UCLA Stem Cell Training Grant Course

STEM CELL BIOLOGY AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE

M272

Course Objective: The objective of this course is to provide students with current knowledge of embryonic and adult stem cells and how these pluripotent/multipotent populations can be used to treat congenital defects, diseases, or injury in humans. The initial portion of the course will survey current knowledge of embryonic stem cells and the factors that regulate their growth and development into tissue specific stem cells. Subsequently, adult stem cells in the hematopoietic, nervous, and other systems will be discussed in order to provide examples of the various types of tissue specific, adult stem cells. Major emphasis placed on how advances in cell and molecular biology and tissue engineering can be applied to the use of embryonic and adult stem cells in regenerative medicine.  In addition to these topics, another major course objective is to introduce students to the bioethical and legal issues related to stem cell research.

Course Reading: Reading has been assigned for each lecture and is accessible at this link. Please complete reading before each session so that you will be able to participate in discussions. 

Presentations/Discussions: During each Friday session, students will present an overview of their current or proposed research project followed by a question and answer period.  There will be two presentation formats:

i. CIRM pre-doctoral, post-doctoral, and clinical fellows have already developed research projects. Each fellow will present his or her project during one of the Friday sessions. The questions that are being addressed, the experimental approaches being used, and the results that have been obtained will be presented followed by a question and answer period. Students will have up to 25 minutes for each presentation.

ii. Non-CIRM graduate students may be at earlier stages of training and have not yet developed a thesis project and generated original research results. Students in this category will write a two-three page "letter of intent" to the hypothetical "Stem Cell Foundation" in which they define a critical question in stem cell biology, outline their scientific approach, and anticipate experimental outcomes and future directions. Students will present their proposed research plan during one of the Friday sessions. Students will have up to 15 minutes for each presentation.

Grading: Enrolled students can take the course on a grade or S/U basis. Satisfactory performance will be based on class attendance, participation, and the quality of the research presentation.