided. There is no text for the course. Participants will write two 1-page papers on topics related to gene therapy. One session will be reserved for a tour of the UC Davis Genome Center to see where this work is actually done. Student input into the format and topics covered in the course will be encouraged.
Grading: Evidence of preparation and active participation in discussions will be 50% of the course grade. Another 30% will be based on three take home short quizzes to evaluate if participants are understanding the key concepts as we go along. The remaining 20% will be based on the two writing assignments.
About the Instructor: David Segal holds a joint appointment in the UC Davis Genome Center and the Department of Pharmacology. His research interests are in engineering DNA-binding proteins for diagnostic and gene therapy applications. He is also aware that research scientists often do a poor job of communicating their science to non-scientists, fueling public anxiety about new technological advances.