Courses

• GMS FA 800: Field Methods in Forensic Anthropology
  This course will provide students with a sound basis for archaeological methods applied to a variety of forensic settings. Students will learn core concepts from academic archaeology and how forensic archaeology differs from traditional methods. 3 cr
• GMS FA 802: Applied Forensic Anthropology
  Students will gain extensive experience in forensic anthropological casework, to include experience in generating analytical notes and report preparation. Students will be exposed to a variety of casework situations that forensic anthropologists encounter in medical examiner offices, international realms, government laboratories and field situations. 3 cr
• GMS FA 804: Experimental Design and Statistics for Forensic Anthropologists
  The goal of this course is to provide a working understanding of experimental design and statistical analyses that are appropriate for various types of anthropological based experiments and for the analysis of skeletal remains for unknown individuals. 2 cr
• GMS FA 805: Advanced Crime Scene Investigation
  This hands-on and lecture-based course will provide students with methods and underlying theories related to specialized aspects of crime scene processing. Topics will include techniques and principles utilized in search and recovery of human remains. Forensic entomology, mechanisms of human decomposition, use of ground penetrating radar, soil composition, excavation, telltale disturbances in flora and the presence of animal activity will be examined. A semester-long practical exercise will include the search and recovery of mock remains and the reconstruction of events. 2 cr
• GMS FA 806: Advanced Human Osteology
  This course builds on the topics covered in GMS FA 712 Human Osteology by exploring human osteology in greater depth and will include lectures and extensive experience with radiographical material. 4 cr
• GMS FA 807: Taphonomy
  This course will provide students with an advanced basis for vertebrate taphonomy, both with specific focus upon forensic settings but also with a broader understanding of taphonomic processes covering archaeology, paleoecology, and zooarchaeology. 3 cr, Fall & Spring sem.
• GMS FA 810: Mortuary Archaeology
  This course will provide students with an advanced theoretical basis for cross-cultural comparison of mortuary behavior and its archaeological interpretation. The topics will cover the history of archaeological though in this topics, processual and post-processual theoretical frameworks, the prehistory of burial, regional archaeological studies, modern Western burial practices and symbolism, gender and class difference, trophy taking, cannibalism, beliefs in undead and how they affect mortuary practices, military memorialization and warfare, ethical issues involved in the analysis of cemeteries and human remains, repatriation, and modern homicide investigation of serial killings and body movement. 3 cr, Fall & Spring sem.
• GMS FC 701: Foundations in Biomedical Sciences I: Protein Structure, Catalysis and Interaction
  The first module of the Foundations in Biomedical Science course "Protein structure, catalysis and interactions" will provide students with a quantitative understanding of protein structure, function, posttranslational modification and the turnover of proteins in the cell. In addition, students will gain facility with thermodynamics, catalysis, kinetics and binding equilibria as they apply to proteins and also to other molecules in biological systems (e.g. nucleic acids, lipids, vitamins, etc.). This course is part of a series of four core integrated courses and additional elective courses aimed towards first year Ph.D. students in the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences. The four cores will be integrated in content and structure, and therefore are intended to be taken as a complete, progressive sequence. 2 cr, Fall sem.
• GMS FC 702: Foundations in Biomedical Sciences II: Structure and Function of the Genome
  The second module of the Foundations in Biomedical Sciences course will focus on the mechanisms of biological processes that influence the inheritance, regulation, and utilization of genes. Genetic and genomic, molecular, cell biological, and biochemical experimental approaches to understanding these processes will be explored. In addition, we will discuss the possibilities of utilizing these technologies in medical treatments. This course is part of a series of four core integrated courses and additional elective courses aimed towards first year Ph.D. students in the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences. The four cores will be integrated in content and structure, and therefore are intended to be taken as a complete, progressive sequence. 2 cr, Fall sem.
• GMS FC 703: Foundations in Biomedical Sciences III: Architecture & Dynamics of the Cell
  The third module of the Foundations in Biomedical Sciences course will focus on the movement of proteins and membranes with the cell, the secretory process, the cytoskeletal framework of the cell and the resulting cell-cell interaction and communication with the matrix. Molecular, cell biological, and biochemical experimental approaches to understanding these processes will be explored. In addition, we will discuss the possibilities of utilizing these technologies in medical treatments. This course is part of a series of four core integrated courses and additional elective courses aimed to-wards first year Ph.D. students in the Division of Graduate Medical Science. The four cores will be integrated in content and structure, and therefore are intended to be taken as a complete, progressive sequence. 2 cr, Fall sem.
