Undergraduate Course: Stem cells, neurodegenerative diseases and models (NEBM10030)
Course Outline
| School | School of Biomedical Sciences |
College | College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | This course aims to provide students with a critical understanding of dementias and neurodegenerative diseases including:
- Multiple sclerosis
- Motor neurone disease
- Parkinsons
- Alzheimers and tauopathies
As well as including: symptoms of these neurodegenerative disease, what cells and regions are affected and potential mechanisms of disease progression. Importantly how these diseases can be modelled in both cell cultures and animals will be covered with an emphasis on the pros and cons of various model techniques, with a view to developing students¿ critical understanding of these cutting edge technologies.
Throughout this course the generation, propagation and roles of stem cells will be investigated and analysed with respect to neurodegenerative diseases.
There will be a series of seminars (1-2 hour per week) relating to the topics to be studied. Each session will also contain a tutorial session where group presentations or exam questions will be addressed. Each topic is expected to be supplemented by self-learning in the library. Students will give presentations in the form of talks and poster presentations and will prepare handouts to accompany their presentations, as well as critical analysis of scientific manuscripts. To further supplement the lectures/tutorials there will be a ¿scientific practical¿ where students will be challenged on experimental design as well as being presented with animal and human tissue from various diseases and multiple methods for tissue processing and analysis. |
| Course description |
Not entered
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Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
- State, illustrate and compare multiple neurodegenerative diseases and their various models
- Recognise and list multiple stem cell types and their functions and roles
- Critically compare the various models and cells with an ability to discuss strengths and weaknesses of them
- Summerise the roles of different scientific equipment and methodology required for disease modelling and stem cell generation
- Evaluate and criticise the literature around this topic
- Review their own knowledge generated throughout this course and present their findings in a cohesive manner
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | NEUROStems |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Thomas Theil
Tel: (0131 6)50 3721
Email: thomas.theil@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Caroline Morris
Tel: (0131 6)51 3255
Email: c.d.morris@ed.ac.uk |
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