Health Sciences

This course introduces the history of medicine in Western society from the Ancient Greeks to the present. It examines some of the different ways that doctors have thought about health and illness over the past two and a half thousand years and raises questions about the historical origins of modern scientific medicine. The course introduces the changing role of experts in society, historical shifts in concepts of the body and of disease, and the changing understanding and impact of epidemics from antiquity to the present day.

This course studies infectious diseases in a multidisciplinary way with a global public health emphasis. The first part introduces basic knowledge of the disease processes and the human immune responses. The second part focuses on three types of viruses that cause zoonotic infectious diseases in the modern era: retroviruses (i.e., HIV/AIDS), influenza viruses (i.e., H5N1, H1N1, H7N9), and coronaviruses (i.e., SARS, MERS, COVID-19). The focus of the discussion is on the biology of host-pathogen interactions, the basic epidemiology of infectious diseases, and possible countermeasures, including disease surveillance and vaccine development. The importance of social determinants of infectious diseases is also reviewed. The global impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) will be explored in the third part of the course. Factors affecting drug use, both on macro and micro levels, are discussed and analyzed. The course ends by highlighting the "One Health" concept (i.e., human-animal-environment interfaces) in responding to zoonotic diseases and AMR.

The course offers a comprehensive exploration of the intricate dynamics shaping healthcare systems. Topics include the fundamental principles underpinning the relationship between demand, supply, and disparities in health and healthcare. The course examines the impact of insurance mechanisms and payment incentives on healthcare markets, understanding how these factors influence access, utilization, and quality of care. Through the lens of behavioral economics, students uncover the cognitive biases shaping healthcare decision-making, equipping them with insights to design more effective interventions. Students acquire practical skills in designing and conducting economic evaluation studies tailored to specific populations or settings. Students learn to assess the costs and outcomes of public health interventions, enabling them to determine the economic efficiency and societal impact of healthcare initiatives.

This course covers the basic concepts and principles of the methods and techniques used in social neuroscientific research, which include electroencephalography, structural and functional neuroimaging, non-invasive brain stimulation, hormone administration, eye scanning, and measurements from the autonomic nervous system. This course provides a basis for other courses including neuropsychology, biological psychology, clinical and health psychology, cognitive neuropsychiatry, and cognitive neuroscience. The following topics are reviewed: functional electroencephalography, structural and functional neuroimaging, psychophysiology, non-invasive brain stimulation, psychoneuroendocrinology, and integrative neuroscience.

This course is designed for students wishing to clarify and advance their career goals through an 8-week internship in Thailand. It provides a structured learning environment to help students make the most of their internship experience. While there are no regularly scheduled class meetings, internships are conducted under the close academic supervision of the School of Global Studies at Thammasat University. An assigned internship coordinator provides oversight and guidance for the duration of the internship. The course requires a minimum of 288 total work hours.