MED 6114 Advanced Topics in Virology
This course consists of virology lectures and student presentation of recent virology papers with an emphasis on class discussion and critical analysis of the research being presented. Students are expected to present papers (40%), submit summaries (40%), and participate in class discussions (20%). There is no assigned textbook, but “Fields Virology” would be a useful general reference. All students are expected to read the assigned papers. One student will be selected in advance to prepare a 30-minute presentation summarizing the findings in the paper and leading a group discussion. Course content can include, but is not limited to, general viruses, oncolytic viruses, immune evasion, and viral pathogenesis. Typically offered during the Fall semesters.

MED 6127 Immunology I. Not currently offered. This graduate-level course is currently under reorganization (2025)

MED 6128 (Immunology II) Advanced Topics in Immunology
This course is designed primarily for graduate students in the Immunology & Infectious Diseases (IID) Graduate Student Program. Graduate students from outside the IID program who are interested may also register or audit the course providing they have permission of both the Chair and the Coordinator for the IID Graduate Program. The course will cover a broad range of topics, which will incorporate cellular, molecular and biochemical mechanisms in immune responses in health and disease including vaccines and immunotherapy. A working list of topics is provided at the end of this document. Typically offered in the Winter semesters.

MED 6140 (Basic Cardiovascular and Renal Physiology)
The sessions are presented by members of the Faculty of Medicine and by physicians working at the Memorial University Health Science Centre. This course consists of 99 lectures (about 45 minutes each), 5 laboratory sessions (2 hours each) and 16 tutorial sessions (2 hours each), covering cardiovascular, renal physiology, pathology and pharmacology topics relating to medicine. In these sessions, graduate students will attend lectures and participate in laboratory and tutorial sessions with 1st year medical students. The graduate students will be examined with two term and one final written exam. In addition, each graduate student is expected to submit an essay (about 10 typed pages) relating to a cardiovascular and/or renal physiology topic. The final grade for the course will be based on the students performance in the three written exams. The essay for the course will be judged on a pass/fail basis. This course is offered from April 1 to July 1 every year and is a prerequisite course for all graduate students within the Cardiovascular and Renal graduate program. Typically offered in the Winter semesters.

MED 6141 (Cardiovascular/Renal Techniques)
This course will consist of demonstrations of common preparations and techniques used to study the cardiovascular and renal system. Isolated renal and mesenteric vascular perfusion techniques used to study alterations in vascular resistance to flow in response to nerve stimulation and the infusion of agonists along with the use of a Halpern type bath to study the microvasculature will be demonstrated. Interpretation of dose response relations will be discussed in relation to normal and abnormal physiology. Clinical chemistry associated with the detection of renal and heart abnormalities as well as the presence of diabetes will also be demonstrated. The methodology related to the measurement of creatine clearance in rats will be outlined. Surgical techniques related to the in vivo arterial/venous catherization techniques and in vivo nerve activation will also be shown. Electrophysiological techniques involving the in vivo measurement of nerve activity and the in vitro measurements of smooth muscle and heart cell membrane potential will be demonstrated. Students will be asked to perform a small laboratory project using a technique of their choice outside their normal area of expertise. Attendance at the demonstrations and a write-up of the project, along with a critical appraisal of the limitations and benefits of the technique in the form of an essay, will be used to provide a student grade for the course.

MED 6142 (Special Topics in Cardiovascular/Renal Physiology)
This will consist of a course in which a students will undertake a comprehensive literature research or other directed study pertaining to a cardiovascular/renal topic of interest. The student will be assigned a supervisor for their topic and will meet on a bi-weekly basis to discuss their literature research progress. In four months period of time the student will be expected to provide a detailed review of the subject area between 50 to 75 double- spaced typed pages in length, and present a one- hour seminar to the cardiovascular/renal faculty. A grade will be assigned based on the quality of the review and seminar presentation. Typically offered during the Fall, Winter, and Spring semesters.

