MICROBIO 682 Parasitology and Neglected Tropical Diseases

This is a graduate lecture course designed to provide graduate students with a basic understanding of modern parasitology. Parasites are still an important threat to our global health and economy, and represent an important branch of infectious diseases. It has been stated that there are more kinds of parasites than free-living animals and plants, providing a wealth of biological diversity to study. Once thought of as strange and bizarre, parasites now serve as model organisms in which to study basic biological principles. The course covers a plethora of organisms and a multitude of disciplines. Our discussions will focus primarily on protozoan and metazoan parasites of major medical/veterinary consequence. Topics covered will include basic principles of parasitology, life cycles, host-parasite interactions, epidemiology, and medical treatments. The basic biology, biochemistry and genetics of selected parasites will also be discussed.