Fundamentals of Regeneration Biology

Catalog description

This class will be a guided tour into regeneration biology, with an emphasis on fundamental developmental processes. Instead of focusing on what we know, the goal of this course is for students to trace how we know, and how we should ask questions for the future. In my opinion, the most important scientific problems are often left unresolved not for lack of adequate information, but for lack of insights to specify the questions that require explanation. Therefore, in this class, we will work together to search for important questions in the area, by reconstructing historical and controversial ideas, dissecting classic literature, formulating our own questions, and debating to test our answers. This class is a tour, as there is no intention for it to be comprehensive; students will be treated as my future colleagues and provided by a taste of science: you should progress in your own way, at your own pace that matches your ambition in learning. Therefore, I expect the class to be interactive and even provocative, and the students to be willing to read beyond the class as active reading is essential to succeed in this course.