BMS5003 - Infectious diseases and population health - 2017

6 points, SCA Band 3, 0.125 EFTSL

Postgraduate - Unit

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Faculty

Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Organisational Unit

School of Biomedical Sciences

Coordinator(s)

Professor Brian Cooke

Unit guides

Offered

Clayton

  • First semester 2017 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit aims to develop in-depth knowledge of infectious diseases affecting humans including diarrhoea, respiratory infections, Tuberculosis (TB), HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other parasitic diseases with a particular focus on resource-poor or low and middle income countries.

This unit will consist of a mixture of seminars and small group teaching from specialists in microbiology, infectious diseases, epidemiology and public health. Students will evaluate and review relevant literature to explore specific organisms or diseases and present this information via oral presentations, an open poster session and a written end-of-semester report.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. Develop advanced knowledge of some of the most important infectious diseases affecting humans, including diarrhoea, respiratory infections, TB, HIV/AIDS, and parasitic infections, with a particular focus on these diseases in resource-poor or low and middle income countries.
  2. Understand and be able to apply the concept of 'One Health' in the context of infectious diseases including important vector-borne and zoonotic infections.
  3. Describe emerging and re-emerging pathogens and the implications on human health.
  4. Explain the application of recombinant DNA technology, molecular and cell biology and biochemical and biophysical techniques as research (and diagnostic) tools in infectious diseases.
  5. Describe the epidemiology and control of infectious diseases including chemoprophylaxis, Chemotherapy, drug resistance and vaccinology.
  6. Communicate complicated concepts, scientific data and results and current opinions accurately and effectively through oral presentations, posters and reports.

Assessment

  • Oral presentation: Early in the semester (15 minutes followed by 5 minutes of questions) (Approx. 1,000 words) (15%)
  • Oral presentation: End-of-semester (15 minutes followed by 5 minutes of questions) (Approx. 1,000 words) (15%)
  • Poster (Approx. 1,000 words) (15%)
  • Participation (5%)
  • Scientific report (3,000 words) (50%) (Hurdle)

Workload requirements

On-campus: 6 of hours of contact per week, and will include a mix of lectures and small group teaching.

Off-campus: A minimum of 6 hours of private study.

See also Unit timetable information

Chief examiner(s)

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Prerequisites

A background of study in biomedical, biotechnology, medical or allied health sciences is required for admission into the unit.