Below you will find information related to new courses and opportunities that are offered at the University of Florida related to pathogen study.
Introduction to Phylogenetic Inference and RNA Secondary Structure Analysis
A workshop sponsored by the NIGMS-‐Sponsored Center for HIV RNA Studies (CRNA), and the Emerging Pathogens Institute at the University of Florida
May 30--‐31, 2013 at the University of Florida Gainesville
Workshop Topics:
- Principles of molecular evolution, including tree--‐building algorithms and positive selection analysis.
- RNA secondary structure prediction, with application to HIV--‐1 sequences
- Introduction to software for phylogenetic inference: MEGA5 and HYPHY.
This course is designed for beginners, although some familiarity with sequence alignment and retrieval would be useful.
No prior knowledge of phylogenetic analysis is required. Participants must provide their own laptop (PC or MAC). Sequence analysis software will be installed during the course. Participation is by invitation only and the workshop is free of charge. A limited number of travel awards to help cover transportation and other expenses will be available. Application information is available at http://sitemaker.umich.edu/crna/2013_workshop
New MHS (One Health Concentration) Degree Program
The Department of Environmental and Global Health is now receiving applications for their new MHS (One Health concentration) degree program. This public health degree program will train professionals to employ one health approaches in solving difficult problems. While they do not yet have scholarships for the program, this new program particularly wants to make this training available to international professionals and students from outside of Florida. The Department of Environmental and Global Health recently won permission to significantly reduce tuition costs for out-of-state students. Details can be found on their web site: http://egh.phhp.ufl.edu/academic-programs/masters-programs/mhs-one-health/
The History and Evolution of Infectious Disease - HIS 3495/ZOO 4962
The History and Evolution of Infectious Disease, taught by Vassiliki Betty Smocovitis, Ph.D., examines the history of infectious disease from its earliest recorded history to the recent present. It draws on a broad range of interdisciplinary perspectives including sociology, anthropology, ecology and evolutionary biology as well as more familiar medical perspectives to explore the range of meanings implicit in the phrase “infectious disease.” The course concentrates on historically well-documented examples that include leprosy, plague, smallpox, yellow fever, cholera, influenza, tuberculosis, venereal diseases, polio and AIDS, among others to understand the dynamic nature of infectious disease and to understand the fundamentally social aspects of infectious disease.