Health: Science, Society, and Policy | University Bulletin

Objectives

The major in health: science, society, and policy (HSSP) is designed to provide interdisciplinary study of health and health care. The major has three objectives: (1) to expand students' understanding of the biological, behavioral, social, and environmental factors that promote health or cause illness; (2) to introduce students to the political, economic, legal, public health, and organizational dimensions of health care systems in the United States and throughout the world; (3) to provide students with hands-on experience in either an internship (in a health care delivery, public health, or advocacy organization), a laboratory (studying the biological basis of health, behavior, or disease), or a field-based research project (investigating aspects of health or illness in a social context). This major draws upon courses in the social sciences, life sciences, and the fields of policy and management and is especially appropriate for students preparing for careers or further study in health and medicine as well as students who want to examine the issues and concerns of this important sector in society. The major can be completed with either a BA or BS degree.

The minor in HSSP is designed to provide an introduction to interdisciplinary study of health and medicine and to supplement a student's major.

Learning Goals

Health: Science, Society and Policy (HSSP) is an interdisciplinary undergraduate major that focuses on health, health care and health policy. Launched in 2003, HSSP is a unique program that draws from three of the major strengths of Brandeis: the life sciences, the social sciences of health, and the health policy of the Heller School. There are few programs like HSSP in the country; the emphasis is studying multiple perspectives on health and health care. Many HSSP graduates eventually go on to graduate or professional school in medicine, public health, nursing, health administration, physical therapy, health law, and other health related fields. In addition, the required “hands on experience” enables students to engage academic material experientially in a setting related to either health or health care. Students may fulfill this with a summer or semester internship, a field or lab based research project, or through a study abroad program. One of the core requirements is a course in Biostatistics and Epidemiology, an important perspective rarely offered to undergraduates.

In pursuing the major, students can chose to do the BA version of the program or the more science intensive BS version. The BS students take at least four Biology courses while the BA students take one Biology course and two BISC courses (science courses for non-science majors) as part of their program. In both cases, students take four core courses, four or five electives, a “hands on experience”, and a senior capstone course. This includes courses that emphasize social science perspectives about health and illness, others that examine health policy issues, and courses that present scientific views of disease and treatment.

Knowledge: The HSSP major emphasizes knowledge and awareness of health from the perspectives of science, society and policy in both US and global contexts. Students completing the major will achieve significant competency in understanding:

The nature of disease and illness from a basic scientific perspective;
The social and cultural contributions to health and illness;
The impact of health care system in diverse social and cultural settings;
How public policies in health and health care are developed, implemented and evaluated.

Core Skills: Students completing a major in HSSP will also acquire important core analytic thinking and quantitative reasoning skills including the ability to:

Synthesize information and perspectives from different disciplines, especially but not exclusively about health and health care;
Critically think about and evaluate health care system organization and delivery;
Provide a first hand experience with a health related organization; this teaches students how to function in and evaluate a “real world” situation beyond the classroom.
Critically evaluate health issues with epidemiology, basic biostatistics and quantitative reasoning;
Research health-oriented problems and analyze and communicate findings in both written and oral presentations.

Social Justice: The HSSP curriculum provides the tools for those committed to the Brandeis ideal of learning in service of social justice. The HSSP graduate will come away with a strong understanding of:

The social determinants of health and disease and health disparities and the impacts of social inequality on health;
Issues related to access of health care and health reform options;
Social and cultural differences as they pertain to health;
Selected major bioethical issues.

Upon graduating many of our students take different health-related routes:

Enter graduate and professional schools for health-related professions and occupations including medicine, nursing, medical social work, podiatry, physical therapy and others;
Seek careers in public health and in public policy related to health and health care, often ultimately pursue further education in Public Health, Law, Government, Business, and Public Policy;
Embark on careers in health-oriented research (often beginning with entry level positions and sometimes seeking advanced academic degrees);
Work in health-related domestic or international public sector agencies or NGOs or become involved with health services or health advocacy organizations, both domestic and international.

How to Become a Major or a Minor

Students can begin study in the HSSP major or minor with virtually any course in the program except HSSP 100a, HSSP 110b, and the Hands On Experience courses: HSSP 89a, 98a/b, or 99d. Although students are encouraged to take their Core Science Course, SOC 191a and HS 104b* early in their pursuit of an HSSP degree, electives may also be taken concurrently. Students interested in majoring or minoring in HSSP should make an appointment with the program chair to declare their chosen HSSP degree and be assigned an HSSP adviser. Those interested in lab experience and senior research should contact prospective mentors about these opportunities. The complete listing of all HSSP degree requirements and all program and course options are listed below. NOTE: For students seeking an HSSP minor degree, entrance into senior year HSSP core courses can only be guaranteed to those students who declare their HSSP minor before the end of their junior year, regardless of the number of satisfactorily completed courses.
* LGLS 114a can be substituted for HS 104b.

