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Johns Hopkins University | EN.540.421

Project in Design: Pharmacodynamics

3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

(4.53)

This is continuation of 540.400 Project in Design: Pharmacokinetics. It is a design course in which the design projects will be to develop pharmacodynamic models of the human body that can be used to understand the physiologic effects of drugs on the body. The course (and software to be developed) will cover the spectrum of ways in which pharmaceuticals affect human physiology. The goal is to develop process models of the human body that will predict pharmaceutical effects as a function of time and organ (or cell) type that will work for a wide variety of pharmaceuticals including small molecules, biologics, and chemotherapy agents. This course is organized to replicate group project work as it is practiced in industry. The class is divided into groups (typically 3 or 4 students) and each group will meet separately each week with the instructor. Hence, there is no regularly scheduled class times; student groups sign up for weekly meeting times using Starfish in Blackboard. These meetings typically will be 90 minutes long. The expectations and assignments for this course are quite different from most other courses. There are no weekly lectures by the instructor. Rather, each week each group will make a PowerPoint presentation on the week's topic or their progress on their project. Prerequisites 540.421 has a prerequisite of 540.400 Pharmacokinetics

Spring 2013

(4.17)

Spring 2014

(4.86)

Spring 2015

(4.56)

Spring 2013

Professor: Marc Donohue

(4.17)

The best aspects of this course included the flexible meeting times, the hands-on experience, and the one-on-one interaction with the instructor. One student felt the amount of presentations required over the course of a semester was excessive. Another student found the final exam a big jump in difficulty compared to previous exams from the same semester. Suggestions included incorporating a modern textbook on proper pharmacodynamic modeling in MATLAB; also, providing students with clearer expectations/guidelines on assignments, particularly the final. Prospective students should know this course requires a lot of independent research but provides them with invaluable fundamental knowledge on pharmacokinetics.

Spring 2014

Professor: Marc Donohue

(4.86)

The best aspects of this course were the broad overview of topics from the production to uses of micro technology, the knowledgeable instructor, and the high expectation of student work. The worst aspect of the course was the uneven distribution of work over the semester and the high writing requirement. Some suggestions for improving the course included making the class more interactive, a broader choice of topics for papers, and fewer lectures. Prospective students should know this class is lecture based and there are three papers and a presentation. The class is recommended.

Spring 2015

Professor: Marc Donohue

(4.56)

The best aspects of the course included the professor and the uniquely flexible structure of limited class time. Students were free to pursue topics of interest within groups and meet with the professor weekly to discuss and present assigned materials. Some students had trouble with the lack of feedback, direction, and instruction that resulted from this class format, and did not know how they were performing in the class. Thus, clearer guidelines for weekly presentations and a better general sense of course expectations would have proven helpful for many. Prospective students should be motivated and ready to work within a group on topics of interest without much direction or oversight. 63