The Biology of Cancer
Taught by James S.
James S. is a biomedical researcher, statistical analyst, blogger, and occasional ass. James' academic work has focused on breast cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and infectious disease surveillance. In private industry he has worked as a data analyst and private practice growth consultant. He's a dork that loves dirty jokes, public speaking, teaching science, and believes in nouns that start with capital letters. He can be found at his recently reborn blog, miedvied.com.
In the preceding two centuries, cancer has gone from an illness spoken of only in surgical texts to a household word, a political movement, and a media by-word for suffering. But what is it, why does it arise so persistently and perniciously in all populations, and how can we address it?
This course will survey the basic biological mechanisms by which cancer arises, and why it is an inevitable consequence of long-life and good healthcare. In this context, we will be able to better discuss what sort of treatments have arisen, what's likely to be on the horizon, and how to interpret claims of "The new cure for cancer!"
No background in the sciences is needed, and everyone is welcome. Lecture will be led by a former breast cancer bio guy, now a public health graduate student at the Boston University School of Public Health.
