Biological Sciences

In this course, students gain a fundamental knowledge of microbiology, and the experimental tools used. The course focuses on microbes and techniques for studying them, through a combination of theoretical knowledge and hands-on experiments. Students examine the invisible world of microbes, investigating microbiomes of skin, soil and water, and exploring the role of probiotics. The course includes visits to a microbiology-related industry and witnessing real-world applications of their learnings. The course requires students to take General Biology as a prerequisite.

In this course, students study animal physiology, emphasizing how to compare and contrast the physiological processes across different animal groups that govern their day-to-day function. Students gain an appreciation of how response strategies are used to cope with different external environments and how physiological plasticity is key to maintaining and adjusting physiological processes in terrestrial and aquatic animals.

This course studies animal immune systems and the application of a variety of immunological methods to research and diagnosing diseases. Topics include: immunological functions in vertebrates and analogous activities in invertebrates; structures and biological properties of immunoglobulins and T-cell receptors; divergence of antibody genes; emergence and characteristics of lymphoid tissues; major histocompatibility complex; complement pathways; immunity against bacteria, viruses, and parasites; AIDS: vaccinations, hypersensitivity, and autoimmunity; and immunological tests and immunochemical techniques using non-mammalian and mammalian antibodies and their application to various biological problems. 

Developmental biology deals with the various steps necessary for the correct and complete formation of the body of a living organism. In this course, students are introduced to the mechanisms used to produce different cell and tissue types and ensure these cells develop in the correct position and identity. Students learn, using examples such as the eye and limbs, that similar developmental mechanisms are employed by diverse organisms. The role that developmental biology plays in medicine in stem cell therapy, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine are also considered.

This graduate research course provides training in experimental skills and scientific presentation for doing research in the field of Life Sciences. Students choose their own research topic and perform research under the guidance of a subject matter expert in their field. The course varies depending on the research topic but it may include weekly lab meetings; presentations of up-to-date research articles, and participation in scientific discussion with the instructor and lab colleagues. 

This course examines the abiotic environment; plankton and productivity; cephalopods and fish; adaptations to life in the epipelagic; marine turtles, mammals and seabirds - diversity, distribution, adaptations for feeding and reproduction, key Caribbean species and conservation status; life in the deep sea; and tropical coastal communities.

This course explores viruses and viral disease by examining viral structure and function. It explains how viruses subvert host cell function to generate viral factories. Citing examples such as the influenza and HIV viruses, students examine details of the pathogenic mechanisms used by viruses to cause disease. The course also covers the design of viral vaccines and their use in eradicating viral infections such as polio.

This course covers advanced molecular genetic concepts, together with their associated analytical or research-driven techniques, presented, where possible, by scientists or clinicians actively employing these concepts and techniques in their own research or clinical practice. The course covers: Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) - finding genes associated with complex disease; Pharmacogenetics (PGx) - using genetics to "individualize" drug treatment; Next Generation Sequencing - methods and application to translational medicine; networks of transcriptional control and regulation; chromatin regulation; recombineering and transgenic tools; genome editing techniques and uses; genetically modified (GM) foods and other plant technologies; RNA interference - future therapeutic or useful laboratory tool?; microbiome; and stem cell genetics.

How does cancer evolve in a patient? This course looks at cancer from an evolutionary angle and provides another way of thinking about cancer biology.