This FIG introduces evolutionary medicine, an interdisciplinary field that integrates approaches from evolutionary biology, biomedicine, nutritional sciences, epidemiology, and psychology with the ultimate goal of influencing clinical practice and public health policy. The field applies evolutionary principles and knowledge of human evolutionary history to understand human susceptibility to disease and to examine how environmental and social factors shape health and well-being. This year's Paging Dr. Darwin FIG will examine the topic of emerging infectious diseases and pandemics, with particular attention to COVID-19 using an evolutionary lens.
Students explore the intersection of topics by taking the following course package:
UGST 109 First-Year Experience Seminar - 1-credit
ANTH 175 Evolutionary Medicine - CoreEd or major satisfying course, 4-credits
This is a science group satisfying course that is designed to be a comprehensive introduction to evolutionary, or Darwinian, medicine. In brief, evolutionary medicine is the application of evolutionary thinking, including evolutionary processes and human evolutionary history, to understanding health and disease among contemporary human populations. This course uses a scientific approach, drawing on the methods, theories, and bodies of knowledge from various scientific disciplines, including evolutionary biology, genetics, neuroscience, physiology, nutritional sciences, and medicine.
Cluster FIG
Cluster FIGs consist of only one co-enrolled core education course. A secondary 4-5 credit course is required, students will choose from the following list of courses:
- BI 121 Intro to Human Physiology. This course meets a requirement for the Global Health Minor.
- PS 205 Introduction to International Relations
- Chemistry 111 Intro to Chemical Principles
- Chemistry 221 General Chemistry I
