Course overview
To raise student awareness of self and community reproductive health and disease by providing an in depth and updated knowledge of reproductive and developmental physiology and to foster critical thinking and appraisal of cutting edge research in the field.
Course learning outcomes
- Develop a thorough grounding in all aspects of modern reproductive biology and development
- Develop an in-depth understanding of their own reproductive physiology and sexuality, as well as of the more common human pathologies such as PCOS, endometriosis, etc
- Understand the factors contributing to male and female fertility and infertility, including age
- Understand the role played by environmental and lifestyle risk factors during pregnancy on the health outcome of the newborn and of their later life
- Understand the scientific basis of modern reproductive technologies (e.g. ART, ICSI, cloning, transgenics, knockout mice, stem cells) and their possible genetic and epigenetic consequences
- Understand the scientific basis of fertilisation, gastrulation, implantation and placental development and the development of physiological systems during fetal life
- Develop critical thinking skills and appropriate generic attributes important for moving into a research environment