Course Director
Rene Opavsky, PhD
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
258, CGRC
Email: ropavsky@ufl.edu
Phone: (352) 294-8596
Course Description and Objectives
The goal of this Journal Club is to develop an understanding of contemporary molecular, cellular, and cancer biology through a review of high-impact articles describing current concepts and methodologies. All students will contribute to discussions of current scientific literature and/or presentations of student research. In Journal Club, the student develops the skills required to critically review published and/or own work and discuss findings among peers
At each course meeting, one student will critically review a scientific paper using a PowerPoint presentation and refer to the pertinent literature to provide background on both the science and the techniques used in the paper. The student will choose the paper that is of interest to him/her on a timely topic that is expected to be of interest to other students. The article must be submitted at least one week before the presentation to the course director for approval. Presentations must include background for the understanding of the paper. Presentations should be 35-40 minutes, allowing for 20-25 minutes of discussion.
Students can choose to present their own research instead of presenting published work, in a preparation for a committee meeting or final Dissertation defense. Similar to the paper presentation, the outline of the talk should include Background, Techniques, Results, and Discussion.
Students must participate in the discussion in some way in every class by asking questions, being critical of presented data, sharing experiences, and so on. If a student cannot present on the date assigned, he/she must find and agree on switching dates with a fellow student and then contact the Course Director. Excused absences must be cleared with the Course Director beforehand.
Grading
Presentation: 50%
Participation in Discussion: 50%
Final Reflection 10%