The course aims to broaden the knowledge of genetics by acquiring knowledge of the Genetic Principles of Evolutionary Medicine. Evolutionary medicine, sometimes referred to as Darwinian medicine, combines the disciplines of evolutionary biology and anthropology with medicine to create new paradigms for investigating and understanding disease. In evolutionary medicine, principles and theories, such as phylogeny, genetic drift, natural selection, heritability, and fitness, among others, are utilized to advance the understanding of human health, development, and disease.
Course Prerequisites
Basic Knowledge of genetics.
Teaching Methods
Face to face lessons and practical training.
Assessment Methods
Participation and success in the practical training and a short report (min 200 words - max 1000 words). The bibliography of each report should include at least three papers reported in PubMed https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed.
Texts
Presentation slides that will be distributed together with papers and documentation that will be used during the course.
Contents
The enterprise here is to understand how to use the basic science of evolutionary and population genetics in the services of medicine and public health. Main topics are: evolution, selection and modern humans with examples of recent human adaptation. Darwinian selection and its interpretation. Adaptation, selection and pesticide or antibiotic resistance. Sequencing of the human genome and variability of the genome. Main categories of genomic variability (structural rearrangements, copy number variants, single nucleotide variants, small insertions/deletions, mini- and microsatellite variants) and mechanisms sustaining genomic variability. Assessment of variant pathogenicity in relation to phenotypes. The course will include also a practical training where the students will be involved in a molecular and phylogenetic screening of their DNA.
Course Language
English
More information
For further information: alessandro.achilli@unipv.it
