Becoming whatever you want to be: lessons learned from a stem cell

Catalog description

Sophomore Preference. Stem cells are extreme: they are the most powerful cells in the body and yet they are unimaginably scarce; they exist in nearly every tissue but actually locating them is enormously challenging. Stem cells have the potential to transform the practice of medicine, while at the same time their potential application to human disease continues to spark political debates around the world. In this class, students will discuss the medical hype and hope that surrounds stem cells, socio-political implications surrounding their research, and general concerns with inequitable access to healthcare. While topics like tissue healing and regeneration will focus on the human body, participation from students whose fields of interest fall well outside human biology is welcome. Engineers, artists, historians, writers, economists--all will find intersections between the course subject matter and their own interests. Class sessions will be largely in-person however virtual access will be made available for students upon request on a case by case basis and primarily for medical needs.