Faculty (Executive Committee)

Peter Conrad, Chair
(Sociology)

Sarita Bhalotra, Associate Chair
(Heller School)

Sarah Lamb (on leave fall 2011)
(Anthropology)

James Morris
(Biology)

Sacha Nelson
(Biology)

Sara Shostak
(Sociology)

Cindy Parks Thomas
(Heller School)

Judith Tsipis
(Biology)

Darren Zinner
(Heller School)

Affiliated Faculty (contributing to the curriculum, advising and administration of the department or program)
Susan Birren (Biology)
Wendy Cadge (Sociology)
Peter Conrad (Sociology)
Joseph Cunningham (Psychology)
Laura Goldim (American Studies)
Kenneth Hayes (Biology)
Lizbeth Hedstrom (Biology)
Derek Isaacowitz (Psychology)
Margie Lachman (Psychology)
Sarah Lamb (Anthropology)
Eve Marder (Biology)
James Morris (Biology)
Sacha Nelson (Biology)
Joan Press (Biology)
Nicolas Rohleder (Psychology)
David Sherman (English)
Sara Shostak (Sociology)
Neil Simister (Biology)
Judith Tsipis (Biology)
Gina Turrigiano (Biology)
Lawrence Wangh (Biology)
Malcolm Watson (Psychology)
Jutta Wolf (Psychology)

Requirements for the Minor

To complete the minor, students must complete the four required courses as noted in part A below (BIOL 15b or BIO 22b; SOC 191a; HS 104b*; HSSP 100b) and two additional elective courses from different “focal areas” listed below for a total of six courses. Entrance into senior year HSSP core courses can only be guaranteed to those students who declare their HSSP minor before the end of their junior year, regardless of the number of satisfactorily completed courses.
* LGLS 114a can be substituted for HS 104b.

Requirements for the Major

A. All students are required to complete four core courses plus a hands-on experience, a senior seminar, and elective requirements which vary for the BA and the BS degrees. The core courses are: SOC 191a, HS 104b, HSSP 100b, and one of three biology courses: BIOL 15b, BIOL 22b, or BIOL 42a. All students working toward a BS degree must take BIOL 42a as a core biology course. To fulfill the hands-on experience requirement students must complete, either, HSSP 89a, HSSP 98a or b, or HSSP 99d. HSSP 100a is the capstone course, generally taken in the senior year. LGLS 114a may be substituted for HS 104b.

Students must choose one of the two tracks described below—Option I leading to the BA in HSSP or Option II leading to the BS in HSSP.

Among courses offered to fulfill the requirements for this major, no course may be taken pass/fail and all grades in major courses must be at least a C-.

Students may, with approval from the HSSP chair, transfer up to two courses (eight credits) taken from outside Brandeis for the major, petitioning to use them as either core courses or electives.

Option I: The BA Degree in HSSP

Students wishing to obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree must complete all the requirements listed in part A above, plus four elective courses, including one each from “focal areas” A, B, and C. The BA option requires ten courses to complete.

Option II: The BS Degree in HSSP

Students wishing to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree must complete all the requirements listed in part A above, plus five electives from focal areas A, B, and C and twenty-four course credits of additional science and/or math electives at or above the 10-level. Specifically, these five focal area electives must include three electives at or above the 10-level from focal area A, one elective from focal area B, and one elective from focal area C. Students must also enroll in and satisfactorily complete all laboratories that accompany electives used to satisfy any HSSP degree requirements (i.e., BIOL 18a must be taken with BIOL 22a). These corresponding lab courses are worth 2 credits (a half course) each, and may be used toward fulfilling the twenty-four credits (6 courses) of basic math or science electives at or above the 10-level required for the HSSP BS degree.

PSYC 51a or MATH 10b may count as one of the six additional basic math/science courses.

B. Honors Program

In order to enroll for honors courses, a student must have a 3.25 overall GPA or a 3.5 GPA from a minimum of five HSSP electives and three HSSP core courses. Students wishing to graduate with honors in HSSP will be required to take HSSP 99d for which the formation of a three-faculty member committee and a formal defense before that committee is required. The committee will consist of the student’s adviser, as well as two members decided upon by the student and the adviser, and must be approved by the chair of HSSP.

Special Notes Relating to Undergraduates Interested in Premedical Studies

The HSSP major is not meant to fulfill premedical requirements, but HSSP students could satisfy the prerequisites for medical school in one of two ways: (1) by majoring in one of the life or physical sciences and choosing HSSP as a minor, or (2) by majoring in HSSP and selecting the BS option of HSSP. To assess their options, premed students should consult the Web site www.brandeis.edu/as/prehealth/.

Courses of Instruction

(1-99) Primarily for Undergraduate Students

HSSP 89a Internship and Analysis
This is an experiential learning course. Prerequisite: Open only to HSSP majors.
A supervised internship in a health care or policy organization. Internships may include work in a department of public health, hospital or health care agency, health advocacy organization, or other appropriate government or private-sector organization; but regardless venue, the internship itself must focus on some aspect of health and public service and be approved by the HSSP internship instructor, Tom Mackie prior to receiving a registration permission code. Students are required to attend a weekly internship course and submit a twenty- to twenty-five-page research paper relating to their internship. Usually two sections are offered in the fall semester and one section is offered in the spring semester.
Mr. Mackie

