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Unit of Study BIOL3005 - Genetic Pathology (2025)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Unit type

    UG Coursework Unit

  • Credit points

    12

  • Faculty/College

    Faculty of Health

  • Placement

    No

  • Enrolment information

    Please note this unit has assessments scheduled in Week 7, which will require attendance on-campus. Details will be provided closer to the time. This unit contains Work Integrated Learning (WIL) that requires students to meet mandatory fit to practice obligations prior to attending. Failure to comply by the fit to practice deadline will result in the cancellation of your WIL and you will not be permitted to continue in this unit. Full details are available at www.scu.edu.au/health/work-integrated-learning.

Unit description

Through the alignment of theoretical concepts and practical skills, this unit expands on the themes introduced in molecular genetics, histology, microbiology, and pathophysiology studies to introduce the knowledge and practical skills used routinely in modern pathology genetic testing. The practical component will focus on utilising molecular diagnostic techniques in disease testing and in the diagnosis of specific human pathologies. Tutorials will extend the student's knowledge by providing problem-solving tasks, case studies and/or journal article discussions.

Unit content

  1. A primer on genetic pathology and molecular diagnostics for clinical practice
  2. Decoding genetics - normal variation and genetic disorders
  3. Unravelling the complexity of cancer genetics
  4. Molecular diagnosis of infectious diseases and the impact on clinical and public health
  5. Molecular forensics: Investigating crime through DNA analysis
  6. Brave new world: Exploring advances in molecular diagnostics and precision medicine

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
Gold Coast
Term2
Term2

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

critically assess diverse human genetic pathologies, differentiating normal and abnormal profiles and analysing causative factors, clinical diagnoses, and potential treatments

evaluate and present contemporary molecular genetic analysis, including quality control and validation, utilising appropriate terminology and data interpretation

solve complex problems in practical molecular genetics incorporating troubleshooting and problem-resolution skills

demonstrate ethical standards, safety protocols, and professionalism in genetic pathology, ensuring scientific integrity and ethical conduct in scenario-based activities

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts
  • Prescribed text information is not currently available.
Prescribed Resources/Equipment
  • Prescribed resources/equipment information is not currently available.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.