Courses

• GMS GE 704: Genetics and Genomics Colloquium II
  Prereq: consent of instructor. The Genetics and Genomics Colloquium will be a highly participatory journal club where the students will be asked to give presentations on cutting edge research with the focus on communication skills rather than scientific content. This approach will allow students to become more comfortable with public speaking while developing the skills necessary for effective communication of scientific ideas. Dasgupta. 2 cr, Spring sem.
• GMS GE 901: Research in Genetics and Genomics
  Var cr, Fall and Spring sem.
• GMS IM 600: Bioimaging Foundations
  Prereq: consent of instructor. The physical, mathematical, and experimental foundations of bioimaging are studied with historical context and are presented in the following sequence: bioimaging, principles, bioimaging mathematics, and bioimaging physics, leading to the study of the different bioimage generation techniques (modalities). Jara. 4 cr
• GMS IM 610: Magnetic Resonance: Principles, Methods, and Applications in Biomedical Research
  Prereq: consent of instructor. This course will provide an overview of the underlying principles of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and the various methodologies used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) with emphasis on methods applied in biomedical research. The course will emphasize the connection between the basic manipulation of the spin system via the sequence of RF and gradient pulses (the pulse sequence) and the information that can be retrieved from the observed object, be it a solution of an isolated protein of the human brain. Hallock. 4 cr
• GMS IM 620: Bioimaging Theory & Imaging Processing
  Prereq: consent of instructor. The main theoretical aspects of bioimaging are studied, including image meaning, image generation, image quality (analysis, improvement, and limits), image information content (generation and extraction), and image assisted modeling of biologic systems. Mathematical foundations and basic techniques for digital image processing are studied theoretically as well as in a hands-on approach in the Image Processing Laboratory. Studied topics include linear and matrix algebra, calculus, image processing techniques for image enhancement, image manipulation for structural analysis (segmentation, quantification and measurement), and for three-dimensional visualization and exploration. Hallock. 4 cr
• GMS IM 630: Methods of Functional Imaging of the Brain
  Prereq: consent of instructor. This course will provide an overview of the various existing methods for detecting and mapping brain function in vivo. A brief introduction will provide the necessary background to brain physiology: electrical activity, synaptic transmission, cell metabolism and haemodynamic response associated with neuronal activity. Jara. 2 cr
• GMS IM 650: Bioimaging Practicum
  Prereq: consent of instructor. Students participate directly in day-to-day imaging activities including clinical (radiology daily noon conferences) as well as research activities (hands-on imaging experi-ments with phantoms and animals). Jara. 4 cr
• GMS IM 651: Statistical Analysis of Neuroimaging Data
  Prereq: consent of instructor. This course is designed to give the student a working knowledge of the parametric and nonparametric statistical procedures that are commonly used to analyze data generated from in vivo imaging techniques such as CT, MRI, PET and SPECT. Killiany. 2 cr
• GMS IM 655: Special Topics in Bioimaging
  Var cr.
• GMS IM 660: Radiation Protection & Ethics
  Prereq: consent of instructor. Many of the established and state-of-the-art modalities in diagnostic imaging rely upon radiation as the imaging agent. However, radiation in itself is considered a hazard that must be controlled. This course will introduce the fundamentals of understanding radiation, the risks of radiation exposure, and the methods of minimizing its harmful potential while maximizing its beneficial qualities. Norbash. 2 cr
• GMS IM 670: Special Topics in Bioimaging
  Prereq: consent of instructor. Imaging has come to increasingly serve as a substrate and necessary ingredient for progressively more complex diagnoses and therapy. The increasing significance of the imaging components has been classically appreciated in fields such as radiation therapy, where planning of treatment based on images is integral to the therapy itself, and has spread beyond the boundaries of such disciplines to numerous surgical fields such as neurosurgery, orthopedics, and ear, nose, and throat surgery. TBA. 2 cr, on demand.