HSSP 89aj Internship and Analysis
This is an experiential learning course. A supervised internship in a health care or policy organization. Internships may include work in a department of public health, hospital or health care agency, health advocacy organization, or other appropriate government or private-sector organization; but regardless of the venue, the internship itself must focus on some aspect of health and public service and be approved by the JBS instructor prior to enrollment. Students are required to participate in a regular blog and internet communication with the instructor and other students. Students are required to complete a thirty five to forty page research paper in conjunction and present a 20 minute PowerPoint presentation on capstone day. Offered as part of JBS program.
Ms. Zincavage

HSSP 92a Internship and Analysis
Staff

HSSP 98a Independent Research in Health: Science, Society, and Policy
Under the direction of a member of the HSSP faculty or faculty sponsor approved by HSSP chair, students conduct an intensive laboratory- or field-based project that culminates in a twenty- to twenty-five-page research paper. Usually offered every year.
Staff

HSSP 98aj Independent Research in Health: Science, Society, and Policy
Under the direction of a member of the HSSP faculty or faculty sponsor approved by HSSP chair, students conduct an intensive laboratory- or field-based project that culminates in a thirty five to forty page research paper. Offered as part of JBS program.
Staff

HSSP 98b Independent Research in Health: Science, Society, and Policy
Under the direction of a member of the HSSP faculty or faculty sponsor approved by HSSP chair, students conduct an intensive laboratory- or field-based project that culminates in a twenty- to twenty-five-page research paper. Usually offered every year.

HSSP 99d Senior Research
Under the direction of a member of the HSSP faculty, students conduct a year-long, original, health-related research project (laboratory- or field-based) and write a thesis.
Staff

(100-199) For Both Undergraduate and Graduate Students

HSSP 100b Introduction to Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Population Health
[ qr ss ]
Core course for the HSSP major and minor.
Provides an orientation to the science of epidemiology, the quantitative foundation for public health policy. As a comprehensive survey course, students from varying academic backgrounds are introduced to biostatistics and major epidemiological concepts, and provided with training in their application to the study of health and disease in human populations. Case studies examine how environmental, physical, behavioral, psychological, and social factors contribute to the disease burden of populations. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Wittenberg and Staff

HSSP 100bj Introduction to Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Population Health
[ qr ss ]
Core course for the HSSP major and minor. Provides an orientation to the science of epidemiology, the quantitative foundation for public health policy. As a comprehensive survey course, students from varying academic backgrounds are introduced to biostatistics and major epidemiological concepts, and provided with training in their application to the study of health and disease in human populations. Case studies examine how environmental, physical, behavioral, psychological and social factors contribute to the disease burden of populations. Offered as part of JBS program.
Ms. Mignone

HSSP 102a Global Perspectives on Health
[ ss ]
A primer on major issues in health care in developing nations. Topics include the natural history of disease and levels of prevention; epidemiological transitions; health disparities; and determinants of health including culture, social context, and behavior. Also covers: infectious and chronic disease incidence and prevalence; the role of nutrition, education, reproductive trends, and poverty; demographic transition including aging and urbanization; the structure and financing of health systems; and the globalization of health. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Bhalotra

HSSP 102aj Global Perspectives on Health
[ ss ]
A primer on major issues in health care. Topics include the natural history of disease and levels of prevention; epidemiological transitions; health disparities; and determinants of health including culture, social context and behavior. Also covers infectious and chronic disease incidence and prevalence; the role of nutrition, education, reproductive trends, and poverty; demographic transition including aging and urbanization; the structure and financing of health systems; and the globalization of health. Offered as part of JBS program.
Ms. Bhalotra

HSSP 104b Health Economics
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: ECON 2a.
Emphasizes the concepts and tools of health economics applicable to both developed and developing countries. Topics include: cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis, the demand for health services, insurance and risk, managed care, provider reimbursement, national health insurance, and an overview of health care systems in other countries. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Hodgkin

HSSP 106a Managing Medicine
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: HS 104b or LGLS 114a.
Overview of the principles of management within health-care organizations. Through case studies of real hospitals, insurers, and firms, the class examines choices of clinicians and managers aimed at improving quality, containing costs, driving technology adoption, or promoting new ventures. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Zinner

HSSP 107b Health Care Technology: Evaluating Emerging Medical Services, Drugs and Devices.
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: HS 104b or permission of the instructor. Priority given to HSSP majors and minors.
An overview of the role of medical technology in the U.S. health care system, with a focus on the impact of prescription drugs on the health care system, their promise for the future, and inherent risks. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Thomas

HSSP 110a Integrative Seminar on Health
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: Senior status in the HSSP major.
The capstone course is designed to bring all HSSP seniors together to integrate their academic course work and fieldwork/laboratory experiences across a range of health-related disciplines. Each year the course focuses on a single issue that lends itself to examination from a variety of perspectives. Topics vary from year to year at the discretion of the faculty who teach the course. Refer to the Schedule of Classes for specific topics. Course is usually team-taught by faculty in different disciplines. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Bhalotra and Mr. Conrad

HSSP 112b Public Health Perspectives on Child Well-Being
[ ss ]
Enrollment limited to junior and senior HSSP majors, and others by permission of the instructor.
Provides students with information about the health of children and their families from a public health perspective. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Klerman

HSSP 114b Racial/Ethnic and Gender Inequalities in Health and Health Care
[ ss ]
An examination of the epidemiological patterns of health status by race/ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic status. Addresses current theories and critiques explaining disparities in health status, access, quality, and conceptual models, frameworks, and interventions for eliminating inequalities. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Jefferson

