New and Noteworthy Online Courses

Jan. 7, 2022

 

University of Arizona Health Sciences Global and Online is continuing to expand the online course offerings available through the five Health Sciences colleges. This is part of the overall mission to increase accessibility of health sciences education at home and around the world.  

New online content includes topics ranging from immunobiology, to biomedical ethics, to human aging – and more. Courses are conveniently offered in a fully online format, allowing students to join from wherever they have an internet connection. 

See below for a sampling of the online health sciences courses being offered for the Spring 2022 semester. Interested current UArizona students can navigate to schedule.arizona.edu and search by subject and course number to review schedules and availability and should work with their advisor to understand how these courses may fit into their plan of study prior to registering.  

Last updated 1/10/2022.  


Regular Semester Session: 1/12/22 - 5/4/22 

  • CMM 465/565 Fundamentals of Light Microscopy and Digital Imaging - This is a lecture/hands-on course that teaches the essential principles and applications of light microscopy and electronic imaging.  By the end of the course, you will be able to use and adjust a research microscope for various modes of light microscopy. 

  • IMB 501 Medical Microbiology and Immunobiology - The molecular and biological characteristics of microorganisms of importance in human health and disease; the reaction of the host (immune system) to infectious agents and the mechanisms of host defense (immunity); molecular and cellular immunology and pathogenesis of infectious disease. This course will be taught by several experts in the areas of immunology, virology, bacteriology, mycology, parasitology and infectious diseases. (Available to Arizona Online students only.) 

  • HSD 497 Design for Health Workshop: Addressing Human Health Challenges with Design Thinking (In Person*) - In this course, you will gain creative confidence and hands-on problem-solving experience as a member of an interdisciplinary team. Your team will work on addressing health seekers' experiences within the healthcare system that requires you to apply the design thinking process "Notice, Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test, and Reflect" to understand and clearly define the real (as opposed to the perceived) need, explore design options/concepts, analyze options, prototype your design, and pitch your design recommendation and implementation plan. Using project-based learning techniques, this experiential learning course will enable you to learn about a subject through the experience of exploring an open-ended, student-driven topic in healthcare delivery and patient-centered service experiences. Appropriate for undergraduate and graduate students in any discipline, through enhanced group collaboration, you will build intellectual and practical skills in inquiry and analysis, critical and creative thinking, written and oral communication, teamwork, and problem solving. (*This course is only being offered in person for the Spring 2022 semester, Wednesdays 1:00PM-3:30PM. Reach out to kkiehlbaugh@arizona.edu for more information.) 

Seven Week – First Session (7W1): 1/12/22 - 3/4/22 

  • CMM 437/537 Immunology Basics - The immune system integrates with all organ systems of the body, providing defense against pathogenic microorganisms and cancer, while contributing to homeostasis of many pathways throughout the body.  This course, intended as an introduction to immunology, will provide essential background for medical and other health sciences students studying the immune system. 

  • ETH 501 Biomedical Ethics and Global Corruption - Corruption in government and typical daily life limits authentic and genuine moral and ethical foundations. There can be a commonality of corruption in governments, businesses, and populations globally. Additionally, there is the ethical quagmire of truth-telling and why it is so easy to lie. The truth can bring unpleasant and unknown dilemmas, and unfortunately, lying can be easy to do. The law that protects the vulnerable may not always co-exist with ethics. This course will look at the differences between law and ethics and determine the ways they work together. 

  • ETH 504 Key Moral Theories and How They Apply to the Most Important Issues in Global Ethics - Ethics is thought to be universal, yet when one explores ethics, principles, and moral theories, all seem to be guided by global culture, race, and even language. What then are the reasons? In this course, we will be doing a deep dive into the quagmire of confusion related to the diversity of ethics and moral theories. One can begin to see how individuality, bias, culture, and more identify a lack of commonality. Ethics, moral theories, and religion are intertwined and sometimes conflict with each other when culture serves as a foundation. Is it possible to recognize, understand and accept the blurring of ethics and moral theories related to cultural individuality? 

Five Week – First Session (5W1): 1/12/22 - 2/16/22 

  • CMM 443/543 Embryology Basics - This course will present major events in human development during the early embryonic period (weeks 0-4), as well as disorders of development established during this period. In addition, it will introduce the mechanisms involved in early embryonic morphogenetic changes.  It will provide pre-health science professions students (Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Public Health) as well as students planning a career in biomedical research with valuable background in human embryology and developmental biology including a cellular and molecular (genetic) basis for understanding congenital malformations. Clinical examples will be used to help students understand mechanisms of typical and atypical development. The course will complement the study of histology and gross anatomy.  In addition, it will provide vocabulary that is useful in approaching medical and basic science literature. 

Five Week – Second Session (5W2): 2/17/22 - 3/30/22 

  • MED 531 Human Aging: Applied Theory - This course provides an opportunity for students to synthesize biological, psychological, sociological and humanistic perspectives of aging and apply it in real-world and relevant scenarios. Additionally, new theoretical models and tools will be introduced to aid in thinking about and reflecting on the aging process.   (Pre-requisites: MED 511, 512 & 513) 

  • MED 533 Aging Interprofessional Practice and Communication - Students will learn about terminology and common derogatory communication patterns that are present in discussion with or about older adults. Students will also learn how to apply the skills necessary to find, engage and participate in interdisciplinary and community collaboration in the areas of research, policy, provision of support, services and other opportunities. 

