BIOL 116 - Community and Global Health: Biological Paradigms

Community and global health discourses reside at the intersection of biology and geography - from health issues in local communities to transnational health problems and solutions in the era of globalization. Students in this course use the framework of biological mechanisms to analyze case studies of urgent public health challenges such as current and emerging infectious diseases, environmental toxicants, epidemics of chronic inflammatory diseases, public health genomics, nutrition, and maternal and child health. We explore the complex interplay of biological, social, cultural and political factors in the ways in which our local and global communities access this fundamental human right. Regular guest speakers from Twin Cities community health organizations bring our focus to local community health action. This course counts toward a minor in Biology but not toward a major in Biology. Three lecture hours per week, plus lab. Offered every year. (4 Credits)