HSSP 115b Perspectives on Behavioral Health: Alcohol, Drugs, and Mental Health
[ ss ]
A survey course which focuses on the science and biological basis of substance use and mental disorders, and linkages between behavioral health and general health. Consequences of behavioral health on society are discussed. Policy responses and the treatment system are assessed for their effectiveness. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Merrick and Ms. Reif

HSSP 120bj Health Care Landscapes
[ ss ]
Focuses on developing skills and understanding of health care landscapes, with an emphasis on experential learning in specific communities. Offered as part of JBS program.
Ms. Zincavage

HSSP 192b Sociology of Disability
[ ss ]
In the latter half of the twentieth century, disability has emerged as an important social-political-economic-medical issue, with its own distinct history, characterized as a shift from "good will to civil rights." Traces that history and the way people with disabilities are seen and unseen, and see themselves. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Gulley

HSSP Core Courses

BIOL 15b Biology: Human Implications
[ sn ]
This course may not be taken for credit by students who have completed BIOL 22a or BIOL 22b. Core course for the HSSP program.
The last half-century brought an unprecedented expansion of our knowledge of the living world. The effects of these discoveries on our lives and the effects of our lives on the rest of the living world are increasing. Recent developments in biology affect our health care choices, our consumer choices, and even our choices as parents. This course is intended as an introduction to contemporary biology. It stresses the fundamentals of cell biology and genetics and explores the diversity of life, including microorganisms and plants. It emphasizes evolution, physiology, and ecology. The course is intended to prepare students to understand the biology of everyday life, and to provide a strong foundation for those who continue to study the life sciences. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Simister

HS 104b American Health Care
[ ss ]
Examines and critically analyzes the United States health care system, emphasizing the major trends and issues that have led to the current sense of "crisis." In addition to providing a historical perspective, this course will establish a context for analyzing the current, varied approaches to health care reform. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Altman

HSSP 100b Introduction to Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Population Health
[ qr ss ]
Core course for the HSSP major and minor.
Provides an orientation to the science of epidemiology, the quantitative foundation for public health policy. As a comprehensive survey course, students from varying academic backgrounds are introduced to biostatistics and major epidemiological concepts, and provided with training in their application to the study of health and disease in human populations. Case studies examine how environmental, physical, behavioral, psychological, and social factors contribute to the disease burden of populations. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Wittenberg and Staff

HSSP 100bj Introduction to Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Population Health
[ qr ss ]
Core course for the HSSP major and minor. Provides an orientation to the science of epidemiology, the quantitative foundation for public health policy. As a comprehensive survey course, students from varying academic backgrounds are introduced to biostatistics and major epidemiological concepts, and provided with training in their application to the study of health and disease in human populations. Case studies examine how environmental, physical, behavioral, psychological and social factors contribute to the disease burden of populations. Offered as part of JBS program.
Ms. Mignone

HSSP 110a Integrative Seminar on Health
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: Senior status in the HSSP major.
The capstone course is designed to bring all HSSP seniors together to integrate their academic course work and fieldwork/laboratory experiences across a range of health-related disciplines. Each year the course focuses on a single issue that lends itself to examination from a variety of perspectives. Topics vary from year to year at the discretion of the faculty who teach the course. Refer to the Schedule of Classes for specific topics. Course is usually team-taught by faculty in different disciplines. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Bhalotra and Mr. Conrad

SOC 191a Health, Community, and Society
[ ss ]
This is an experiential learning course.
An exploration into interrelationships among society, health, and disease, emphasizing the social causes and experience of illness. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Conrad

Focal Area A: Biological Dimensions of Health and Illness

ANTH 116a Human Osteology
[ sn ss ]
This is an experiential learning course. Anthropology majors have priority for enrollment. The department coordinates a pre-enrollment process in the semester preceding the one in which the course is offered.
Skeletal anatomy and application of forensic techniques to archaeological problems. Hands-on laboratory sessions focus on methods of estimating age, determining sex, assessing variability, distinguishing bone disorders, and identifying cultural and natural modifications to bony tissue. Case studies exemplify bioarchaeological approaches. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Urcid

BCHM 172a Cholesterol in Health and Disease
[ sn ]
Considers cholesterol from the perspectives of biophysics, biochemistry, cell biology and physiology by analyzing primary research literature, historical reviews, and popular literature. Throughout this course, we will learn about the much-maligned molecule cholesterol. Students will give oral presentations. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Westover

BCSC 1a Designer Genes
[ sn ]
Does NOT satisfy the requirement for the major in biochemistry.
We are living during a far-reaching biological revolution. Information is stored in genes as DNA, the hereditary material of life, and this information is converted into proteins. This course investigates: identifying undesirable mutations; creating desirable mutations; cloning of cells, organs, and animals in agriculture and medicine. Usually offered every second year.
Staff

BIOL 22a Genetics and Molecular Biology
[ qr1 sn ]
Prerequisite: CHEM 10a or 11a or 15a.
An introduction to our current understanding of hereditary mechanisms and the molecular basis of gene transmission and expression. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Garrity

