Featured Course
MED 2101 - Biomedicine: past, present, and future
Instructor: Georgia Duker
Course description
The ongoing a dvances in biomedicine permeate our civilization, symbolized by the mapping of the human genome and tissue and organ transplantation, have entered an accelerated phase of the biological revolution begun in 1543 by Vesalius. In his landmark work on human anatomy, Vesalius employed evidence-based science, observation, and empirical induction. This course will attempt to analyze this biomedical revolution through an examination of the historical, social, and scientific elements of major biomedical themes (topic areas). It will identify the major points of origin and the historical context in which each theme arose, present an overview of the progress of each theme to the present time, and from these observations attempt to predict where each may be heading in the future. Topics will likely include the following:
The structure of the human body and human physiology: Form and function
The cellular and subcellular structure of the body
Regulation of the internal milieu and homeostasis
Evidence-based medicine: Clinical trials and informatics
Foreign invaders: Bacteria through viruses
Inheritance and genetics: Nature and nurture
Recognition of self: The science of immunology
Pharmacotherapy: From "natural" products to designer drugs
The brain: New biology of central nervous system disorders
The science of healing: Medical education, patient-doctor and decision support
Students who may be interested in this course
Students interested in science, especially in biological and medical science, will have a specific interest in this course. However, it should appeal to any student interested in the goals and function of our society. Healthcare now utilizes approximately 14% of the U.S. gross domestic product with future predictions running as high as 20%. Demographics reveal that the percent of elderly (greater than 65 years) and very elderly (greater than 85 years) continues to increase rapidly with significant effects on healthcare expenditures, ethical behavior, family relationships, and social pressures brought about by changes in biomedicine.
Evaluation
Grades will be based on the following criteria: class attendance, preparation and participation in class discussion, and three short essays required from each student.
Prerequisites
The only prerequisite is an interest in the advances achieved in biomedicine and their effect on society. Students should have some knowledge of science and biology and at least an acquaintance with basic definitions and concepts. This course is limited to juniors and seniors, freshmen and sophomores by instructor's permission.
About the instructor
Georgia K. Duker was born in Illinois. Her small town upbringing fostered an early sense of independence; having three brothers forced her to continually assert that she could do whatever a boy could do! After completing a B.S. in Biology at Penn State University in 2 ½ years, she traveled in Europe and Asia for a year, then returned to Penn State for a M.S. in Biology/Biochemistry. She came to the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine for her Ph.D. in Human Anatomy and Cell Biology. A brief three-year sojourn as a biology faculty at Simmons College in Boston was followed in 1987 by her return to Pitt as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology in the School of Medicine. Dr. Duker currently teaches “anything normal” for first and second year medical students: cell biology, biochemistry, physiology, and histology. Her teaching contributions are scattered over ten different courses throughout that two-year span and range in format from large lectures, microscopy labs to small problem-solving groups. Dr. Duker is also known for her past performances in the medical school talent “extravaganza” where her whimsical guitar sing-alongs succinctly summarized the human body. Dr. Duker’s spouse of 26 years, Dr. Johnston, also received his education at Penn State and ultimately his M.D. at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He is a Nephrologist who shares her love of teaching. Indeed, both Dr. Duker and Dr. Johnston have been honored by the medical students with their “Golden Apple” Award and by the University with the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award. Dr. Duker has also been active in the Girl Scouts for 26 years and recently led a 4-day wilderness kayaking trip for her troop of 12 and 13 year old girls.