Graduate Courses

IGPBS Module 1: Thermodynamics, Protein Structure, and Analysis of Reaction/Binding Kinetics (IGPBS 891, 3 credit hours). Course content covers basic principles and advanced topics of thermodynamics, protein structure, and analysis of the reaction kinetics involved in substrate/enzyme interactions and ligand/receptor interactions.

IGPBS Module 2: Cell Metabolism (IGPBS 892, 1 hour). Course content covers basic principles and advanced aspects of the biochemical processes underlying cellular metabolism.

IGPBS Module 3: Molecular Biology (IGPBS 893, 4 hours). Course content covers basic principles and advanced aspects of prokaryotic and eukaryotic molecular biology with topics such as DNA structure, transcriptional and translational mechanisms, and mechanisms of gene expression.

IGPBS Module 4: Cell and Developmental Biology (IGPBS 894, 5 hours). Course content covers basic principles and advanced aspects of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell biology. It will cover topics such as structure/function relationships of membranes and organelle systems, ECM structure, integrated aspects of protein processing/sorting, and edocytosis. Early aspects of development such as the relationship of gene expression to embryonic pattern formation will also be covered.

IGPBS Module 5: Molecular and Physiological Basis of Disease (IGPBS 895, 3 hours). Course content covers the impact of disease on the major organ systems of the body using an integration of biochemical, molecular, structural, and physiological approaches.

IGPBS Module 6: BioGraphics (IGPBS 896, 1 hour). The objective of the course is to teach students how to organize and present data in a clear and concise manner at national meetings. Students are taught basic principles of organizing data for presentation and then learn through the actual presentation of data in simulated platform sessions held in the course. Videotapes are made of the presentations, and students are then given a constructive critique of their presentation by the instructor and fellow students.

IGPBS Module 7: Research Rotations (IGPBS 897, 2-4 hours). The course will introduce students to research methods, experimental design, and the types of biomedical research conducted at KUMC. The first research rotation begins halfway through the first semester; the second and third research rotations will occur in the second semester. It is designed to help students determine which faculty member they will select as a research adviser for their doctoral research.

IGPBS Module 8: Introduction to Faculty Research (IGPBS 898, 1 hour). This course was created to provide students with sufficient introduction to the research conducted at KUMC. To facilitate this point, the course is designed as a seminar series. In each session of the series, three faculty members present a brief 20-minute overview of their research programs. The series will help students to select faculty for research rotations and ultimately help them determine which faculty member they will select as a research adviser for their doctoral research.

IGPBS Module 9: Introduction to Research Ethics (IGPBS 901, 1 hour). The objective of the course is to introduce students to research ethics. Students will learn and discuss some of the following areas of ethics in research: (1) sources of errors in science, (2) scientific fraud, (3) plagiarism and misrepresentation, (4) conflicts of interest and (5) confidentiality.

PHSL 834 Reproductive Physiology (3). This course presents all aspects of reproductive physiology, ovarian and testicular function and neuroendocrine control of gonadotropins, puberty and hormone action in the adult. Prerequisite: PHSL 807 or an equivalent course and consent of instructor.

PHSL 838 Advanced Topics (1-3). Special studies designed and arranged on an individual basis to allow a student to pursue a particular subject through reading, special laboratory work, and conferences with a senior staff member.

PHSL 838 Fundamentals of Biomedical Imaging (3) This is part of the Advanced Topics course (above). This is a multidisciplinary course designed to introduce the students to the fundamentals of existing in vivo and postmortem imaging modalities for anatomy, structure and function in biomedical sciences. Course content covers the physical basis of biomedical image formation and reconstruction; ionizing versus non-ionizing radiation; X-ray imaging; radionuclide PET and SPECT imaging; ultrasound/acoustic imaging; magnetic resonance imaging/spectroscopy; functional MRI; magnetoencephalography (MEG); optical (including confocal microscope) imaging; infrared imaging; molecular and cellular imaging with contrast agents and special tags or labeling; gene-array imaging and analysis; image-guided interventions; image processing and quantitative analysis and data visualization. Students visit various clinical sites and research labs with state of the art biomedical imaging instrumentations. From these facilities or as invited, speakers who are expert in their fields give lectures in the class.

PHSL 844 Neurophysiology (3). In-depth coverage of neural mechanisms of motor control with emphasis on primates. Prerequisite: PHSL 846 or equivalent and consent of instructor.

PHSL 846 Advanced Neuroscience (5). Team taught, in-depth neuroscience course focusing on normal and diseased brain function at the molecular, cellular and systems levels. Lectures and discussions will emphasize current issues in neuroscience research. (Same as ANAT 846 and PHCL 846). Prerequisite: Permission of course director.

PHSL 847 Developmental Neurobiology (2). Development of the nervous system from early induction to the development of learning and memory. Topics include: Induction; Cellular Differentiation; Axon growth and Guidance; Target Selection; Cell survival and growth; Synapse formation; Synapse elimination; and Development of Behavior. (Same as ANAT 847 and NURO 847). Prerequisite: Advanced Neuroscience (ANAT 846; PHYS 846; NURO 846) or consent of Instructors.

PHSL 848. Molecular Mechanisms of Neurological Disorders (2). An in-depth coverage of pathogenic mechanisms in neurological diseases: cellular and molecular responses to brain injury and disease, neuroinflammatory diseases (e.g., multiple sclerosis), neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and prion diseases), neurogenetic diseases (e.g., lysosomal and peroxisomal disorders, Down's syndrome and fragile X), trauma, stroke, and viral diseases (e.g., HIV encephalitis). Prerequisite: Advanced Neuroscience (ANAT 846, PHCL 846 or PHSL 846) or an equivalent course and consent of instructor.

PHSL 850 Research (1-10). Original laboratory investigation conducted under the supervision of a senior staff member.

PHSL 851 Seminar (1). Student participation conferences in which a sharply delineated field is examined in depth largely through critical review of current literature in the field. The subjects examined in these seminars are dictated by the interests of students and staff.

PHSL 999 Doctoral Dissertation (1-10). Preparation of the Dissertation based on original research and in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree. Credits will be given only after the dissertation has been accepted by the student's dissertation committee.