BIOL 22b Cell Structure and Function
[ sn ]
Prerequisite: CHEM 10a or 11a or 15a.
An introduction to the architecture and function of cells, organelles, and their macromolecular components. Topics include fundamental processes that are common to all cells, and the functions of specialized cells. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Nicastro

BIOL 42a Physiology
[ sn ]
Prerequisites: BIOL 22a and b. CHEM 25a and b are recommended.
Introduces basic physiological principles. Topics include physiology of cardiovascular and respiratory systems, electrolyte regulation, digestion and absorption, and reproduction, with an overview of immunology. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Hayes

BIOL 43b Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy
[ sn ]
This is an experiential learning course. Prerequisite: BIOL 22b.
This course provides a solid basis for understanding of vertebrate and, in particular, human anatomy. The gross and microscopic morphology of each organ system is considered in depth. Comparative anatomy, embryology, and relationships between structure and function are emphasized. Lectures, laboratory dissections, and clinical cases are used to illustrate the structure and function of vertebrates. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Morris

BIOL 55b Diet and Health
[ sn ]
Prerequisite: BIOL 22b must be successfully completed prior to taking BIOL 55b.
Reviews the current evidence concerning dietary impact on the chronic diseases of humans. Topics include genetics and nutrition, cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, and cancer. Students also examine the involvement of specific nutrients; for example, fat and cholesterol, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and alcohol in these disease processes. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Hayes

BIOL 125a Immunology
[ sn ]
Prerequisites: BIOL 22a,b and CHEM 25a.
Topics include properties and functions of cells involved in innate and adaptive immunity; genes, structure and function of immunoglobins, B cell receptors and T cell receptors; lymphocyte differentiation; genetic regulation; MHC restriction; cell interactions and signaling; pathogen immunity (bacteria, viruses) and vaccines; tolerance and autoimmunity. Usually offered year.
Ms. Press

BIOL 126b Protein Structure and Disease
[ sn ]
Prerequisites: BIOL 22a and b and CHEM 25a, or the equivalent, or permission of the instructor.
Reviews the basic principles of protein structure so that the functional aspects of different protein designs may be understood. Examines various protein mutations related to certain molecular diseases and the architecture of some key viruses and their infectivity. Consideration of drug design is an integral part of the course. Student presentations are essential to the course. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Cohen

BIOL 128a Human Genetics
[ sn ]
Prerequisites: BIOL 22a and b.
Survey of topics, including: mutation and polymorphism; molecular methodology; single-gene inheritance and complexities thereof; multifactorial conditions, risk assessment, and Bayesian analysis; cytogenetics; hemoglobinopathies; population genetics; gene mapping; cancer genetics; ethical considerations in genetics; immunogenetics; pharmacogenetics; genetics of development; biochemistry of selected genetic diseases; gene therapy, genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics. Usually offered every year.
Staff

BIOL 132a General Microbiology
[ sn ]
Prerequisites: BIOL 22a,b and CHEM 25a.
Topics include the physiology and the properties of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms; microbial nutrition, metabolism, growth, and genetics; horizontal gene transfer; concepts in infectious diseases; microbial pathogenesis; epidemiology; immunity and other means of microbial control. Selected disease-causing organisms are discussed, including problems they pose for medical control and society. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Press

BIOL 149b Molecular Pharmacology
[ sn ]
Prerequisites: BIOL 22b and CHEM 25a and b. NBIO 140b strongly recommended.
Covers the essentials of pharmacology and the study of the actions of chemical agents (drugs, toxins, neurotransmitters, and hormones) that interact with living systems. Emphasizes molecular mechanisms of neuropharmacology. Topics include pharmacokinetics, hormone action, autonomic pharmacology, and the psychopharmacology of drugs of abuse and mental disorders. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Griffith

BIOL 160b Human Reproductive and Developmental Biology
[ sn ]
Prerequisites: BIOL 22a and b.
Course deals with hormonal, cellular, and molecular aspects of gametogenesis, fertilization, pregnancy, and birth. Pathological and abnormal variations that occur and the available medical technologies for intervention, correction, and facilitation of these processes are discussed. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Jackson

BIOL 172b Growth Control and Cancer
[ sn ]
Prerequisites: BIOL 22a and b and CHEM 25a.
Covers the fundamental rules of behavior of cells in multicellular organisms. Examines cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern cell growth, and differentiation and survival in normal cells, as well as how this regulation is disrupted in cancer. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Ren

BISC 2b Genes and the Human Story
[ sn ]
Does NOT meet requirements for the major in biology.
Findings from the Human Genome Project are correlated with cultural, historical, and religious information about human origins, human reproduction, infectious diseases, and lineages of human populations. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Wangh

BISC 4a Heredity
[ sn ]
Does NOT meet requirements for the major in biology. May not be taken by students who have completed BIOL 22a.
An exploration of what genes are and their functions. Examines how genes are inherited, how they work, and how changes in certain genes cause inherited diseases. Also investigates recent biological developments such as the Human Genome Project, genomics, gene therapy, stem cells, and the new medical and ethical challenges these developments pose in the twenty-first century. Usually offered every third year.
Staff

BISC 4b Food, Nutrition, and Health
[ sn ]
Does NOT meet requirements for the major in biology.
Nutrition is the science of food and its role in health and disease. This course will introduce the biological background to provide students with tools to better understand everything from how we choose food to how our diet influences our long-term health. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Lai