• GMS IM 680: Professional Development
  Prereq: consent of instructor. This is a preparatory course for students making the transition from a formal academic program into the dynamic work place. It will cover those fundamental skills required to facilitate searching, locating, and qualifying for the job of one's choice. It will cover topics such as building a portfolio, networking, resume writing, and interviewing skills. Speakers in the various fields of imaging will be invited to discuss how he or she made the transition into the workplace and students will have the opportunity to discuss and discover the various pitfalls on the paths of entry into the field of his or her choice. Zucker. 2 cr
• GMS IM 700: Thesis Research I
  Prereq: consent of instructor. First phase of a four-semester directed research project, the MBI project in the field, select a faculty member in the greater Boston area who will agree to serve as an thesis advisor, identify a line if research and define the specific objectives of a project to be conducted in the following three semesters. Jara. 2 cr
• GMS IM 701: Sectional Anatomy for Imaging Professionals
  Prereq: consent of instructor. Imaging techniques such as computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have seen rapid rates of growth in the past years. It is vital that professionals working with these imaging tools have a strong working knowledge of gross anatomy to understand the images they are looking at. This course is designed to give students in the Masters in Bioimaging program the fundamental knowledge they will need of gross anatomy. The course is taught from medical images such as CT and MRI rather than more traditional methods since this is the source of information the MBI students are expected to encounter in their future. Moore, Siwek. 2 cr, Fall and Spring sem.
• GMS IM 710: Thesis Research II
  Prereq: consent of instructor. Second phase of a four-semester thesis research project in the field of bioimaging during which students postulate a hypothesis, design an experimental protocol to test the hypothesis, acquire data (pilot and final). Jara. 2 cr
• GMS IM 730: Thesis Research III
  Prereq: consent of instructor. Third phase of a four-semester thesis project in the field of bioimaging during which students finish data analysis and primarily concentrate on writing a comprehensive technical report describing in detail their work in Phases I and II. Jara. 2 cr
• GMS MA 605: Pluralism and Healing in the United States: A History
  This course explores the history of therapeutic pluralism in the United States, beginning with the colonial period and continuing to the present. We will examine how this therapeutic pluralism necessarily includes the story of American religious pluralism, the rise of biomedicine, and the changing faces of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), while factoring in the roles of class, race, and gender. We will work with primary source materials, as well as sources from history of medicine, and medical anthropology. 3 cr (students needing a fourth credit should speak with instructor about adding a single directed study credit.) Barnes, M 3-6:00
• GMS MA 640: The Cultural Formation of the Clinician: Its Implications for Practice
  This course will provide a context for exploring and reflecting on one's own cultural formation in relation to such topics as gender, sexual orientation, race, class, religion, body size, and other areas where there are the greatest risks for health disparities through unexamined bias. The course examines the values one brings into one's practice as a care provider, and how the interaction of both influence one's personal and professional life, including responses to diverse patient cultures. Offered through M.A. program in Medical Anthropology. Barnes. 3 cr (Students who need a fourth credit should contact the instructor about adding a single directed study credit.)
• GMS MA 650: Society, Healthcare, and the Cultures of Competence
  This course examines the history and current policies of health education, beginning with the notion of "competencies" as a basis for biomedical training and the development of a model that has been exported to other fields. Focuses on the conceptual formation of key "professional competencies" in medicine, acupuncture, and pastoral care. Readings include autobiographical accounts of medical students, physicians, chaplains, and acupuncturists. Offered through MA program in Medical Anthropology. Laird. 3 cr, Spring sem.
• GMS MA 677: Topics in Medical Anthropology: Chronic Illness
  This seminar develops a critique of topics in medical anthropological theory. It revisits significant legacies from classic anthropology, joining them with insights from current theory and ethnography, to analyze selected issues in medical anthropology. Each year, a specific topic serves as a focal point, and is examined through a variety of analytical frames employed in medical anthropology. The topic for 2013 is chronic illness. Weiner. 3 cr, Spring sem.

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