MED 6143 (Cardiovascular Anatomy)
This course will consist of an examination of the principles of organization of the cardiovascular system and a comparison of the cardiovascular system of man and common experimental animals. The course will consist of a combination of tutorials, lectures and laboratory exercises totaling 40 contact hours. The course lectures will examine the histology and ultra structural features of the heart, coronary, pulmonary, cerebral, renal and splanchnic circulation and the laboratory exercises will involve the study of the heart and circulation of man using cadaver material and radiography. Catheterization techniques involving humans will be demonstrated and students will perform angiographic techniques involving experimental animals. The students will also participate in five problem-based tutorials (two hours each). Evaluation will be made on the basis of tutorial (25%), laboratory (40%) and final exam (35%) performance.

MEDe 6144 (Cardiovascular/Renal Pathophysiology)
This course will discuss selected topics in cardiovascular/renal pathology. Alterations in cardiovascular and renal structure, function and pharmacology will be discussed in relation to hypertension, stroke, heart disease, diabetes and renal failure. The course will consist of a one-hour presentation by faculty members on selected topics. The faculty member will subsequently distribute a list of subtopics related to the presentation along with starting reference material. The students will then be asked to research the subtopic of their choice and present their literature search in the form of a seminar to the class the following week. This process will be repeated on a weekly basis. At the end of the course the students will be required to write an essay relating to an approved topic discussed during the course. The students will be graded on the basis of the quality of their seminar presentations, participation in postseminar discussions and the quality of the written essay.

MED 6196 Systems Neuroscience
This graduate-level course offers an in-depth study of systems neuroscience, focusing on the structural and functional organization of the central nervous system. Key topics include nervous system organization, cerebrospinal fluid flow, blood supply, motor and sensory systems, neuroregulatory networks, neuroinflammation, and higher- order functions such as learning, memory, reward, and addiction. Lectures are complemented by neuroanatomy labs, where students engage with plastinated human brain and spinal cord specimens, analyze stained tissue sections under the microscope, and discuss clinically relevant cases arising from injuries to specific structures or pathways. Typically offered in the Fall semesters.

MED 6197 Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
This graduate-level course offers an in- depth study of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying nervous system function. Key topics include membrane excitability, synaptic transmission and plasticity, neuropharmacology, neurodevelopment, cell death, glial biology, myelination, and neuroimmune interactions in health and disease. The course emphasizes cutting-edge techniques in cellular and molecular neuroscience, including electrophysiology, gene editing, and optogenetics, among others. Lectures are complemented by in-depth discussions and critiques of peer-reviewed neuroscience articles published in a wide range of scientific journals. Students will also develop a mock grant proposal on a cellular/molecular neuroscience topic of their choice, gaining experience in formulating research questions and designing effective methodological approaches to address them. Typically offered in the Winter semesters.

MED 6390 Human Population Genetics
This course provides an overview of the genetic variation of human populations and the factors that influence it, and introduces basic concepts in genetic variation in liability to human disease. Typically offered in the Winter semesters.

MED 6391 Selected Topics in Human Genetics
In this course, a student will undertake a comprehensive literature review or other directed study pertaining to a human genetics topic of interest. The student will meet weekly with the course supervisor to discuss their progress. At the end of the semester the student will provide a detailed written review of the subject area and  present a seminar to the Human Genetics Journal Club/Discussion group.  The grade will be   based on both the written review and the oral presentation.

MED 6392 Applied Human Genetics
This course will deal with the application of Genetics to the understanding, prevention and treatment of human disease. The classification, distribution and impact of these diseases will provide background to reviews of genetic counselling, clinical service delivery and evaluation, genetic screening and the role of registers and data bases. Different approaches to treatment, including gene therapy, will be discussed and ethical issues which arise, as well as genetic education of the public will be emphasized. The course will include lectures, discussions and student presentations. Students will be required to submit one essay. Typically offered in the Fall semesters.

MED 6393 Human Molecular Genetics
The course will present a synopsis of a wide range of  topics relevant to human genetics, with an emphasis on molecular aspects.   It will begin with  an overview of basic genetic concepts and will proceed to cover the current state of knowledge with respect to the occurrence of genetic mutations in human populations and methods for their detection study. Typically offered in the Fall semesters.

