Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program | University of California, San Francisco

This course is intended to provide a broad foundation for understanding modern biomedical genetics. The major initial emphasis is on the genetics of model systems beginning with bacteria and ending with mice. The 12 lectures and 4 discussion sessions that comprise this first part of the course are intended to expose students to basic features of the various model systems including some of the genetic principles that they have helped reveal, their advantages and disadvantages as experimental systems, practical aspects of how to exploit them, and examples of their use. The second part of the course (8 lectures and 4 discussion sessions) is focused on human genetics. The lectures in this part cover the genetics of simple and complex traits, statistical genetics, genome structure and diversity, and cancer genetics. The third element of the course is three hands-on computer classes designed to acquaint students with procedures to access and manipulate online genomic/genetic information using genome browsers and other publicly available tools and databases.

Students meet in small groups for the discussion sessions. Each session concerns a paper that relates to a recent lecture or group of lectures. Each member of the group will be responsible for leading one of the eight sessions. Student leaders will give a short introductory presentation and take the group through the main points of the paper while making use of pre-assigned discussion points from the lecturers.

Course Directors: Christian Vaisse and Nigel Killeen
Course Instructors: David Toczyski, Creg Darby , Su Guo, Laura Bull, Allan Balmain, Neil Risch, Steve Hamilton, Eric Rulifson, David Erle, Pui-Yan Kwok
Teaching Assistants: Josie Clowney, Ying Tan, and Julie VanderMeer
Lecture room location: Parnassus, N-217& videoconferenced to Mission Bay Gen Hall S202

Course Duration: January 5 - March 26, 2009
Midterm Exam: January 29 - February 9, 2009

MIDTERM EXAM, Drosophila Key, Drosophila Grading Rubric, C.elegans sample answer
Final Exam: March 19 - March 26, 2009

Downloadable course schedule
Computer Session Assignments

Discussion Assignments
Discussion Guidelines and Class List

Review problem sets

Bacteria problem set ---key

C. elegans problem set -- key

Yeast problem set -- key

Drosphila problem set, Perrimon reference , vandenHuvel reference-- key

Zebrafish problem set -key

Mouse problem set -key(coming soon)

Mendelian problem set (last year's exam) - key

Complex Traits problem set, paper1, paper2 - key

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Course Evaluations : Due Date: March 30, 2009 . By March 30 you will need to have completed the following 7 evaluations. Submission of completed evaluation forms is a course requirement. Grades will not be distributed to the Registrar's office until we receive all sets of evaluations from you.

Lecturers, 1, 2, 3 - Darby, Toczyski, Rulifson
Lecturers 4, 5, 6 - Guo, Killeen, Bull
Lectures 7, 8, 9 - Hamilton, Risch, Balmain
Paper Discussions 1, 2, 3
Paper Discussions 4, 5, 6
Paper Discussions 7, 8
Computer Sessions

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Note: Please bring a laptop to the first lecture on Monday 1/5 (this is a hands-on session in which you will use your computer to access online genome browsers, databases and other tools)