Instructor: Patrick Leung, Department of Rheumatology/ Allergy & Clinical Immunology, School of Medicine
Description: The course will address the concepts of genetic engineering and its possible impact on our everyday life. Special emphasis on potential applications and future prospects in the biomedical, agricultural and pharmaceutical industries. Information will be presented through informal lectures, reading materials and discussions.
Format: The class will meet two hours per week for nine weeks. There will be informal lecture, discussions, lab visit and student presentations. Reading materials (e.g. newspaper cuttings and articles from magazines such as Scientific American, Time magazine) will be provided a week prior to the lecture. Grading: Students will be required to write a short paper on a topic chosen in consultation with the instructor. Students will be given a letter grade based on short paper (4 pages limit) on a topic chosen in consultation with the instructor (1/3), oral presentations (1/3), and participation in class discussions (1/3).
About the Instructor: Dr. Patrick Leung is an associate adjunct professor at the Division of Rheumatology/ Allergy and Clinical Immunology in the School of Medicine. His research interests include the molecular basis of human diseases, with special emphasis on autoimmunity and allergies. Current projects include the identification and characterization of molecular biomarkers of human autoimmune diseases and their applications in clinical science.