CORE 947 SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

TEXTBOOK:  AIDS The Biological Basis by Weeks and Alcamo

COURSE DESCRIPTION:  The focus of this course will be on interdisciplinary sub-Saharan issues in bioscience with the unifying theme being on two of the universal problems of humankind: Disease and Nutritional Health.  The course will include four crucial topics for education and research: 1). HIV/AIDS, 2) The Great Neglected Diseases, 3) Nutrition, and 4) Competition with Wildlife.  Each topic is connected in thematic content around the two issues of Disease and Nutritional Health.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:  The course goals are to:

• Contextualize scientific knowledge through experiential, inquiry-based methods
• Utilize technology to facilitate inter and intra-institutional collaboration between U.S. consortium and Kenyan students and researchers
• Provide for civic engagement
• Promote cultural and gender-based sensitivity and understanding
• Encourage the development of skills that propagate continued interest in the sciences and civic engagement
• Examine how hypotheses are formulated and tested and ways that science moves from hypothesis to general acceptance of ideas, and that science advances by amendment
• Differentiate among scientific models
• Identify and locate sources of reliable science and art information for the general public; read and understand relevant articles; and use knowledge of science and art to construct reasoned arguments concerning a societal issue.

TOPICS COVERED:

• The AIDS epidemic
• Viruses and HIV
• HIV Transmission
• The Immune System and HIV
• Counting CD-4 cells
• Defining AIDS
• Epidemiology of AIDS
• Preventing HIV
• Testing and Diagnosis
• Modern Tests for HIV
• Treating HIV infection
• Pearl Fernandes: HIV/AIDS
• An AIDS Vaccine
• AIDS in Perspective
• The Great Neglected Diseases
• Amoebas and Hemoflagellates
• Malaria
• Helminthes/Filariasis
• Schistosomiasis
• Competition with Wildlife
• Nutrition