MED 6394 Cancer Genetics
This course will cover current knowledge of molecular and clinical genetics of hereditary cancer. Mutations predisposing to cancer, clinical characteristics, natural history and management of genetic cancer syndromes and the development of screening programs for hereditary cancers will be discussed. Penetrance, predisposition and variability will also be introduced.

MED 6395 Genetic Epidemiology
Genetic Epidemiology is a rapidly developing and highly demanding research field in the genomic era. It holds great potential for personalized medicine and improved biological knowledge of disease processes. The course will provide students with an overview of genetic epidemiology and equip them with the skills to develop statistical methods and analyze genetic data. Specific topics include concept of genetic epidemiology, study design, ascertainment bias and confounding effect, quantification of genetic contribution to complex traits, linkage analysis, association analysis, genome-wide association, multiple testing issue, and gene*environmental interaction, Mendelian randomization, gene expression analysis, introduction of NGS and metabolomics and bioinformatics analysis, and pathway and network analysis. The use of genetic software will be demonstrated. This course will provide students the necessary background and prepare them for advanced study and research in the area of genetic epidemiology. Typically offered in the Winter semesters.

MED 6400, 6401, 6402, 6403 - Required Seminar series for M.Sc. Students

MED 6410, 6411, 6412, 6413  
Required Seminar series for Ph.D. Students Formal graduate student seminars are devoted to, but not limited to, special topic presentation of current literature. Of the five graduate program theses, three (Bioscience of Health and Disease, Immunology and Infectious Disease and Genetice and Molecular Genetics. include a requirement for formal presentation in seminars. These seminars take place in Fall and Winter semesters.

MED 6578 and 6579 -- Human Gross Anatomy I & II
These courses provide advanced graduate students with in-depth anatomical training and teaching preparation for future instruction in the anatomical sciences. The content is divided into two sequential courses – Human Gross Anatomy I (Fall) and Human Gross Anatomy II (Winter & Spring), with two primary components comprising the courses: lectures and hands-on laboratories. The laboratories provide students with the best opportunity to have practical experience with the anatomy by using prosected cadavers, wet and plastinated specimens, bones, diagrams, virtual resources (e.g., Anatomage table), and models to understand the physical arrangement of the structures discussed in lecture. Objectives include 1) gaining knowledge of human anatomical structures, their location in the body, and their spatial/functional relationships, 2) developing an appreciation for variation in anatomical structures among humans, 3) learning the fine dissection skills necessary to identify, isolate, and preserve the delicate structures encountered throughout the course, 4) learning how to integrate this anatomical knowledge with clinical and research applications, and 5) gaining experience preparing anatomy-related teaching materials including lectures and cadaver presentations.

MED 6580 -- Molecular Biology of Cancer
This is a hybrid learner course taught by both basic science and clinical Faculty. Learners include Discipline of Oncology postgraduate trainees, Medicine graduate trainees or trainees in other graduate programs. Subjects covered but not necessarily limited to are: The aetiology and biology of cancer including DNA structure and stability (mutations and cytogenetic aberrations versus repair), regulation of cell cycle progression and cell growth through gene expression (growth factor signalling pathways/oncogenes, tumour suppressors and cell death), role of stem cells and differentiation in cancer, metastasis, immunological aspects and cellular markers of cancer; cancer treatments as well as cancer clinical trial design. Typically offered during the Winter semester.

MED 6590 -- Imaging and spectroscopy for biomedical science
This course is intended for those who require grounding in non-invasive measurement using electromagnetic (e.g. x-ray, NMR/MRI, gamma) and acoustic (US) radiation. The course will explore the principles of acquiring data and some of the features and limitations of the data. Offered concurrently with Med 4006.

MED 6591 -- Current Approaches to Biomedical Research (cross-listed as, Biology 6591)
The purpose of this course is to explore current methods used in molecular medicine and to apply this information through presentations and assignments. A team of instructors will lead students through the basics of informatics, imaging, gene expression and protein analysis, sequencing technologies, cellular and animal models for disease modelling, cellular signalling and genome editing techniques. Typically offered in the Fall semesters.