• GMS FC 704: Foundations in Biomedical Sciences IV: Mechanisms of Cell Communication
  The fourth module of the Foundations in Biomedical Sciences course will focus on the mechanisms of cell communication. This module will begin by discussing overarching concepts before examining the specific types of molecules that initiate and transduce signals. Examples of cell signaling and subsequent cellular responses will then be considered in different contexts to provide a framework on which future learning can be applied. As the module progresses, the complexity of the systems explored will increase from individual cells to multicellular environments such as tissues, organs, and organisms. In addition, normal processes as well as the dysregulation of cell-cell communication is disease will be studied. This course is part of a series of four core integrated courses and additional elective courses aimed towards first year Ph.D. students in the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences. The four cores will be integrated in content and structure, and therefore are intended to be taken as a complete progressive sequence. 2 cr, Spring sem.
• GMS FC 705: Translational Genetics and Genomics
  This course will explore the process by which insights from basic science research ultimately lead to new strategies for patient care with a focus on examples from genetics and more recent genome-wide experimental approaches. The course will cover examples of translational research using genetic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, approaches in human and/or model systems. Research that leads to new approaches for establishing disease diagnosis, prognosis, therapy, and personalized medicine will be discussed. The ethical and societal implications of these developments will also be considered. 2cr, Spring sem.
• GMS FC 706: Molecular Metabolism
  This optional module of the Foundations in Biomedical Sciences curriculum focuses on the biochemical, cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate cell and tissue-specific fuel metabolism. The course will present an integrated view of biochemistry and the control of cellular and organismal functions with regard to nutrient utilization. Classes include small group discussions of key papers. Mechanisms that allow cells to survive variations in nutrient supply (starvation, feeding, nutrient excess/stress) and how these mechanisms contribute to metabolic derangements contribute to disease pathogenesis (e.g. diabetes, obesity, cancer) will be discussed. 2 cr, Spring sem.
• GMS FC 707: Physiology of Specialized Cells
  This course is one of the elective course modules (Module V) of the Foundations in Biomedical Sciences curriculum. Knowledge of cellular and molecular physiology is critical to understanding the higher order of functioning of tissues, organs, and organs systems. The objective of the course is to discuss the specialized adaptations of cells that help them to function in their respective tissues and organs. This course will also provide a framework to bridge the gap between the biochemistry and the molecular and cellular biology that students have acquired in the core modules (I through IV) and organ physiology and pharmacology that will be addressed in the second year. 2 cr, Spring sem.
• GMS FC 764: Professional Presentation Skills
  The course is designed for first year graduate students. The goal of this course is to teach students how to present their research in written and oral form. Students will give multiple short oral presentations and be critiques. They will also give 1 longer presentation. Students will learn to give presentations with and without slides. Students will also begin to acquire written skills in preparation for the Proposal writing course in the second year. The course will meet weekly and will be 2 credits.
• GMS FS 700: Criminal Law and Ethics
  An overview of legal, ethical and practical issues of forensic science, the impact of forensic science on the justice system and a discussion of traditional and emerging admissibility standards involving forensic science evidence is given. The curriculum will include a description of the roles law enforcement, attorneys and forensic scientists, professional standards for the practice of criminalistics and ethical issues in forensic pathology, psychiatry and crime scene investigation. 2 cr
• GMS FS 701: Crime Scene Investigation
  This combination hands-on and lecture-based course will provide students with an in-depth review of crime scene assessment and management. Methods of identifying, documenting, collecting and packaging physical evidence from various types of crime scenes are discussed. A hands-on component will be employed in areas such as crime scene sketching, photography and evidence collection. 3 cr
• GMS FS 702: Forensic Biology
  This lecture-based course will introduce students to the biological aspects of forensic evidence including biochemical and physical attributes of blood and other body fluids. Common methods of body fluid identification utilized in forensic laboratories will be discussed at length. Other topics include guidelines for thorough evidence examination, screening, documentation and report writing. 3 cr
• GMS FS 703: Forensic Chemistry
  This lecture-based course will provide an introduction to chemical principles and instrumental techniques associated with the following areas of the field: controlled substances, toxicology, ignitable liquids and explosives. A review of organic and analytical chemistry as they relate to forensic investigations will be discussed. 3 cr
• GMS FS 704: Forensic Biology Laboratory
  This laboratory-based course will give students an opportunity to apply the principles of forensic biology to actual samples. Techniques utilized will include screening tests, methods used to confirm antibody interactions, gel diffusion and microscopic identification of cellular material. 2 cr

Back to full list of Division of Graduate Medical Sciences