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University of Calgary Calendar 2019-2020 COURSES OF INSTRUCTION Course Descriptions M Medical Graduate Education MDGE
Medical Graduate Education MDGE

For more information about these courses, see Graduate Science Education cumming.ucalgary.ca/gse.

Graduate Courses
Medical Graduate Education 601       Business Fundamentals
An overview of the primary business aspects involved in the health care product development industry, including company creation, intellectual property, financing, regulatory and clinical affairs, valuations and exit strategies. The principle objective is to develop a general understanding of how these different aspects integrate to form a functioning business.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Admission to the Master of Biomedical Technology program or consent of the Program Director.
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Medical Graduate Education 602       Intellectual Property and Licensing
A hands-on look at intellectual property and licensing, including reviews of actual biotechnology patents, licenses, and term sheets. Following an overview discussion on intellectual property, a deeper dive into patent and license construction enables the students to craft their own simple patents and license term sheets.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Admission to the Master of Biomedical Technology program or consent of the program.
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Medical Graduate Education 603       Project Management and Corporate Leadership
Presentation of project management tools and techniques and how to build a foundational project plan.  Explanation of corporate, personal and team leadership as well as principles applicable to larger organizations will be discussed. 
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Admission to the Master of Biomedical Technology program or consent of the program.
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Medical Graduate Education 604       Finances in Biomedical Technology
Explores how the financial community views and values biotechnology business opportunities, and the concepts and skills required to do the financial analysis. Covers some of the issues surrounding the investment process and expectations when interacting with potential investors, reading and analyzing financial statements, estimating and forecasting cash flows, and value investment and financing proposals.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Admission to the Master of Biomedical Technology program or consent of the program.
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Medical Graduate Education 605       Regulatory Affairs
Coverage of the key regulations necessary for biopharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing, how to apply to the regulatory agencies and the consequences of non-compliance in regulatory affairs.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Admission to the Master of Biomedical Technology program or consent of the program.
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Medical Graduate Education 606       Clinical Trials
Review of clinical trials strategies and the regulations around them. An emphasis will be placed on regulatory obligations and current trends.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Admission to the Master of Biomedical Technology program or consent of the program.
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Medical Graduate Education 607       Communication, Marketing and Sales
Introduction to effective strategies for communication to diverse audiences of investors, corporations and clients in the biomedical technology sector, plus consideration of optimal marketing and sales approaches with appropriate channel selection.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Admission to the Master of Biomedical Technology program or consent of the program.
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Medical Graduate Education 608       Business Case Studies
Real life presentations by corporate executives with an emphasis on strategic planning at the highest level, with examples of successes, failures and works in progress. Critical evaluation of publicly traded biotechnology corporations.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Admission to the Master of Biomedical Technology program or consent of the program.
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Medical Graduate Education 609       Business Integration
Integrating lessons learned in prior business modules and extrapolating to the corporate environment, plus business pitches.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Admission to the Master of Biomedical Technology program or consent of the program.
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Medical Graduate Education 621       Anti-tumour Drug Discovery and Current Cancer Therapies
Understanding the effective use of molecular pathology to identify biomarkers and potential targets for modulation. Explore the concepts of targeting stem cells, identification of small molecular weight inhibitors (drug discovery) and the formulation of clinical trials. Major emphasis will be placed on formulating an effective hypothesis and to design preclinical studies that will include cutting-edge ideas on molecular cancer therapeutics.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the program.   
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Medical Graduate Education 622       Proteomics and Metabolomics and Cancer Biomarker Discovery
Proteomics and metabolomics will be covered including the objectives of these disciplines, the technologies, methods and informatics used in biological mass spectrometry as applied to the ‘omics. Examples will be drawn from cancer-related disciplines (research or clinical).
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the program.   
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Medical Graduate Education 623       Tumour Immunology and Immunotherapy
Introductory topics in tumour immunobiology and immunotherapy will be covered. Fundamental and translational topics including, tumour immunogenicity, tumour immune surveillance and editing, immune escape, active immunotherapy, passive immunotherapy, virotherapy and viral vaccines, therapies targeting immunosuppressive mechanisms, and personalized immunotherapy.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the program.   
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Medical Graduate Education 624       Cell Cycle Regulation in Cancer and Aging
The links between cancer and aging, the experimental definition of the cell cycle, major events in G0, G1, S, G2, M, drivers and regulators of the cell cycle including oncogenes and tumour suppressors, cyclins, CDKs, CDIs and links to the cell cycle through tumour suppressors will be covered. An overview of biological and replicative aging including recent developments regarding the role of epigenetic modifications in cancer and aging.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the program.   
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Medical Graduate Education 625       Epigenetics and Chromatin Dynamics
Fundamentals of eukaryotic chromatin assembly, dynamic chromatin regulation and post-translational modifications that comprise epigenetics. DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications, histone variants, regulatory siRNA, nucleosome remodelling and higher-order chromatin organization. Cancer and disease-associated epigenetic alterations will be discussed in detail.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the program.   
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Medical Graduate Education 626       DNA Damage Signalling and Repair
DNA repair pathways, highlighting the cellular responses to ionizing radiation will be covered, including: base excision repair, mismatch repair, nucleotide excision repair, and DNA single strand and double strand break repair. The relationship of replication stress and telomere maintenance to genomic instability in a cancer context will be covered.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the program.  
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Medical Graduate Education 627       Cancer Cell Biology - Fundamentals and Current Topics
An advanced discussion-based format featuring analysis of the current literature in cancer cell biology with an emphasis on developmental systems. Background in cancer cell biology and signal transduction is essential. Topics include stem cells, cell polarity and migration, endocytosis and mitochondrial biogenesis, and are selected based on the student's research project to enhance their learning experience.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the program.   
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Medical Graduate Education 628       Cancer Cell Invasion, Metastasis and Angiogenesis
Angiogenesis, cell invasion and metastasis will be discussed from molecular, cell biological and clinical perspectives. Methods of experimental modelling of metastatic behaviour and angiogenesis, as well as their respective advantages and limitations will be discussed. There will be lab demonstration of available in vitro and in vivo invasion/metastasis/angiogenesis models.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the program.   
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Medical Graduate Education 629       Signal Transduction Pathways and Cancer
Fundamental principles of receptor-mediated and intracellular signalling pathways that have implications in cancer biology. Topics focus on receptor tyrosine kinases, serine/threonine kinase receptors and G-protein-coupled receptors.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the program.   
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Medical Graduate Education 630       Ethics of Data Analysis and Clinically-Oriented Research
Issues of scientific ethics as it relates to cancer research. Students learn how clinical trials involving human subjects and tissues are designed to gain ethical approval, as well as issues surrounding genomic data analysis and use. The topics of unethical data manipulation, detecting falsified data, experimental replicates and typical cancer research assays will be covered.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the program.   
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Medical Graduate Education 631       Neural Development
Fundamental principles of central nervous system development. The course encompasses the first unit of Medical Science 619.01, which is a core course for all Neuroscience graduate students. It will cover basic principles of neural induction and neurogenesis, regionalization of the neural tube, neuronal migration, circuit formation (axons and dendrites), neurodevelopmental disorders, and model organisms.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the program.   
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Medical Graduate Education 631 and Medical Science 619.01 will not be allowed.   
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Medical Graduate Education 632       Principles of Light Microscopy
Fundamentals of standard wide-field fluorescence microscopy as well as confocal and multiphoton techniques. Key concepts such as the optical light path, spatial resolution, and sampling will be emphasized. In addition, students will have the opportunity to assemble basic bright-field and fluorescence microscopes using optical “lego”.

Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the program.   
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Medical Graduate Education 633       Advanced Techniques in Optical Microscopy
Advanced techniques in optical microscopy covered though a combination of lectures and activities. Topics include total internal reflection (TIRF) microscopy, superresolution, light sheet techniques and other rapidly developing technologies. Also includes one or more selected topics in targeted illumination including fluorescence recovery after photo activation (FRAP).
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Medical Graduate Education 632 or consent of the program.   
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Medical Graduate Education 634       Digital Imaging for Optical Microscopy
The concept of the digital image and its relevance to optical microscopy will be introduced. The workflow from image acquisition to image analysis and presentation of data for publication will be covered. Good practices and pitfalls will be emphasized at every step. Students will gain experience in image processing and analysis using the standard open source package FIJI.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Medical Graduate Education 632 or consent of the program.   
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Medical Graduate Education 651       Microbial Virulence Factors
Virulence factors used by microbial pathogens to cause disease. Topics include microbial adherence mechanisms, toxigenic infections, virulence factor secretion systems, microbial gene expression.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Medical Science 611, Cellular, Molecular and Microbial Biology 431, or consent of the program.   
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Medical Graduate Education 652       Microbial Interactions at Epithelial Surfaces
Strategies used by microbial pathogens to target mucosal surfaces, and their contribution to disease. Topics include microbial disruption of epithelial barrier function, interactions with the host microbiome, microbial adaptation to host defenses, and invasion and intracellular survival strategies.

Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Medical Science 611, Cellular, Molecular and Microbial Biology 431, or consent of the program.  
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Medical Graduate Education 653       Antimicrobials and Resistance
Mechanism of action of antimicrobials, and resistance genes. Topics will also include transmission of resistance and discovery of new antimicrobials.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Medical Science 611, Cellular, Molecular and Microbial Biology 431, or consent of the program.  
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Medical Graduate Education 654       Infection and Immunity
Interactions with microbial pathogens with the innate and adaptive immune systems. Topics include immune evasion, pathogen clearance, and vaccine development.

Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the program.  
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Medical Graduate Education 655       Autoimmunity and Immunodeficiency
Advanced course focusing on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of systemic and organ-specific autoimmunity, acquired immunodeficiencies including those in the context of organ transplantation, and immunomodulatory therapies.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the program.  
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Medical Graduate Education 721       Biochemistry and Molecular Biology: Scientific Method, Data Analysis and Communication
Covers landmark discoveries in biochemistry and molecular biology (BMB), new and evolving BMB technologies, and how these can be implemented into modern research programs. Application of the scientific method, technical and ethical considerations surrounding data analysis, and essential skills for communicating scientific discoveries in the realm of peer-reviewed publication, presentation and grant application contexts.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the program.
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Medical Graduate Education 722       Nucleic Acids, DNA Replication, Transcription and RNA Signalling
Covers nucleic acid synthesis, utilization and degradation in cells. Understanding of structure-function relationships for nucleic acids, the enzymatic basis of DNA replication, how genes are read, how the transcribed RNA is processed, and how genes are regulated through a coordinated collaboration between proteins and nucleic acid sequences. Reviews emerging technologies in the study of nucleic acids and RNA at a molecular level.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the program.
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Medical Graduate Education 723       Translation, Protein Folding and Post-Translational Modification
Covers cellular proteins synthesis, modification and degradation. Topics include structure-function relationships for amino acids, the enzymatic basis of protein translation, how ribosomes are synthesized and regulated, how proteins are folded and may be modified post-translationally by enzymatic and non-enzymatic means. Emerging technologies in the study of proteins and post-translational modifications at a molecular level are reviewed.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the program.
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Medical Graduate Education 724       Introduction to Bioinformatics Resources
Covers key bioinformatics concepts and practices, as well as the basic knowledge of how to access resources for graduate-level biologists who are not bioinformatics specialists. Introduces essential bioinformatics terminologies, discusses the use of bioinformatics to infer information about an organism from its genome. Provides practical experience with bioinformatics tools and develop basic skills in the collection and presentation of bioinformatics data.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the program.
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Medical Graduate Education 725       Applied Genomics
Covers high throughput DNA sequencing technologies and genome-wide association genetics. Provides an overview of the available genomics technologies and their applications for high throughput discovery in biology (model organisms) and medicine (cancer and Mendelian disease genomics). Discussions will also encompass research ethics considerations for collecting, storing and using human genomic data.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the program.
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Medical Graduate Education 726       Applied Structural Biology
Students will learn how to describe structures of biological macromolecules and explain the most commonly occurring methods for determination and analysis of the three-dimensional structure of biomolecules. Provides an overview of biophysical and structural methods used to study the regulation and function of biomolecules, tutorials on commonly available structural visualization software and resources and how structure-guided drug design is being used for pre-clinical drug discovery.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the program.
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Medical Graduate Education 755       Directed Studies
Lectures, seminars, term papers or training in theoretical and/or laboratory methods at the advanced level in the medical sciences.
Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the program.  
MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT
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Medical Graduate Education 799       Topics in Medical Sciences

Course Hours:
1 unit (12 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the program.  
MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT
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