Health Sciences

• SAR HS 444: Child Health Programs in Low Resource Settings
  This health science senior seminar will explore programs and policies that impact child health in Low and Middle Income Countries. We will cover infectious diseases - including HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, respiratory infections and diarrhea - as well as major non-infectious causes of child morbidity and mortality, including nutrition, early child development and mental health. We will discuss the full life cycle of global health programs from building the evidence base through epidemiological studies through implementation science and monitoring and evaluation.
• SAR HS 445: Emerging Infectious Diseases
  Emerging infectious diseases include relatively new pathogens, new strains of existing pathogens, the spread of a known pathogen into previously unaffected locations or populations, or a significant evolutionary change in an existing pathogen. Students become familiar with the impact of these diseases on global health, medical practice, international commerce, and development. The course addresses preparedness, surveillance, and response to emerging infectious diseases in our increasingly globalized world.
• SAR HS 450: Non-Infectious Diseases
  This course will examine the four most common preventable non-infectious diseases (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, upper respiratory diseases), which accounted for nearly 60% of all deaths in the world and 80% in the developing world. Estimates predict that the "second wave" of non-infectious diseases in the coming years will have a detrimental impact on global health and economies. Despite the enormous global burden of non-infectious (or non-communicable) diseases, adequate programs for prevention and treatment do not exist and challenges faced are complex. This course will focus on the preventable risk factors (diet, exercise, tobacco, alcohol, lifestyle, etc), growing burden of disease, and current issues and challenges in control of the four most common diseases, and include discussion, field trips to examine the issues, and the ability for students to be a part of the solution through design of their own intervention.
• SAR HS 463: Germs and Genes
  This course will focus on the social determinants of health--the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, age and die. We will examine case studies from around the globe that reveal the ways in which health inequities are shaped by the distribution of resources, money, and power at the local, national and global level, and the critical role played by social policies in reducing or exacerbating these inequities.
• SAR HS 467: Research Methods in Nutrition
  This course provides an overview of methods used in nutrition research, including dietary assessment methods, indicators of nutritional status, analysis and presentation of dietary data, statistical interpretation, and clinical research methods. The course includes lectures, a field trip to a Boston-area clinical research center, and hands-on experience with nutritional assessment and anthropometrics techniques. Students participate in in-class discussions of published research articles to learn techniques for deriving evidence-based recommendations for clinical practice. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to read, interpret, and understand the findings from clinical research studies and understand the fundamental tools that are used by nutrition researchers.
• SAR HS 470: Topics in Public Health
  This course addresses new and emerging issues in the field of public health through interactive case study method and the medical literature. The format is small group discussion. Topics vary each semester; but include infectious diseases (HIV/AIDS), maternal and child health, chronic diseases (obesity, mental illness), health and human rights, and international health. 4 credits, 2nd semester
• SAR HS 475: Disability Advocacy and the Law: Theory, Practice and Real World Challenges and Actions
  This interdisciplinary course provides the student an exciting understanding of disability advocacy, integrating theory and practical coursework. It emphasizes the role of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and its supporting Amendment Act (ADAAA) as the basis for disability advocacy through theory and direct experience; how advocacy occurs among disability stakeholders (the nation's public health leadership, elected officials, lawyers, judicial, health care, education and social service systems, and providers, family members, persons with disabilities, media, and the public). The class provides hands-on learning on the challenges of non-available disability-based accommodations along with the development of and opportunity to implement a corrective action plan. 4 credits, 2nd semester
• SAR HS 480: Comparative Healthcare Systems
  Health systems play an important role in improving life and well-being. Yet there is a profound gap between the potential of health systems and their actual performance. Today, countries around the globe face difficult choices and increasing challenges in organizing, delivering, and funding high- quality health care. In this course students will: understand the components, determinants, and approaches to the structure and outcomes of health care systems in low- and middle-income countries; learn trends in global health care reform and reform outcomes in country-specific contexts; and gain basic knowledge and skills to understand health care systems evaluations with a goal toward designing effective policy strategies that would improve health system performance.
• SAR HS 486: Applied Nutrition Care
  This course provides a review of and an opportunity to implement all aspects of the nutritional care process. Through classroom discussion of case studies as well as experiences at in- and out- patient facilities, students will gain expertise in the provision of nutritional care. 4 credits, 1st semester
• SAR HS 487: Appl Nutri Coun
  
• SAR HS 495: Directed Study
  Educational experiences and projects performed outside the standard curricular offerings. Undergraduate student completes a defined project under the supervision of a researcher who may or may not be a BU faculty member.
• SAR HS 497: Independent Study
  Project must be proposed in writing before registration and completed with relative independence under guidance of a supervising faculty member. Final report submitted before the end of the semester.
• SAR HS 500: Food Science
  An in-depth didactic and laboratory review of the physical and chemical properties of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and water. Each macronutrient is discussed from its smallest starting molecule to its complex role in food items. Other related topics include food safety and food-borne illness, food preservation and processing, culinary techniques, food regulations and standards, food additives, food technology, and subjective evaluation of food. The laboratory requirement applies the food science principles through hands-on experiments in the kitchen setting.
• SAR HS 510: Management of Food and Nutrition Services
  This course provides the foundational knowledge of food service and clinical nutrition management explored through a systems approach. Management of human resources, quantity food production, menu development, financial accountability and quality control will be discussed as well as regulatory and other controls that influence the function of the system.
• SAR HS 540: Nutrition for Sport and Performance
  Nutrition plays an essential role in exercise, sport and performance. In this course we will explore how the components of one's diet fuel the body during physical activity as well as the importance of dietary intake during exercise, sport and performance to maintain overall health and well being. In the context of practical application, students will learn current nutrition/dietary strategies to enhance overall physical performance.
• SAR HS 542: Exercise Physiology
  Application of physiological principles under different exercise conditions. Integration of the body systems in performance of exercise, work, and sports; immediate and long-range effects of these activities on the body. Laboratory includes the measurement of physiological parameters under extreme conditions.
• SAR HS 550: Neural Systems
  Exploration of mechanisms of signal transduction, communication, and integration in the nervous system. The approach is multidisciplinary, drawing upon fundamental concepts of the neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, and physiology of the nervous system. Lectures focus on patterns of processing in unimodal sensory, polymodal, motor, and limbic cortices. Methods used to investigate the nervous system are described and illustrated to facilitate comprehension of the current literature.
• SAR HS 551: Human Nutrition Science
  This course provides an introduction in the scientific foundations of nutrition and focuses on the relationship between diet and health. Scientific information is presented in preparation for discussion of macro- and micro nutrients and their role in human health and disease
• SAR HS 561: Nutrition Throughout the Life Cycle
  This course focuses on the changing nutritional requirements from infancy, childhood, and adolescence throughout the geriatric years. Nutritional needs specific to pregnancy and lactation will be discussed. Emphasis is placed on understanding the behavioral, socioeconomic, and cultural factors associated with meeting nutrition requirements throughout the life span. 4 credits, 2nd semester
• SAR HS 566: Community Nutrition
  This course will cover the dramatic effect of the socioeconomic status, cultural and psychological factors on food choices. Students will learn how to target populations, deliver effective nutrition interventions in the community, and perform a community-based needs assessment. Students will also obtain a working knowledge of federal, state, and local assistance programs. Principles related to nutrition education, program planning, and outcome evaluations will be discussed. A community intervention project will be assigned. 4 credits, 1st semester

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