MEDSCI 101G Environmental Threats to Human Health - Course Outlines

Course Prescription

Our environment sustains our lives but at times threatens our health. These threats may occur naturally, or arise from damage we have inflicted on the environment. This course considers health impacts of climate change, pollution, lifestyle choices, poverty and affluence, workplace hazards, emerging infectious diseases, and dangers affecting cancer risk.

Course Overview

Humans survive precariously in an environment consisting of fluctuating physical conditions, potentially harmful chemicals, and disease-causing microbes. Human activity has perturbed ecological relationships in ways that may have harmful consequences. Human industry has generated many untested and potentially harmful substances and has also resulted in altered patterns of interactions with microbes. Chemical agents in the form of organic (carbon-based) compounds or heavy metals may injure tissues. The effects of air pollution may reflect the action of both of these kinds of substances. There is a concern (and debate) over whether organic pollutants can act like hormones and subvert reproductive function. Biological effects include lifestyle factors (resulting in diseases of poverty or of affluence), or contaminants in food. Microbes constitute a vast, rapidly changing, and (to our minds) strangely foreign world of organisms. Many agents can interact in subtle ways to affect the risks of developing cancer.

The course will deal with the nature and location of health hazards in our environment, the routes by which people may be exposed to them, the mechanisms by which these agents perturb the functions of the body, and the ways in which the resulting diseases manifest themselves.

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Course Contacts

Dr Ho Joon Lee (hj.lee@auckland.ac.nz) is the course coordinator. All enquiries about assignments should be directed to Dr Lee.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Explain how our well-being is dependent on goods and services provided by our environment such as the impact of pollutants, pathogenic microbes, technological changes and environmental influences. (Capability 1)
Evaluate the health effects of components in our environment, including some uncertain or controversial ones like pollutants that act as hormones, altered exposure to microbes, the use of antibiotics and tanning clinics. (Capability 2)
Develop a mindset that fosters health: valuing our environment even when we can't place a fiscal value on it; coping with high temperatures (a challenge especially in cities), maintaining a good diet and good microbes in our bodies; minimising risk of certain infections and cancers. (Capability 3)
Explain the basis of certain diseases and how to deal with uncertainty. For example, how smoking causes heart disease; how alcohol damages the liver; how modern lifestyle favours obesity. (Capability 4)
Apply their knowledge to the understanding of health issues to effectively communicate on concepts like ecosystem services, cytokines, inflammation, meaning of 'CRP' in a blood test and choosing a healthy diet. (Capability 5)

Assessments

Assessment Type	Percentage	Classification
Assignments	35%	Individual Coursework
Test	20%	Individual Test
Final Exam	45%	Individual Examination
3 types	100%

Assessment Type	Learning Outcome Addressed
	1	2	3	4	5
Assignments
Test
Final Exam

There will be three assignments for this course. Assignment 1 is worth 5% and involves developing an MCQ question for each lecture to share with the class to form a quiz at the end of each block of lectures. The quizzes themselves will not be assessed. Assignments 2 and 3 are worth 15% each and involve reading 1-2 set articles about a particular topic and answering questions about the articles in H5P. Assignment 2 will be due in the first half of the semester and assignment 3 will be due in the second half of the semester.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect approximately 35 hours of lectures, approximately 70 hours of reading and thinking about the content, and approximately 45 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

The mid-semester test is held during lecture time.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities to complete/receive credit for components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings, but attendance is encouraged.

The course will not include live online events.

Attendance on campus is required for the test while the final exam will be held online.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Lecture notes may be provided by each lecturer in electronic form on Canvas. There is no textbook, as individual lectures reflect the interests of the lecturers. However, for extra information students are encouraged to access the e-library system of e-journals and search engines (PubMed) that provide unlimited information on matters pertaining to health. Readings required for assignments change each year, come from leading journals, but will be understandable for non-biologists and readily accessible online.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Students have asked for captions to be added to the lecture recordings so we are exploring how to do this.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

The delivery mode may change depending on COVID restrictions. Any changes will be communicated through Canvas.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Capability 1:	Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2:	Critical Thinking
Capability 3:	Solution Seeking
Capability 4:	Communication and Engagement
Capability 5:	Independence and Integrity

MEDSCI 101G : Environmental Threats to Human Health

Medical and Health Sciences

2023 Semester Two (1235) (15 POINTS)