300308 VO Human Evolutionary Genetics: genomic, genes, diseases (2019S)

The aim of this lecture is to provide students with knowledge and a good understanding of the scientific field of human genetics. In particular, the lectures will prepare students to understand how evolution has shaped the structure and patterns of diversity of the human genome. Moreover, student will gain insights how genetics can be utilised to elucidate human phenotypic traits such as human diseases, host defence, and behaviours.

The first part of the lectures introduce students to the structure of the human genome, the key aspects of human chromosome biology, and human autosomal, mtDNA and X/Y-linked inheritance; the basis of gene functions and the role of epigenetics in gene regulation. In the second part, students will be briefly introduced to the state-of-the-art methods used in human genomics and genetic studies. The third part of this lecture aims to provide an understanding of the basic concept of human evolutionary genetics, population genetics, and anthropological genetics. Students will gain insights how various evolutionary processes (e.g., natural selection, sexual selection, genetic drift, mutation, recombination, and gene flow) influence human genomic diversity. In the fourth part, students will gain understanding how genomic variation can directly or indirectly affect the risk to develop diseases, contribute to host defence, and influences human behaviours (research-focused lectures providing case-studies).

Teaching and learning methods: Lectures, handouts, and presentations (PowerPoint slides will be provided on Moodle).