Office: VSM 304
Phone: 621-4580
Email: csterlin@u.arizona.edu
Office hours: by appointment
Info: #51793 2:00 – 3:15 PM Tue/Thurs Biosciences West 208

Charles Sterling, PhD (parasitic diseases)

Jan Decker, PhD (bacterial diseases)

Jim Collins, PhD (viral diseases)

To explore the interrelationships which exist between parasitic, bacterial and viral infectious diseases, their animal and human hosts, and the environment. This course will explore the myriad of factors responsible for the emergence, re-emergence and persistence of diseases within animal and human populations, as well as factors contributing to the zoonotic or anthroponotic spread of diseases. Emphasis will be placed upon historical and current day aspects of human behavior and how that has impacted on disease equilibrium.

Prerequisitesfor this course include 8 hours of general biology. Prior course work dealing with microbiology, parasitology, and virology is highly recommended. Students without such course exposure can expect to invest considerable effort in obtaining general information relevant to the topics covered.

There is no single test that adequately covers the subject matter of this course. Handouts and reading material will be made available as warranted by the various course instructors. Reading material may be in the form of web sites that are appended to the various lectures. Students are also encouraged to familiarize themselves with the vocabulary to be used in the course. Much of this can be found in the text Microbiology. Principles and Explorations at an excellent web site.

The course has been purposefully divided into 3 segments covering aspects of the ecology of parasitic, bacterial and viral diseases respectfully. An essay-formatted exam will be given at the end of each course segment. Curving of the grades for each exam will be left to the discretion of each instructor and will not be available for graduate students registered in the course. The final grade will be assigned based on the cumulative average performance of the three exams and on the scale of:

90-100% = A
80 – 89% = B
70 – 79% = C
60 – 69% = D
    < 60% = E

Exam 1 (parasitic diseases) - - - - Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008 Sample Exam 2007

Exam 2 (bacterial diseases) - - - - Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Exam 3 (viral diseases) - - - - - - - Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Graduate students enrolled in the course will meet for 1.5 hours every other week following class on Thursdays to discuss (and later in the semester present) current research papers selected by the faculty.  Graduate students will also be required to submit a term paper. The topic/s will be assigned at the beginning of the semester. The discussions and paper will carry the weight of an extra exam.

University standards for ethical behavior as outlined under “Code of Academic Integrity” in the 2007-2008 General Academic Manual (and UA website) will be expected of all students.

Classes may be dropped with no record up to February 12, 2008. March 11, 2008 is the deadline to drop with a grade of W (if passing) or change from regular grade to audit or visa versa requiring instructor’s signature.   After that date, both the instructor’s and Dean’s signatue is required and then under extraordinary circumstances.