BISC 5a Pathogens and Human Disease
[ sn ]
Prerequisite: High school chemistry and biology. Does NOT meet requirements for the major in biology. May not be taken by students who have completed BIOL 125a, 132a, or 175b.
This course discusses the life cycle, pathogenesis, transmission, and epidemiology of certain organisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc.) that cause important human diseases. Other topics include emerging diseases, host defense mechanisms, vaccines, and public health concerns. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Press

BISC 5b Diseases of the Mind
[ sn wi ]
Prerequisite: High school chemistry. Does NOT meet requirements for the major in biology. May not be taken by students who have completed BIOL 22b.
An exploration of biology of several protein folding diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, ALS, and mad cow disease and their effect on normal brain function. Examines the medical and ethical challenges of therapies, drug design, and clinical trials on patients afflicted with these disorders. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Kosinski-Collins

BISC 6b Environmental Health
[ sn ]
Does NOT meet requirements for the major in biology. Yields six semester-hour credits towards rate of work and graduation.
The impact on human health of environmental contamination with toxic, carcinogenic, or pathogenic agents. Tools of toxicology, epidemiology, and risk assessment are applied to specific environmental issues such as air and water quality, petroleum, metal, and other chemical contaminations. Usually offered every second year.
Staff

BISC 6bj Environmental Health
[ sn ]
Does NOT meet requirements for the major in biology. Yields six semester-hour credits towards rate of work and graduation.
An introduction to the science and tools of environmental health, giving students hands-on skills to explore directly current issues experienced by local communities. Students will become familiar with the environmental health paradigm, the conceptual model of the field, including underlying principles of hazard identification, exposure assessment, toxicology, risk assessment, and characterization and interpretation of epidemiological studies. Offered as part of JBS program.
Ms. Goldin and Mr. Stewart

BISC 7a The Biology and Culture of Deafness
This is an experiential learning course. Does NOT satisfy the school of science requirement. Does NOT meet requirements for the major in biology.
An exploration of the biology, sociology, and language of the deaf. Looks at mechanisms of hearing and different causes of deafness. Medical models of deafness are compared with sociological and cultural concepts of deafness. The course also introduces students to the language of the deaf community in the United States, American Sign Language (ASL). Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Morris

BISC 8a Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine
[ sn ]
Prerequisite: High school biology and chemistry. Does NOT meet the requirements for the major in biology.
Examines the science, history, policies and ethics behind this biomedical field. Although stem cells and regenerative medicine are touted as the next breakthroughs in human therapies, they have also engendered much argument and controversy. This course provides the scientific context for understanding the debate over stem cell research, and discusses the promises and pitfalls of the field. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Lau

BISC 8b Drugs that Changed the World
[ sn ]
Prerequisite: High school chemistry and biology. Does NOT meet the requirements for the major in biology.
Introduces the science underlying drug discovery and development. Students learn basic principles of microbiology, chemistry, biology, pharmacology and statistics while learning how a drug progresses from bench to bedside. Students learn to decipher a drug packaging insert. Topics include landmarks in antibiotic and cancer chemotherapy, featuring recently approved drugs such as Herceptin and Gleevec. Readings are drawn from the original scientific literature, FDA rulings, patent law, and the popular press. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Hedstrom

BISC 9b Biology of Cancer
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Does not meet the requirements for the major in Biology.
Introduces the fundamental aspects of cancer development, progression and treatment with an emphasis on the cellular and molecular changes thought to lead to cancer. Both genetic and lifestyle factors and their impact on the predisposition to develop and recover from cancer will be discussed. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Dore

CBIO 106b Chemical Biology: Medicinal Enzymology
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Prerequisites: Satisfactory grade in BIOL 22a and BIOL 22b and CHEM 25a and CHEM 25b or the equivalent.
Introduces students to the conceptual framework and experimental methods in medicinal chemistry. Topics include mechanisms of drug-target interactions, strategies for lead optimization and issues in metabolism, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Readings drawn from textbooks and the original scientific literature. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Hedstrom

NBIO 140b Principles of Neuroscience
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Prerequisite: BIOL 22b or permission of the instructor.
Examines the basic principles of neuroscience. Topics include resting potentials, action potentials, synaptic transmission, sensory systems, motor systems, learning, neural circuits underlying behavior, neurological diseases, and mental illness. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Marder

NBIO 145b Systems Neuroscience
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Prerequisite: NBIO 140b.
We are entering an historic period during which many systems-level mysteries of brain function will be solved. This course will attempt to give a perspective on this enterprise. We will begin by defining what it means to understand a brain region, i.e. what criteria must be satisfied. We will then read and discuss key papers that begin to meet these criteria for different brain stuctures, including the cortex, thalamus, hippocampus, basal ganglia and cerebellum. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Lisman

NBIO 146a The Neurobiology of Human Disease
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Prerequisite: NBIO 140b.
A lecture- and literature-based overview of the neurobiological underpinnings of neurological and psychiatric disorders including autism, mental retardation, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other developmental and degenerative disorders. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Nelson

