Molecular Toxicology: Chemical and Biological Mechanisms

Catalog description

Course Goals: Exposures to foreign compounds (drugs, carcinogens, and pollutants) can disrupt normal cellular processes leading to toxicity. This course will focus on the molecular mechanisms by which environmental exposures lead to end-organ injury and to diseases of environmental etiology (neurodegenerative and lung diseases, reproduction disruption and cardiovascular injury). Students will learn the difficulties in modeling response to low-dose chronic exposures, how these exposures are influenced by metabolism and disposition, and how reactive intermediates alter the function of biomolecules. Mechanisms responsible for cellular damage, aberrant repair, and end-organ injury will be discussed. Students will learn about modern predictive molecular toxicology to classify toxicants, predict individual susceptibility and response to environmental triggers, and how to develop and validate biomarkers for diseases of environmental etiology. Students are expected to write a term paper on risk assessment on an environmental exposure using available TOXNET information. Pre-requisites: Must have taken or will take Fundamentals of Pharmacology concurrently. Undergraduate course work in biochemistry and chemistry essential. Exceptions allowed based on past course work. Please consult with students with required prerequisites; residents in in Environmental and Occupational Health, and professional masters students (MPH and MTR).