Spring 2013 ANT 4930: Evolution and Health Course Time and Location: TTh 11:00 am – 12:15 pm BSN 1401 Professor: Dr. Elizabeth Miller Email: [email protected] Office Hours: T 3:30-4:30pm or by appointment, SOC 136 Graduate Assistant: Nicole Falk Smith Email: [email protected] Course Description Can a cough, fever, and runny nose actually be good for you? Why is it a bad idea to take antibiotics for a cold? Can a parasite infection protect us from other diseases? Why is childbirth so dangerous for women and babies? Can your size at birth predict your risk for disease later in life? Why do we age? These are just some questions that this class of ‘evolutionary investigators’ will explore. Using an evolutionary framework to develop scientific hypotheses, we will make inquiry into the origins and causes of illness. Investigators will use a variety of methods - lecture, readings, film, discussion, group assignments and critical writing assignments – to track down evolutionary explanations for disease. Course Objectives This course will help students become acquainted with human health from an evolutionary perspective This course will discuss the evolved relationships between humans and infectious organisms and consequences for disease management and treatment This course will explore the mismatch between evolved human physiology and current lifestyle conditions that increase the risk of chronic diseases This course will allow students to explore how science is practiced Student Learning Outcomes Students will be able to synthesize health information across disciplines, including anthropology, medicine, evolutionary biology, immunology, and public health, through class discussion, exams, and writing assignments Students will be able to approach traditional problems in health and medicine in novel ways via class participation and critical writing assignments Students will be able to improve their communication skills through group presentations and writing assignments Course Evaluation Two exams. There are two exams in this course. The first exam will cover material up to February 19th. The final exam will be cumulative and will be given during our scheduled final exam date and time. o Exam 1: February 19 100 points o Exam 2: April 30, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm 150 points 4-6 page paper. Students will write an in-depth paper on one of the topics we have covered in class, using 3-5 outside references. More information on this assignment will be given in class. o Due April 4 100 points Group presentation. In groups of 4, students will prepare a group assignment on a disease or illness we have not covered in class. Students will be graded individually and as a group. More information on this assignment will be given in class. o Presentations April 18-25 100 points Total 450 points Attendance Attendance for class is not mandatory. However, much of the exam material will come from course lectures and it is highly recommended that students attend all classes. In addition, there may be some attendance- based extra credit opportunities given at random throughout the semester that are only available to students who are present in class that day. Grade Scale I will follow the default grade scale on Canvas for assigning final letter grades. Canvas Canvas plays a large role in course organization. Please refer to Canvas often for updates, course materials, and grades. Email Policy Please email me through Canvas. I expect to reply to most emails within 24-48 hours. Do not plan on an immediate email response from me, particularly the night before an exam. Administrative Policies Make-up exams. Make-up exams will be given only under extraordinary circumstances at my discretion. Medical emergencies require a written medical excuse. Having assignments due from other courses is not an extraordinary circumstance. Final Examinations Policy. All final examinations are to be scheduled in accordance with the University's final examination policy. http://www.ugs.usf.edu/policy/FinalExams.pdf Early Notification Requirement for Observed Religious Days. Students who anticipate the necessity of being absent from class due to the observation of a major religious observance must provide notice of the date(s) to the instructor, in writing, at the beginning of the term. http://www.ugs.usf.edu/policy/ReligiousDays.pdf Disruption of the Academic Process: http://www.ugs.usf.edu/policy/DisruptionOfAcademicProcess.pdf Gender-Based Crimes: Educators must report incidents of gender-based crimes including sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, dating violence and domestic violence. If a student discloses in class, in papers, or to an instructor, the instructor is required by law to report the disclosure. The Center for Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention (813-974-5757) is a confidential resource where you can talk about such situations and receive assistance in confidence. Additional confidential resources on campus are: the Counseling Center (813-974-2831) and Student Health Services(813-974-2331). Student Academic Grievance Procedures: http://www.ugs.usf.edu/policy/StudentAcademicGrievanceProcedures.pdf Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities are responsible for registering with Students with Disabilities Services (SDS) in order to receive academic accommodations. SDS encourages students to notify instructors of accommodation needs at least 5 business days prior to needing the accommodation. A letter from SDS must accompany this request. o See student responsibilities: http://www.sds.usf.edu o See instructor responsibilities: http://www.asasd.usf.edu/instructorresponsibilities.asp?refer=FACULTY University Emergency Policy: In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations. During this time, USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to: Blackboard, Elluminate, Skype, and email messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It's the responsibility of the student to monitor Blackboard site for each class for course specific communication, and the main USF, College, and department websites, emails, and MoBull messages for important general information. Academic Integrity It is expected that all students will follow the highest possible standards of scholarship and academic integrity while participating in this course. Students who violate the ethical standards set forth by this University will not be tolerated. Examples of academic violation include plagiarism and cheating. The definition of plagiarism is submitting material that is not one’s own work without attributing the source that generated that material or idea. Students are expected to cite others’ ideas properly and to assure that assignments are written in their own words. Cheating is committing fraud during the execution of a course requirement, including exams. It is expected that students will not cheat on exams. Cases of academic misconduct will be referred to the Anthropology Department and the CAS Dean’s office for resolution. Refer to: http://www.ugs.usf.edu/policy/AcademicIntegrityOfStudents.pdf for more information on academic integrity at University of South Florida. Behavioral Expectations All are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful and mature manner befitting a member of this university, both in class and through electronic and in-person communication. Unacceptable behavior will not be tolerated. Examples include arriving late to class, gathering books and papers before the end of class, sleeping, harassing or belittling students or groups, texting or making phone calls, non-classroom related laptop use, and non-class related conversation. If you are not able to behave in a respectful way, you will be asked to leave. If problems persist, you will be referred to the Anthropology Department. Similarly, I expect that you will communicate appropriately in emails and in office hours. Permission to Sell Notes/Recordings You do not have permission to sell notes or recordings of the class lecture. Course Schedule Date Topic Readings PART I: Evolutionary Mechanisms January 8 Introduction to the course and syllabus Syllabus January 10 Introduction to Evolutionary Medicine Williams & Nesse January 15 Evolutionary mechanisms I Evolution 101 January 17 Evolutionary mechanisms II Evolution 101; Grant January 22 Evolutionary mechanisms III Evolution 101 January 24 Evolutionary trade-offs Lochmiller & Deerenberg; Sheldon & Verhulst January 29 Overview of the immune system skim NIH NIAID January 31 Epidemiological transitions Harper & Armelagos PART II: Infectious Diseases February 5 Human-pathogen co-evolution Ewald; Brockhurst February 7 Antibiotic Resistance Groopman; Walsh & Fischbach February 12 Film: Rx: Disease Warriors/Rise of the None Superbugs February 14 Vaccines Branswell; Gandon et al. February 19 Exam 1 February 21 Malaria Diamond; Livingstone February 26 Parasite infections / Film: Parasites: A User’s Guide Begin Zuk February 28 Diarrheal diseases / Film: Formula for Disaster Zuk March 5 Emerging infections Robbins; Zuk March 7 HIV/AIDS Finish Zuk March 11-16 SPRING BREAK: NO CLASS PART III: Chronic Disease March 19 Perspectives on chronic disease Begin Gluckman & Hanson March 21 Psychoneuroimmunology and psychiatric disorders Nesse; Thornton & Andersen March 26 Chronic inflammation Taverna-Mendoza & White; Wenner March 28 Fetal nutrition and the metabolic syndrome Finish Gluckman & Hanson April 2 Pregnancy and childbirth Rosenberg and Trevathan, Fessler April 4 Film: