INPDEMO — INP DEMO

Epigenetics in Health and Disease

Katedra za medicinsku biologiju i genetiku

Classes held in English

Lecturers

doc. dr. sc. Novak Andrija, dipl. sanit. ing. coordinator

Epigenetics in Health and Disease is an elective course conducted in the 3rd year of the Integrated undergraduate and graduate university study of Medicine in English. It consists of 5 hours of lectures and 20 hours of seminars.

The aim of the course is to describe and explain the fundamental principles of epigenetics (the mechanisms of epigenetic regulation and the role of the epigenome in the development of various diseases and disorders) through the critical evaluation and discussion of current scientific articles in the form of Journal Club meetings.

Course content:
To achieve the planned learning outcomes, course classes are organized into lectures and seminars:
LECTURES:
L1 Introduction to epigenetics: basic concept and historical development. The relationship between the genome and the epigenome.
L2 Mechanisms of epigenetic modifications: DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, non-coding RNA molecules.
L3 Inheritance of epigenetic information: inheritance of DNA methylation pattern, inheritance of histone tags, chromatin replication.
L4 Epigenetic control of gene expression. Experimental approaches to epigenome research.
L5 Genomic imprinting disorders. Epigenome changes in health and disease.
SEMINARS:
S1 Introductory seminar: Instructions for using academic research databases. Selection of the scientific research for presentation. Topics assignment.
S2 Journal Club topic 1: The impact of aging on the epigenome
S3 Journal Club topic 2: The impact of environmental factors on the epigenome
S4 Journal Club topic 3: Epigenetics and the development of diseases and disorders
S5 Journal Club topic 4: Epigenetics and disease prevention and treatment

Course learning outcomes:
The approach to teaching is based on learning outcomes that determine what students will be able to do after they have completed all study work and requirements for the course.
I. COGNITIVE DOMAIN – KNOWLEDGE
1. Describe and explain the structure of epigenome, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodelling, and noncoding RNA molecules
2. Describe and explain the function of the epigenome, including the regulation of gene transcription and its connection to the genome
3. Describe the basic epigenetic principles and the role of epigenetic variations in health and disease
4. Give examples of medical conditions and diseases caused by changes in the epigenome
5. Assess the applicability of epigenomics to the diagnosis, treatment, or follow-up of disease
6. Compare different methods of epigenome research in the context of human health and disease
7. Connect previously acquired knowledge from cell biology, genetics and molecular biology and apply it to the level of the genome of the whole organism.
II. PSYCHOMOTORIC DOMAIN - SKILLS
1. Independently search available literature databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect)
2. Present the results of the conducted epigenetic research in written and oral form according to structured questions
3. Critically assess the impact of aging and environmental factors on epigenome variability
4. Critically evaluate the role of epigenome in the prevention and/or treatment of diseases and disorders
5. Actively discuss and critically comment on conducted research of the epigenome role in the context of human health and disease
6. Argue the advantages and disadvantages of existing epigenome research in the context of human health and disease

Teaching:
Teaching is conducted in the form of lectures and seminars.
All lectures are designed as interactive communication between lecturers and students, with problem solving and active and critical reflection on each of these topics.
Seminars will be conducted in the form of a Journal Club discussion (except for an introductory seminar). Each of four assigned topics will be processed with a certain number of scientific articles, depending on the number of enrolled students. Each student will present one scientific article that she/he will independently select, and will actively participate in the discussion of all presented research.
Conduction of S2-S5 includes:
1. Independent search of available scientific articles on a given topic and article selection argumentation.
2. Written presentation of the selected research with a clear and concise review of goals, results and conclusions.
3. Oral presentation of the selected research.
4. Group discussion on the presented research.

1. Worksheets that will be handed out to students during the course

2. Epigenetic influence and disease [Internet]. Nature Education; c2014. [cited 2020 Jul 10]. Available from: https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/epigenetic-influences-and-disease-895/
3. Learn.Genetics [Internet]. Genetic Science Learning Center; University of Utah; c2020. [cited 2020 Jul 10]. Available from: https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/
4. Bitesize Bio [Internet]. Science Squared; c2020. A Crash Course in Epigenetics Part 1-Part4. 2012 Jun [cited 2020 Jul 10]. Available from: https://bitesizebio.com/8807/a-crash-course-in-epigenetics-part-1-an-intro-to-epigenetics/

Students are required to regularly fulfill the obligations related to attending classes, active participation in seminars and lectures, and the knowledge assessment at the final exam.
The basic obligations of students include mandatory attendance of all forms of classes, as well as preparation and active participation in lectures and seminars. All teaching materials will be available on the Merlin e-learning platform. All information about the course and student obligations will also be available on the Merlin e-learning platform. Students are obligated to regularly check the mentioned platform regarding all relevant information or changes made in the Syllabus. Students' work will be assessed and evaluated during classes and on the final exam.

Evaluation of students is carried out according to the current University of Rijeka Study Regulations and the Ordinance on Student Assessment and Evaluation at the Faculty of Medicine in Rijeka (adopted by the Faculty Council of the Faculty of Medicine in Rijeka). Students are evaluated according to the ECTS (%/A-F) and numerical grading system (1–5).

Students’ work will be assessed and evaluated during the course and on the final exam. Out of a total of 100 grade points, the student can obtain 70 points during classes and 30 points on the final exam.

During the course, the students will be evaluated for creating a concise written presentation of the selected research for the Journal Club seminar (maximum of 20 grade points), a Power Point presentation for the oral presentation of the selected research for the Journal Club seminar (maximum of 20 grade points) and the oral presentation and active discussion at the Journal Club seminar (maximum of 30 grade points).
Students who collect a minimum of 35 grade points during the course have the right to take the final exam. Students who do not collect the required minimum grade points will have an additional possibility of correction after the end of regular classes.

The final exam is a written exam, worth a maximum of 30 grade points and it consists of 20 questions with one or two correct answers. Each correctly answered question is worth 1.5 points (the range of points scored can be from 15-30). The criterion for obtaining grade points is 50% of questions answered correctly (if less than 10 questions are answered correctly, the test must be taken again). The duration of writing the final exam is 30 minutes.

The final grade of the course is determined according to the total sum of grade points achieved during classes and on the final exam:

Activity	Maximum grade points
Continuous assessment– Journal club seminar:
Written presentation	20
Power Point presentation	20
Oral presentation	30
Final exam	30
Total	100

Grading in the ECTS system is based on final success and is converted into the numerical grading system
as follows:

% of obtained grade points	ECTS grade	Numerical grade
90 - 100	A	excellent (5)
75 - 89,9	B	very good (4)
60 - 74,9	C	good (3)
50 - 59,9	D	sufficient (2)
0 - 49,9	F	insufficient (1)

Academic integrity
The teachers are obligated to respect the University of Rijeka Code of Ethics, and the students are obligated to respect the University of Rijeka Code of Ethics for Students.
Availability of teaching content
All course materials are available on the Merlin e-learning platform.
Contacting teachers
Teachers are available every day during working hours via their e-mail addresses (available on the website of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka) for all questions regarding the course. Individual or group consultations are possible online via the MS Teams digital platform or onsite at the Faculty of Medicine.

COURSE SCHEDULE and FINAL EXAM DATES will be announced after agreement with enrolled students.

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This type of class is described in the syllabus, please contact the course coordinator for more details

Course

Epigenetics in Health and Disease

Study programs

Year of study

ISVU ID

URL

ECTS

1.5

Lecturers

Details 2024/2025

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