The course also covers the health effects of resource shortages globally. We touch on ethical and social aspects, economic drivers and the importance of legislation, as well as a review of societal development based on sustainability goals.
The course runs full-time for five weeks, with one week on campus in Uppsala and the other weeks online. The teaching consists of lectures, seminars and group work. We will use "challenge-based" learning with global and local challenge scenarios.
About the course
Content
The course introduces our most common neurological diseases and neuropsychiatric disabilities (NPD), as well as environmental risk factors associated with these. The course will provide basic knowledge in autoimmunity, endocrine disruptors, environmental pollution, and other environmental factors, such as possible risk factors for the onset of neurological disease and NPD. The course will also address how epidemiological studies as well as cell and animal models, can be used to study the effects of environmental factors and environmental pollution as possible risk factors for the onset of neurological disease and NPD. The students will identify potential risk factors, investigate whether these can pose a real risk of adverse effects on people's neuro health, and present possible solutions.
Instruction:
The course is given in English for five weeks, four weeks with distance learning and one week on-site in Uppsala. Teaching is conducted in the form of lectures. In parallel with lectures, students work with project work and seminars where great focus is placed on cooperation and communication. Part of the teaching will be conducted in the form of challenge-based education, where students will work with challenges related to risk factors that may exist in cities or other regions.
Learning outcomes
After the course, the student should be able to
Knowledge and understanding
- Describe the symptoms and possible mechanisms of our most common neurological diseases and neuropsychiatric disabilities (NPD) (overall neuro health)
- Explain the concept of autoimmunity and its significance for the emergence of neurological disease
- Account for currently known environmental factors and environmental pollution that may constitute risk factors for the occurrence of neurological disease and NPD
- Describe how epidemiological studies and cell and animal models can be used to study the effect of environmental factors and environmental pollution as possible risk factors for the onset of neurological disease and NPF
- Account for possible risk factors linked to neuro health in people's immediate environment (cities/regions) in different parts of the world
Skills and abilities
- Be able to critically review and evaluate scientific literature regarding risk factors linked to neuro health
- Be able to perform basic epidemiological statistical calculations
Judgement and approach
- Critically review and evaluate risk factors and their evidence
- Justify the ethical and legal considerations that need to be made when collecting data and connecting data between several registers when following individuals over time in epidemiological studies
- Describe how economic and social development, with or without a sustainability perspective, may affect the environment and human neuro health
Assessment
Active participation in all compulsory modules and group exercises corresponding to 4.5 credits is required to pass the course. The theoretical part of the course is examined through a written exam equivalent to 3hp.
If there are special reasons, the examiner may make exceptions from the specified examination method and allow the student to be examined in another way. Special reasons can, for example, be special educational support needed, as informed by the University coordinator.
Lecturers
Hans Orru, University of Tartu, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Family Medicine and Public Health, Professor of Environmental Health
Valentina Gallo, Groningen University, Rosalind Franklin Fellow, Associate Professor in Epidemiology & Sustainable Health, Head of the Department of Sustainable Health
More to come
Literature:
Occupational and Environmental Health (7th edn), Barry S. Levy et al.
https://academic.oup.com/book/26056
Parts of the above course literature are used in the course, and additional literature is provided during the course.