Reproductive & Developmental Toxicology (16:340:591:01)

Normally Offered

The course is offered alternate Fall semesters (odd years) and cross-listed with an undergraduate course, 11:067:491.

Prerequisite & Recommended Courses

An upper-level physiology course or Physiology of Reproduction is required. Highly recommended: course(s) in reproduction, developmental biology, and/or endocrinology.

Objectives

(1) Provide a basic knowledge of reproductive and developmental actions of toxicants; (2)Introduce students to the basics of exposure models and risk assessment; (3) Instruction in critical thinking, hypothesis generation and evaluation of the literature; and (4) The formulation of a research proposal in the area of Reproductive & Developmental Toxicology using grant-writing guidelines of the National Institutes of Health.

Description

Application of toxicological principles in reproductive studies and instruction on the effects of toxicants on male and female reproduction and on the developing embryo/fetus and throughout the lifespan. Critical evaluation of reproductive toxicity studies and development of mechanistic approaches to understanding how chemical exposure can adversely affect reproduction.

Format

For the first 75% of the course, there will be two lectures per week. Each lecture will include readings from the scientific literature for discussion during the course. Other Rutgers faculty will present several guest lectures. The last few weeks of class will be oral presentations given by all students (including undergraduates enrolled in 11:067:491). During the graduate recitation period, students will present and review lecture-related articles and prepare for their grant-writing assignment.

Grading

Grades will be assigned based on the results of three exams (3 x 20% = 60%), an oral presentation (10%), a writing assignment (20%), and class participation (10%). The writing assignment will be a 5-6 page NIH-style grant application on a topic related to the course material and/or their research interests.