NBIO 150a Autism and Human Developmental Disorders
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Prerequisite: BIOL 22b.
Autism and other developmental disorders are characterized by cognitive and behavioral deficits and by subtle changes in brain development. This course takes an integrative approach to investigate the biological, behavioral, medical, and social aspects of human developmental disorders. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Birren

NPSY 141a Stress, Physiology, and Health
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Prerequisites: NPSY 11b, NBIO 146a, PSYC 38a, or NPSY 199a.
About a third of all diseases in western society are related to stress. The study of psychosocial determinants of health is a growing field, in which biological and psychological research is combined to understand pathways between CNS processes and health. We will study these processes in this course. sually offered every year.
Mr. Rohleder

NPSY 199a Human Neuropsychology
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Prerequisite: Psych 1a or Math 10a and at least sophomore standing.
Designed as an introduction to human neuropsychology. Topics include cerebral dominance, neuroanatomical mapping, and localization of function, with special reference to language, memory, and related cognitive function. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Wingfield

Focal Area B: Social and Behavioral Dimensions of Health and Illness

ANTH 111a Aging in Cross-Cultural Perspective
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Examines the meanings and social arrangements given to aging in a diversity of societies, including the U.S., India, Japan and China. Key themes include: the diverse ways people envision and organize the life course, scholarly and popular models of successful aging, the medicalization of aging in the U.S., cultural perspectives on dementia, and the ways national aging policies and laws are profoundly influenced by particular cultural models. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Lamb

ANTH 127a Medicine, Body, and Culture
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Examines main areas of inquiry in medical anthropology, including medicine as a sociocultural construct, political and economic dimensions of suffering and health, patients and healers in comparative medical systems, and the medical construction of men's and women's bodies. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Lamb, Ms. Kammerer or Ms. McCullough

ANTH 142a AIDS: Science, Society, and Policy
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An examination of the AIDS pandemic from cross-cultural and anthropological perspectives. Topics include biosocial approaches to disease, epidemiology of transmission, national and international institutions, prevention and treatment, and ethical issues; case studies from the Americas, Asia, and Africa. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Kammerer

ANTH 154a Culture and Mental Illness
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Without underestimating the importance of biological causes and treatments, this course challenges the hegemony of bio-medical models in psychiatry by seeking to conceptualize emotional problems and mental illness as historically situated and culturally constructed. Examines how factors related to political circumstances, social institutions, religious belief systems, socio-economic status, and ethnic background participate in shaping forms of distress and the ways they are dealt with in various socio-cultural settings. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Schattschneider

BISC 6bj Environmental Health
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Does NOT meet requirements for the major in biology. Yields six semester-hour credits towards rate of work and graduation.
An introduction to the science and tools of environmental health, giving students hands-on skills to explore directly current issues experienced by local communities. Students will become familiar with the environmental health paradigm, the conceptual model of the field, including underlying principles of hazard identification, exposure assessment, toxicology, risk assessment, and characterization and interpretation of epidemiological studies. Offered as part of JBS program.
Ms. Goldin and Mr. Stewart

ENG 58a Literature and Medicine
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How has literature grappled with illness, healing, and the patient-doctor encounter? How can poetry and storytelling communicate with experience of bodily pain--and how does the body seek to communicate its suffering without language? We examine literary responses to the body's biological vulnerabilities, and seek to contextualize the vulnerable body within the cultural and political fields that shape medical knowledge and practice. Readings in fiction, poetry, essay, and drama will suggest the art, or craftsmanship, involved in the healing sciences, as well as the diagnostic nature of literary criticism. Reading for new approaches, generated by the literary imagination, to controversial issues in medical ethics. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Sherman

ENVS 102aj Field Research and Study Methods: Environmental Health
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Comprises the skills and methods component of the four-course Environmental Health and Justice JBS. Students will be trained in environmental health study design, sampling methodology, field research and equipment techniques, data interpretation, statistical analysis, risk communication and presentation. The course will equip students to design and carry out a semester-long environmental health research study integral to the themes of Environmental Health and Justice JBS. Offered as part of JBS program.
Ms. Goldin and Mr. Stewart

HSSP 114b Racial/Ethnic and Gender Inequalities in Health and Health Care
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An examination of the epidemiological patterns of health status by race/ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic status. Addresses current theories and critiques explaining disparities in health status, access, quality, and conceptual models, frameworks, and interventions for eliminating inequalities. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Jefferson

PHIL 23b Biomedical Ethics
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An examination of ethical issues that arise in a biomedical context, such as the issues of abortion, euthanasia, eugenics, lying to patients, and the right to health care. The relevance of ethical theory to such issues will be considered. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Hirsch

PSYC 33a Developmental Psychology
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Prerequisite: PSYC 1a.
An examination of normal child development from conception through adolescence. Course will focus on theoretical issues and processes of development with an emphasis on how biological and environmental influences interact. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Watson

PSYC 37a The Psychology of Adult Development and Aging
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Prerequisite: PSYC 1a.
Describes the sensory, cognitive, personality, health, and social changes that occur during early, middle, and later adulthood. Emphasis is on pathways to successful development and healthy aging in the context of a shifting balance of gains and losses in psychological and physical functioning. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Isaacowitz and Ms. Lachman

