Brown-Pfizer Graduate Instruction

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Brown-PfizerGraduate Instruction M.A.
Biology ProgramNovember 2, 2009

• Nancy L. Thompson, PhD
• Associate Dean for Graduate and Postdoctoral
  Studies, Division of Biology and Medicine

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Brown Graduate Instruction at Pfizer Facilities
(Groton New London)

• Established in 1993 via contractual agreement
• Accredited by Connecticut Department of Education
• Course offering is a section of an existing Brown
  course

http//www.brown.edu/pfizer
The quality of student performance required is
at least as rigorous as for the Master of Arts
degree now in any Graduate Program in the
Division. The basic difference is to make it
easier for a student to obtain breadth in Biology
in more than one graduate area by not imposing
strict requirements for specific courses.
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Objectives

• Graduate instruction within the biological
  sciences for Pfizer colleagues and contractors
  who wish to extend their knowledge in discrete
  areas relating to their employment and/or
  interests
• Broad-based and rigorous master of arts training
  in biological sciences

I have had a great experience taking courses
through Brown. I think the Brown-Pfizer program
is an excellent one and I feel it has already
made me a better scientist in exploring and
designing new experiments for future treatment of
various diseases. Recent Pfizer applicants
statement
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Growing Interest Over 100 MA Degrees Awarded to
Pfizer Colleagues!
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Brown-Pfizer MA Program Overview
http//www.brown.edu/pfizer

• Open to Contractors and Colleagues
• Only 1 Prerequisite required A Bachelors Degree
  in any field
• All courses held on-site at Pfizer-Groton
• Pfizer employees and contractors register as
  Special Students via Office of
• Continuing Studies standard Brown tuition fees
  apply. Students apply to
• Graduate School for the MA program after
  successful completion of 2 courses
• Pfizer reimburses colleagues only who pass with
  minimum grade of a C

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Brown-Pfizer MA Program Requirements

• 8 graduate courses
• 2 of 8 courses in core subjects (cell biology,
  biochemistry, genetics, pharmacology)
• 6 of 8 courses with grade of B or better
• Passing final paper or proposal culminating
  experience on topic approved by Assoc
• Dean, Graduate Postdoctoral Studies
• No courses can be transferred from another
  institution
• Must be actively employed as a colleague or
  contractor at the Groton/NL Global Research
  Division
• Pfizer MA students may take courses toward the
  degree on campus with permission of
• instructor and Assoc. Dean of Graduate and
  Postdoctoral Studies
• Once colleagues are accepted by the Graduate
  School, Brown expects they will enroll in courses
  continually each semester (with the exception of
  the summer term). If not, a request for a Leave
  of Absence (LOA) must be submitted one month
  prior to the start of the term via the GS to
  avoid billing. Only one LOA is permissible during
  the course of study.

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Brown-Pfizer Graduate School Application
Requirements

• Successful completion of two Brown graduate
  courses (B or better)
• Undergraduate Transcript with date of degree
• Letter of Recommendation from Supervisor at
  Pfizer
• 1-2 pg. Colleague Statement
• No GRE requirement or application fee!

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Culminating Experience
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Upcoming Courses

• Spring 2010 Histology
• Summer 2010 No course offered
• Fall 2010 Environmental Health Disease

Examples of Previous Courses

• Advanced Biochemistry, Advanced Microbiology,
  Cancer Biology, Cell Biology, Developmental
  Biology, Drug Delivery, Human Physiology,
  Virology

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Spring 2010Histology

• Course Director
• Marjorie Thompson, PhD
• Associate Dean of Biological Sciences
• Brown University
• 401-863-3814
• Marjorie_Thompson_at_brown.edu

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Course Objectives

• Understand the origin and development of the four
  basic tissues (epithelium, connective tissue,
  muscle and nerve).
• Examine in detail how these contribute to the
  functional anatomy of all organs and systems.
• Emphasis will be on characteristic developmental,
  structure-function and regulatory relationships.

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What are the four basic tissues?

