Required Courses

ETHS 700. Fundamentals of Scientific Integrity.

The goal is to provide framework and overview of scientific professionalism and research integrity. The emphasis is transmitting the core principles and virtues to formalize the expectation of what an ideal professional scientist aims for. The topics covered include an introduction to ethics, role obligation of scientists, philosophies of sciences, principles for the practice of science and virtues of scientists. Students will also learn case study analysis using the methodology “Developing a Well Reasoned Response to Moral Problems in Science.” Student will also have overviews and case studies covering the core concepts of responsible conduct of research: data acquisition, management, sharing, and ownership, mentor/trainee responsibilities, publication practices and responsible authorship, peer review, collaborative science, human subjects, research involving animals, research misconduct and conflict of interest and commitment. Students will also learn about how to raise a question of conscience.

BICM 700, 701. Scientific Communication. (1)

Instruction and practice in oral and written scientific communication.

BICM 705. Biochemistry I. (4)

Examination of the basic physical and chemical principles underlying protein structure, protein assembly and interactions, enzyme function, and production and storage of metabolic energy within cells. Contemporary concepts concerning the organization and cellular regulation of metabolic pathways are also presented. P-General and organic chemistry, general biology, or POI.

BICM 707. Biochemical Techniques. (2)

Theory and application of selected important biochemical laboratory techniques. Lectures and problems. P: or C: 691, 705, or equivalent exposure to biochemistry.

BICM 731. Molecular Biology I. (3)

A survey of the fundamentals of molecular biology. Included are fundamentals of microbial genetics and discussions of nucleic acid structure and mutagenesis, DNA replication and recombination, transcription and control of gene expression and protein translation (1 hour). The introduction is followed by an advanced treatment of these topics, and discussions of mammalian genetics and immunogenetics with emphasis on current trends in research. P-BICM 705 or current enrollment in 705.

PSPR 702. Phys/Pharm II: Basic Physiology and Pharmacology. (4-6)

Instruction in fundamentals of physiology and pharmacology. Areas addressed include basic features of physiological systems including muscle, renal, endocrine, and cardiovascular systems, as well as basic pharmacological concepts such as pharmacokinetics.

Note: Students are required to take one of the following courses in statistics:

HSRP 730. Introduction to Statistics. (4)

Introduction to statistical concepts and basic methodologies that are prevalent in biomedical literature. It includes discussion of such topics as descriptive statistics, probability, sampling distributions, hypothesis testing, simple linear regression, correlation, one-way analysis of variance, categorical data analysis, and nonparametric method. 

HES 721. Data Analysis and Interpretation. (3)

The application of basic statistical techniques in the analysis and interpretation of data in scientific research. Topics include descriptive statistics, simple linear and multiple correlation/regression analysis, t-tests, analysis of variance and covariance, and non-parametric statistics.

PSPR 741. Quantitative Methods in Behavioral Science. (2)

Addresses applied statistical approaches within common behavioral research studies.  General focus is on selection of the most appropriate test for research aims and hypotheses as well as computational methods.  Specific topics include power analyses, effect sizes, analyses of variance, analyses of covariance, regression techniques, multivariate statistics, and post hoc testing.

This course will be designed for various faculty members and students of the Program to jointly describe a human disease, first in clinical terms and then to follow the development of the understanding of that disease to the molecular level. This course will introduce students to potential preceptors and allow the student to see experimental strategies used to study human disease by faculty in the Program. Click here for current schedule of 711 speakers and topics; click here for 712.

MOME 715. Clinical Experience. (3)

This course will serve as an introduction to clinical medicine for the PhD student. Students will be required to round with medicine and pediatric teams in the intensive care units and to observe pediatric and internal medicine outpatient clinics. They will also observe in several clinical laboratory settings. Students will observe and interact with members of the health care team in medical decision-making and serve as a source of basic science information for the medical team.

MOME 721. Foundations of Clinical and Translational Science. (3)

This course is designed to build on the student's basic biochemistry and cell biology knowledge obtained in the first year with an intensive examination of human physiology and human disease. In this course, a series of case scenarios will be examined by the students with the assistance of an MD and PhD facilitator. Cases will take the students through the patient presentation, physical examination, and diagnostic evaluation with representative clinical material including x-rays, CT/MRI scans, and pathologic specimens. Physiology, pathophysiology, and the molecular mechanisms of health and disease will be emphasized in group discussions. Once the diagnosis is established in the course of discussing the case, learning issues will be developed by the group centered upon treatment options, their mechanisms of action, the appropriate design of clinical trials to test new therapies, and the research base for future advances in prevention and treatment. The facilitators will assist with student-led discussions of these issues, and relevant, current literature will be examined.

MOME 724. Scientific Development and the Business of Science (3)

This course reviews techniques for effective communication of scientific proposals and presentations, both oral and written. The course comprises a series of lectures, student presentations of selected papers, and student preparation of a grant proposal. The objectives of the course are: to effectively formulate, develop, and execute scientific presentations (oral and written); to acquire grant writing skills (e.g. familiarity with format, deadlines, committees, and protocols); to develop critical thinking and the ability to review grants and papers, and to understand the mechanisms of the peer review process. With respect to oral presentations the emphasis is on content organization and connection with the audience. Assignments consist on the presentation and discussion of papers by the students. With regard to written presentations, the emphasis is on grant proposal development. Various faculty members are involved in mock study sections to provide feedback to the students on the actual proposals.

MOME 791, 792. Research (9)

This course involves closely supervised research in various topics in molecular medicine, with a special emphasis on models of human disease, including research in preparation for the doctoral dissertation.

Selective(s).

In addition to the required courses, students in the PhD program must select, in consultation with their advisor, two graduate-level science courses (totaling at least 5 credit hours in 700-level courses). Students are required to complete these selective courses prior to their Preliminary Examination. 

The following WFU graduate programs offer graduate-level courses that would meet this requirement:

• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Biology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Cancer Biology
• Chemistry
• Comparative Medicine
• Health and Exercise Science
• Mathematics
• Microbiology and Immunology
• Molecular and Cellular Pathobiology
• Neurobiology and Anatomy
• Neuroscience
• Physics
• Physiology and Pharmacology
• Psychology