PSYC 38a Health Psychology
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Prerequisite: PSYC 1a.
An examination of the social and psychological factors important for well-being, physical health, and effective medical care. Psychological perspectives are applied to such topics as health promotion and compromise, the stress-illness relationship, social relations, chronic illness, death and dying, and health care provider and patient interactions. Usually offered every second year.
Staff

PSYC 130b Life Span Development: Early and Middle Adulthood
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Prerequisites: PSYC 1a, 31a or 33a, 51a, 52a, or permission of the instructor.
Seminar on advanced topics in life span developmental theory and methodology. Substantive emphasis will be on cognitive, personality, social, and physical changes that occur in early adulthood and midlife. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Lachman

PSYC 145b Aging in a Changing World
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Prerequisites: PSYC 1a, 51a, 52a, or permission of the instructor.
Psychological issues related to the aging process are examined in a multidisciplinary perspective. Topics include intellectual functioning, memory loss, personality changes, and physiological changes in later life. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Isaacowitz and Ms. Lachman

PSYC 169b Disorders of Childhood
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Prerequisites: PSYC 1a, 33a, and permission of the instructor. Seniors and juniors have priority for admission.
Issues of theory, research, and practice in the areas of child and family psychopathology and treatment are reviewed in the context of normal developmental processes. Usually offered every fall.
Mr. Cunningham

SOC 117b Sociology of Science, Technology, and Medicine
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From the moment we are born, to when we die, our lives are shaped by science, technology, and medicine. This course draws on both historical and contemporary case studies to examine how science and medicine enter into our ideas about who we are as individuals and members of social groups (e.g., gender, race, ethnicity), understandings of health and illness, and ideals regarding what constitutes a good life, and a good death. Usually offered every other year.
Ms. Shostak

SOC 165a Living and Dying in America: The Sociology of Birth and Death
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This is an experiential learning course. Not open to first year students. Not open to students who had a death in their immediate family in the past year.
This course introduces the tools and concepts central to the sociological study of birth and death in the United States. It is discussion-based and includes guest speakers, field trips, and interactive assignments. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Cadge

SOC 177b Aging in Society
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Explores the social context of aging by using sociological theory, empirical research, and literature. Examines such topics as aging in residential settings, the aging experience of minority groups, health and illness, the economics of aging, gender, work, and retirement. Also examines the definition of aging in other societies in order to understand the contemporary Western response to aging. Contains a field research component. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Fried

SOC 189a Sociology of Body and Health
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Explores theoretical considerations of the body as a cultural phenomenon intersecting with health, healing, illness, disease, and medicine. Focuses on how gender, race, class, religion, and other dimensions of social organization shape individual experiences and opportunities for agency and resistance. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Shostak

SOC 193a Environment, Health, and Society
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This is an experiential learning course.
This course draws on sociological perspectives to examine two key questions: (1) How does social organization enter into the production of environmental health and illness? and (2) How do scientists, regulators, social movement activists, and people affected by illness seek to understand, regulate, and intervene in relationships between the environment and human health? Usually offered every year.
Ms. Shostak

Focal Area C: Health Care Policy and Practice

Undergraduates in the HSSP program may be admitted to the graduate-level courses below (numbered above 200) with the permission of the instructor.

HS 124a Dilemmas of Long-Term Care
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Fifty million Americans have a disability. What kinds of help do they want? What are the responsibilities of families, friends, and communities to help? Current U.S. approaches to service delivery, financing, and organization are reviewed and alternatives considered. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Leutz

HS 412b Substance Use and Societal Consequences
Provides an overview of the use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Examines the consequences of abuse from a societal perspective and reviews types of policy approaches to dealing with the problems associated with substance abuse. Specific topics include an overview of biological and clinical aspects, theories of addictive behavior, epidemiology, medical and economic consequences, prevention and education, and policy approaches including taxation and regulation. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Horgan

HS 518a Management of Health Care Organizations
Introduces students to the concepts, theories, and practical problems of managing people in health care organizations. Case material is drawn from hospital, HMO, group practice, public health agency, and for-profit company settings. Students gain a better understanding of the range of strategic and operational problems faced by managers, some of the analytic tools to diagnose problems, and the role of leadership (and management) in improving performance. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Chilingerian

HS 519a Health Economics
Prerequisite: An introductory microeconomics course.
Economic models of demand, production, and markets for goods and services can be used to analyze the key resource allocation questions in health care. Applies economic models to questions of demand concerning the utilization and distribution of health care and to questions of supply, encompassing issues of cost, efficiency, and accessibility of care. The incentives and behavior of consumers and producers of health care are considered using these models. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Bishop

HS 520a Payment and Financing of Health Care
Examines current payment practices to health care providers, the problems with current methods, and possible modifications. Focuses only upon hospital care, physician services, and managed care. Covers the different ways that managed care organizations are structured. The payment and performance of managed care organizations and how performance is related to organizational strategies are included. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Wallack

HS 521a Approaches to Political and Organizational Analysis
Focuses on refining the analytical skills useful to students for understanding the political and organizational factors influencing health care and health care policy. The readings and issues discussed are not a survey of current issues in health politics. Most readings were selected because they represent an innovative, interesting, or challenging piece of analysis. The goal of each class is to identify and critique the core arguments of the work, the conceptual categories and assumptions on which the argument is based, and the data presented in its support. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Prottas