• Covers and lines surfaces
• Binds, supports, insulates, protects
• Provides for movement
• Coordination and regulation of function

Epithelium
Connective Tissue
Muscle
Nerve
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The Importance of Histology
Development from germ layers growth and
differentiation
Basis for pathologic alteration
Enhance understanding of physiologic, anatomic
and cell level processes
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Topics Covered

• Basic tissues
• Epithelium
• Connective Tissue
• Bone and Cartilage
• Muscle
• Nerve
• Blood
• Organ Systems
• Vascular
• Lymphatic
• Digestive
• Respiratory
• Endocrine
• Urinary
• Reproductive
• Skin

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Course Detail and Evaluation

• Ideal student background Basic Biology is
  expected also helpful cell biology, physiology
• Course materials
• -Junqueiras Basic Histology text and atlas.
  12th Edition (McGraw Hill)
• -Lecture Notes and Powerpoints will be provided
  on the mycourses site for downloading and
  printing
• -A Cyber lab manual will be available to students
  for laboratory exercises that simulate a realtime
  microscope environment.
• Course Assessment 3 exams, equally weighted,
  each featuring question of lab practical,
  clinical and basic sciences nature.

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Fall 2010Environmental Health Disease 182

• Course Director
• Volkan Gurel, Ph.D.
• Course Objectives
• 1- To understand the underlying principles
  governing the interactions of foreign chemicals
  (xenobiotics) with biological systems.
• 2- Helping you to develop an understanding of the
  type of diseases associated with environmental
  exposures to chemicals.
• 3- Reinforcing the concepts learned through the
  course by using case-study approach

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What happens when xenobiotics interact with
biological systems?

• Voluntarily, knowing the consequences
• Voluntarily, NOT knowing the consequences
• NOT voluntarily, NOT knowing the consequences
• NOT voluntarily, knowing the consequences

Alcohol
Thalidomide (Contegran)
Methyl Mercury
Dioxin
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Environmental Disasters

• Set the scene
• Impact on Human and Environmental Health
• What we learned
• Policy changes and Remediation

World Trade Center
Exxon Valdez
Bhopal Disaster
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Some of the Topics Covered

• Basic concepts in toxicology
• Dose-response relationship
• ADME
• Molecular mimicry
• Hormesis
• Carcinogenesis and Aging
• Metal Toxicity
• Liver Kidney Toxicity
• Neurotoxicology
• Nanotoxicology
• Reproductive Toxicology
• Several Case studies
• Hurricane Katrina
• Seveso, Italy
• Exxon Valdez
• Bhopal, India
• Love Canal

• Chemical Weapons, Iran-Iraq War
• Erin Brokovich, CA
• Chernobyl

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• Ideal student background Molecular Biology,
  Chemistry
• Assigned text Recommended, not required
• 1-Mechanistic Toxicology, The Molecular
  Basis of How Chemicals Disrupt Biological
  Targets, 2nd Edition, Urs A. Boelsterli, editor.
  CRC Press Taylor and Francis Group, 2007, ISBN
  0-8493-7272-0.
• 2-Casarett Doulls Essentials of
  Toxicology, Curtis D. Klaassen, John B. Watkins
  III. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. ISBN
  0-07-138914-8.
• 3-Primary Literature
• 4-Power Point Slides!
• Course Assessment 2 Midterms (30 each) and a
  cumulative final (40), multiple choice, short
  essay questions

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Getting Started.
1. Register for course offering via the Brown
website http//www.brown.edu/pfizer 2.
Colleagues Apply for Educational Assistance
via HR Source. Following the successful
completion of the course (C or better), you
will be reimbursed by Pfizer to pay off your
loan. Contractors No Educational
Assistance available but Ledge Light credit
union has individual educational loan
options. 3. Mail tuition check to Brown
University Cashier's Office 164 Angell Street
Box 1911 Providence, RI 02912
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Contact Information

• Pfizer
• Stacey Boyer, M.A.
• Scientist/Clinical Assistant Neuroscience
  Research Unit
• Chair Pfizer Connecticut Educational Programs
  Board
• PGRD-Groton
• stacey.boyer_at_pfizer.com 860-715-0268