Overview and syllabus

Course number: SCI2299

Faculty: Joanne Pratt
Office: AC407
Lab AC406
Office hours:  By appointment
joanne.pratt@olin.edu

Class Meeting Times: AC417
Tu  10:50-12:30
Fri  9:50-12:30

Catalog Description:
More than thirty years have passed since the declaration of a “War on Cancer”, yet nearly 600,000 Americans are predicted to die from cancer this year.  This course will examine the environmental and biological causes of cancer.  We will explore why traditional treatments (chemotherapy, surgery and radiation) and the early promise of biotechnology have not led to a significant improvement of life expectancy for most forms of cancer.  Through analyses of journal articles and clinical trials, we will assess the diverse emerging technologies for cancer research, diagnosis and therapy.  Some of the technologies to be explored are angiogenesis inhibitors, microarrays, stem cell therapy, gene therapy, radiology/imaging and biological and immunological modifiers.  Class discussion and student presentation of primary literature will be integral parts of this course.

Major topics to be covered
Environmental and Metabolic Causes of Cancer
Cancer Genetics
The Tumor Microenvironment
Traditional approaches to cancer and their limitations
The Immune System and Cancer
Recent Developments in Cancer Research, Diagnosis and Treatment
Translating Research: drug discovery and the clinical trials process

Grading = Final grade will be based on the following:

• PIPI (see description below) and Homework           30%
• Oral presentations                                                       20%
• Papers                                                                            30%
• Lab Report and notebook                                           20%

Specific Learning Objectives

Students will acquire the knowledge and demonstrate understanding of the principle concepts relevant to cancer, using verbal and written communication.  Students will also develop skills in reading and discussing scientific journal articles, conducting and presenting literature and laboratory-based research and conducting laboratory experiments relevant to cancer research.

Measurable Outcomes: Students will be able to:

• Students will demonstrate an understanding of the principle concepts and skills used in the study of cancer biology. Students will learn how to harness knowledge of the basic science to solve problems in cancer medicine. (OLOs developed: critical thinking and disciplinary content/domain knowledge assessed through weekly classroom presentations and discussions and a literature review paper (2 editions) and oral presentation by students.)

  Students will develop technical reading, writing and oral communication skills and demonstrate an ability to utilize scientific resources (literature, databases) to research and present a topic of interest. (OLOs developed: communication, assessed through weekly classroom presentations and discussions, a literature review paper on a student selected topic (2 editions) and corresponding formal presentation on the same topic, and a lab report.)

  Students will gain experience with the basics of designing, conducting and evaluating laboratory experiments. (OLOs developed: skill development, critical thinking and analysis, assessed through interactions with students in the lab, a lab notebook and a written or oral lab report.)

  Students will demonstrate an understanding of the larger societal context in which cancer research and treatment play a role in everyday life and medicine, and how societal context shapes the advancement of research in biology/cancer research and medicine. (OLOs developed: context, assessed through class discussions and writing assignment)

  Students will demonstrate an ability to set learning goals, take action on these goals and critically reflect on their progress toward these goals. (OLOs developed: identity development, self-directed learning, assessed through goal setting and reflection documents)

Elements of the Course

Required books-

Textbook:  The Biology of Cancer, Robert Weinberg second edition
Optional, Fun, Recommended Reading-
How Cancer Works, Lauren Sompayrac
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot
The Emperor of All Maladies, Siddhartha Mukherjee

PIPI (participation, initiative, professionalism and improvement)

This is a discussion-based class, therefore student attendance and participation are key to an effective learning environment.  All four components of PIPI will factor into the final PIPI score.  For example, a student who participates in class discussions, yet demonstrates unprofessional behavior or produces unprofessional assignments (late, sloppy, full of typos, didn’t follow instructions) will receive a poor PIPI grade.

Homework Assignments:

Class discussions will provide a means to demonstrate understanding of concepts and to identify areas that require more explanation.  Students will have homework assignments that represent milestones of their independent research projects and critical analyses of peers’ work.  In addition, students will prepare answers to questions regarding the week’s reading for each chapter covered or prepare presentations/lead discussions of relevant topics.

Students will be responsible for leading discussions of primary literature articles. A sophisticated understanding of the article is expected; students may need to conduct background research to bring additional issues relevant to the topic to the classroom.  All class members are expected to read the article(s) and to come to class prepared to discuss them.

Independent literature-based research projects

Each student will conduct independent research throughout the semester.  Topics will be student-selected (with instructor guidance) and represent an issue that is at the forefront of cancer research and treatment.  Journal articles, media sources, textbooks, internet sources (clinical trials databases) and scientists/physicians will be resources for this research project.  Students will give a 20 minute oral presentation and write a paper on their project.  Additional information on this project will be provided.

Laboratory research projects

Each student will conduct a research project with 1 teammate during the semester.  Students will identify a project that addresses a question in cancer research, and design and implement relevant techniques to answer the question.  Students will keep a lab notebook and write a brief lab report of their findings.