Genetics of Human Disease on the Course Curriculum for 2011 Summer Session

Classical genetics and cutting-edge approaches to understanding human genetics and genetic diseases, will be studied in a course entitled "Genetics of Human Disease" to be offered during the 2011 Summer Session at CMC.

According to the instructor, Associate Professor Gretchen Edwalds-Gilbert, in addition to learning about the scientific basis for genetic testing and heritability of diseases, students will also discuss the societal aspects of genetic knowledge, stem cell research, and genetic therapies.

"In the lab, students will learn about genetic topics through hands-on experiments," Professor Edwalds-Gilbert says. "For example, in a module on genetic testing, students will isolate DNA, amplify DNA through the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and separate the products on gels."

According to Edwalds-Gilbert, many students have seen the types of data that will be generated on TV programs such as CSI or other shows involving forensic or medical testing. They will also learn about limitations of testing, such as the recent publication showing that commercially available genetic tests for prediction of cancer susceptibility can be misleading.

"I take a case study approach in the course, with students learning about inheritance patterns and their complexities through specific disease examples," she says.

Prof. Edwalds-Gilbert received her B.A. in Biology at Swarthmore College and her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology at Cornell University Medical College/Sloan-Kettering Institute.

Edwalds-Gilbert may very well splice genes but she wasn't splitting any hairs when she answered questions about scientific "truths," the future of genetics and whether or not she's a nerd.

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CMC: Do you consider yourself to be, proudly, a "science nerd"?

Edwalds-Gilbert: I am absolutely a proud science nerd. Some of the problems we study in science are really like games or puzzles, and my students are always wary when I describe a class activity as being "kind of like a game," although many of them are proud science nerds, too. I enjoy all aspects of science, and love hands-on activities at science museums, or walking through botanic gardens, or connecting something in another field with science.

CMC: In your expert opinion, what is the biggest truth to be learned from the study of genetics and, conversely, the biggest fallacy associated with the field?

Edwalds-Gilbert: As a scientist, I am a bit cautious about the phrase "biggest truth;" however, the study of genetics supports evolution as the driving principle behind biology. People can be surprised that human genes, for example, can have functions (determined experimentally) identical to those in a single-celled organism such as baker's yeast. Other major cell functions are evolutionarily conserved between humans and the simplest bacteria; comparing the DNA sequences that encode these functions has made it possible to demonstrate this conservation. The biggest fallacy associated with the field, especially among people not in the field, is that DNA tells us everything about genetics.

CMC: What is the next or future stage to be learned vis-?-vis the study of genetics?

Edwalds-Gilbert: Technology has pushed genetics forward, making it affordable to sequence multiple genomes and learn about more species. From the human perspective, the lower cost of genome sequencing will make it possible to target both prevention and treatment of diseases based on genetic susceptibility to disease or responsiveness to drugs. At this year's American Society of Human Genetics conference, scientists reported that the affordability of sequencing the information-dense regions of the human genome, the exons,has made it possible to identify the gene defective in a specific rare disease. The affordability and technical feasibility of such sequencing will make it possible to identify genes responsible for40-50 diseases that are inherited through a Mendelian inheritance pattern in the next year. This approach would speed up the identification of genes involved in rare diseases, for which relatively few samples are available.

CMC: How do you unwind after teaching undergraduates all day?

Edwalds-Gilbert: I am engaged in the community outside of the colleges, through my work with the Jewish Federation and Temple Beth Israel. I enjoy cooking, exercise and spending time with my family.

CMC: What do people ask you or want to know about when they first learn that you're a science professor?

Edwalds-Gilbert: The first thing I get is usually a disclaimer, such as "I was never any good at science." Then they ask about my research, which has made me adept at giving a big picture description of my work on gene expression.

CMC: What specific attributes conspire to make a superior scientist?

Edwalds-Gilbert: Important characteristics include creativity, stamina, and ability to deal with frequent failure.

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This is the second in a series of stories about CMC faculty teaching during the 2011 Summer Session. For additional information on this course, please visit Professor Edwalds-Gilbert's profile page for her contact information and office hours.

CMC's 2011 Summer Session begins May 23rd and will offer both three- and six-week courses, all taught by CMC faculty. 

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