COMPMED 91N: And that’s why cats should never eat garlic!
General Education Requirements
Course Description
Did you know that although we love garlic, it could make cats very sick? And how come if a human or a dog gets a heart attack they’ll end up with a scar, but some fish can regenerate parts of their hearts? In this course, we will explore how select diseases can manifest themselves similarly or differently in different animal species. We will discuss how past and current research informs our understanding of these diseases, and how it guides both preventative and treatment modalities. You will have the opportunity to examine blood lab tests (bloodwork), look at X-rays (radiographs), and see what some of these diseases look like at the microscopic level (histology). We will also discuss how humans benefit from understanding diseases in veterinary species, and how veterinary species benefit from understanding diseases in humans.
This seminar will be of interest to those wanting to learn more about disease processes, and those interested in pursuing careers in biomedical fields including veterinary and human medicine. Oh, and one last thing – don’t cook with non-stick pans if you have indoor birds. Why? Sign up for this IntroSem to find out!
Meet the Instructor: José Vilches-Moure
"Hi! I’m Dr. José G. Vilches-Moure, I use he/him/his pronouns, and I’m originally from Puerto Rico. Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to be a veterinarian, and envisioned myself being your local neighborhood dog and cat doctor. However, once I began my veterinary school curriculum, I became very interested in learning about diseases. Since then, I’ve been fascinated by why diseases happen, how they happen, and when they happen. In addition to my academic interest in understanding disease, I am interested in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion both in the classroom and in my field. As an openly gay, Latino man from very humble socioeconomic beginnings, I strive to create a level playing field in the classroom, where everyone has a chance to succeed in a safe, welcoming, and respectful environment."