  • CMM 444/544 Embryology II - This course’s content selection is based on concepts studied in health professions programs, especially medicine.  As such, it will be helpful to pre-health professions students as well as to those pursuing careers in biomedical research. Embryology II will present the major morphogenetic changes occurring in the mesodermal germ layer and relate them to the development of endodermal structures during the embryonic period of human development.   (Pre-requisite: CMM 434/534) 

  • AIAR 524C Arts and Community Health: Intercultural Perspectives and Applications: Part III - Aging - This co-taught course provides an overview of how creative arts practices have been implemented to promote community health and wellness. Interdisciplinary in nature, the course draws on existing theoretical frameworks, practices, and research methods from both the arts and health sciences and seeks to promote inter-professional dialogue about how to expand the contributions of creative arts in promoting healthy communities. Students in the course will bring perspectives from their respective fields of study and will have opportunities to explore innovative ways to integrate creative arts practices into their fields of practice and research. This third course of a three part 1-credit course series focuses on creative arts in the context of aging, dementia, and brain health.

Seven Week – Second Session (7W2): 3/14/22 - 5/4/22 

  • CMM 534 Genomic Medicine - This course provides pre-health science professions students (Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, Nursing, Public Health) as well as students planning a career in biomedical research with a valuable background in the application of genetics to the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of human diseases. 

  • CMM 436/536 Cell Biology Basics - Cell biology is integral to virtually all aspects of biomedicine, and Cell Biology Basics will provide a valuable grounding in the basic concepts of the cell biology to students planning careers in the pre-health science professions (Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Public Health, etc.), as well as students planning a career in biomedical research. This course will provide an overview of the major organelles in cells and their functions, along with a discussion of key pathways and concepts in cell biology.    

  • CMM 550 Inflammation and Immune Pathology - Students pursuing many fields in biomedicine will benefit from an understanding of the major mechanisms of inflammation, pathology caused by the immune system, pathways of resolution, and therapeutic targets. This course will provide pre-health science professions students, as well as students planning a career in biomedical research, with an essential understanding of the ways in which the immune system contributes to disease. Prerequisites for this course are general biology, cell and molecular biology, and basic immunology. (Pre-requisite: A course in immunology, such as CMM 437/537 or equivalent) 

  • CMM 447/547 Histology Basics - An introduction to pathology.  This is first in a series of three courses which examine the structure and function of cells and tissues.  These courses not only give a good broad overview of structure and function of the human body, but also provide necessary background for the study of pathology, including practice in interpreting tissue samples in which disease is present. 

  • CMM 558 Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition in Development and Disease - This course provides graduate level students planning a career in biomedical research with an understanding of a fundamental cell process involved in the generation of three-dimensional organisms.  The process of EMT is reiterated in adults in both the pathologies of cancer and organ fibrosis and is a likely target for prevention and treatment.   The course will explore the common and disparate elements of EMT in the variety of tissues and pathologies where it occurs.   

  • ETH 502 Humanities, Ethics and Health: A Global Perspective - Humanities, ethics and health, all find themselves in different places globally, defined and designed by cultures and persons. In this course we will explore the cultural differences as they relate to the health of persons, how cultures globally interpret medical ethics and ethical principles and how healthcare and moral foundations are driven by cultures and bias. 

  • ETH 503 Biomedical Ethics and The Law - Biomedical ethics and the law sometimes do not play nice with each other. There can be a significant disconnect between the two requiring a deep dive into the reasons why and how to mitigate the disconnect. The cultural relationship between the law and medical ethics sometimes carries a bias towards one or the other, and the law as it relates to the culturally specific well-being of individuals is at stake. In this course we will explore the reasons why there is a disconnect between biomedical ethics and the law and how it affects a person’s health. 

Five Week – Third Session (5W3): 3/31/22 - 5/4/22 

  • CMM 445/545 Embryology III – This course’s content selection is based on concepts studied in health professions programs, especially medicine.  As such, it will be helpful to pre-health professions students as well as to those pursuing careers in biomedical research. Embryology III will present the major morphogenetic changes occurring in the development of endodermal structures and the male and female urogenital systems.   (Pre-requisites: CMM 434/534 and 444/544) 

  • CMM 461/561 Clinical Reasoning: Working Clinical Cases - This course will teach the application of process skills for reasoning through clinical cases, from presentation to differential diagnosis. This course is intended as part of an introduction to reasoning for students planning careers in the pre-health professions (Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Public Health, etc.). In applying the process of clinical reasoning to example cases, pre-health students will develop foundational skills for case-based instruction and their eventual application to diagnosis and management. 

  • CMM 466/566 Microscopy Basics for Biomedical Research - This course provides a basic introduction to how Light Microscopy is used in Biological and Biomedical Research. Students will learn fundamental topics in optical theory, how microscopes work and their history, types of brightfield and fluorescence microscopes, and the types of biological questions that can be answered using microscopes as a tool in research. The content will conclude with a discussion of image analysis and scientific ethics. Light microscopy is a ubiquitous tool in research and in medical practice, therefore, students pursuing many fields in biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, and medicine will benefit from an understanding of this fundamental tool. 

 

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