Search result: Catalogue data in Autumn Semester 2016

Health Sciences and Technology Master Information
Major in Human Movement Science and Sport
Compulsory Courses
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
376-0300-00LTranslational Science for Health and Medicine Restricted registration - show details O3 credits2GJ. Goldhahn, C. Wolfrum
AbstractTranslational science is a cross disciplinary scientific research that is motivated by the need for practical applications that help people. The course should help to clarify basics of translational science, illustrate successful applications and should enable students to integrate key features into their future projects.
ObjectiveAfter completing this course, students will be able to understand:
Principles of translational science (including project planning, ethics application, basics of resource management and interdisciplinary communication)
ContentWhat is translational science and what is it not?
How to identify need?
- Disease concepts and consequences for research
- Basics about incidence, prevalence etc., and orphan indications
How to choose the appropriate research type and methodology
- Ethical considerations including ethics application
- Pros and cons of different types of research
- Coordination of complex approaches incl. timing and resources
How to measure success?
- Outcome variables
- Improving the translational process
Challenges of communication?
How independent is translational science?
- Academic boundary conditions vs. industrial influences
Positive and negative examples will be illustrated by distinguished guest speakers.
Electives
Electives Courses I
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
376-0221-00LMethods and Concepts in Human Systems Neuroscience and Motor Control Restricted registration - show details
Number of participants limited to 18
W3 credits3PN. Wenderoth
AbstractThis course provides hands-on experience with measurement and analysis methods relevant for Humans Systems Neuroscience and Motor control (nerve/brain stimulation, EMG, EEG, psycho-physical paradigms etc). Students read scientific material, set up experiments, perform measurements in the lab, analyse data, apply statistics and write short reports or essays.
ObjectiveThis course will prepare students for experimental work as it is typically done during the master thesis. The goal is to gain hands-on experience with measurement and analysis methods relevant for Humans Systems Neuroscience and Motor control (ifor example peripheral nerve stimulation, electrical and magnetic brain stimulation, EMG, EEG, psycho-physical paradigms etc). Students will learn how to perform small scientific projects in this area. Students will work individually or in small groups and solve scientific problems which require them to perform measurements in human participants, extract relevant readouts from the data, apply appropriate statistics and interpret the results. They will also be required to write small essays and reports and they will get feedback on their writing throughout the course.
Prerequisites / NoticeStudents are required to have successfully completed the course "Neural control of movement and motor learning" and to have basic knowledge of applied statistics. Self-study material about applied statistics will be available at the beginning of the course and statistical knowledge will be tested (central element) in the second course week. Passing this test is a requirement for continuing the course. Students will have to solve scientific problems, requiring them to independently study scientific material, apply statistics and report their results in the form of written reports and essays. Assessments will be made on the basis of the completed theoretical and practical work that will be performed either in small groups or individually.
376-0223-00LAdvanced Topics in Exercise Physiology Restricted registration - show details W3 credits2SC. Spengler, F. Gabe Beltrami, J. M. Kroepfl
AbstractIn this course, students read, present and discuss seminal publications in the area of exercise physiology. The focus lies on critical analysis of scientific content, conceptual as well as ethical aspects of publications. Students are trained in the most common scientific presentation techniques such as oral and poster presentations.
ObjectiveStudents gain further knowledge and a deeper understanding of concepts in exercise physiology. Emphasis is put on critical analysis and discussion of scientific publications as well as on improving scientific presentation skills.
LiteratureMaterial will be provided in moodle.
Prerequisites / NoticeSuccessful completion of the Exercise Physiology Course.
376-0225-00LPhysical Activities and HealthW3 credits2VE. de Bruin
AbstractThis course introduces/explores the complex relationship between physical activity, sedentary behavior and health. It will discuss the evolution of current physical activity recommendations. It will examine the current evidence base that has informed physical activity recommendations and that identified physical activity as a key modifiable lifestyle behavior contributing to disease and mortality.
ObjectiveOn completion of this course students will be able to demonstrate:
1. knowledge of and critical awareness of the role of physical activity and sedentary behavior in the maintenance of health and the aetiology, prevention and treatment of disease.
2. thorough knowledge and critical awareness of current recommendations for physical activity, and current prevalence and trends of physical activity and associated diseases
3. awareness of current national and international physical activity policies and how these impact on global challenges
ContentIntroduction to Physical Activity for Health, including sedentary behavior
Physical activity epidemiology; concepts principles and approaches
Physical activity and all cause morbidity and mortality
Physical activity and chronic disease; Coronary heart disease, diabetes, bone health, cancer and obesity
Physical activity and brain health
Physical activity and sedentary behavior recommendations
Population prevalence of physical activity and sedentary behavior
Physical activity policies
Physical activity assessment
LiteratureCore texts for this course are:
Hardman, A. and Stensel, D. Physical activity and health : the evidence explained. 2nd edition. (2009) UK, Routledge.

Bouchard, C., Blair, S. N., & Haskell, W. L. (Eds.). (2012). Physical activity and health. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Selective journal articles from relevant journals such as Journal of Physical Activity and Health and Journal of Aging and Physical Activity
Prerequisites / NoticeFrom the BSc-course the following book is recommended: 'Essentials of strength training and conditioning' T. Baechle, R. Earle (3rd Edition)
376-1651-00LClinical and Movement BiomechanicsW4 credits3GS. Lorenzetti, R. List, N. Singh
AbstractMeasurement and modeling of the human movement during daily activities and in a clinical environment.
ObjectiveThe students are able to analyse the human movement from a technical point of view, to process the data and perform modeling with a focus towards clinical application.
ContentThis course includes study design, measurement techniques, clinical testing, accessing movement data and anysis as well as modeling with regards to human movement.
752-6101-00LDietary Etiologies of Chronic DiseaseW3 credits2VM. B. Zimmermann
AbstractTo have the student gain understanding of the links between the diet and the etiology and progression of chronic diseases, including diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, arthritis and food allergies.
ObjectiveTo examine and understand the protective effect of foods and food ingredients in the maintenance of health and the prevention of chronic disease, as well as the progression of complications of the chronic diseases.
ContentThe course evaluates food and food ingredients in relation to primary and secondary prevention of chronic diseases including diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, arthritis and food allergies.
Lecture notesThere is no script. Powerpoint presentations will be made available on-line to students.
LiteratureTo be provided by the individual lecturers, at their discretion.
Prerequisites / NoticeNo compulsory prerequisites, but prior completion of Human Nutrition I + II (Humanernährung I+II) is strongly advised.
Elective Courses II
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
151-0104-00LUncertainty Quantification for Engineering & Life Sciences Restricted registration - show details
Does not take place this semester.
Number of participants limited to 60.
W4 credits3GP. Koumoutsakos
AbstractQuantification of uncertainties in computational models pertaining to applications in engineering and life sciences. Exploitation of massively available data to develop computational models with quantifiable predictive capabilities. Applications of Uncertainty Quantification and Propagation to problems in mechanics, control, systems and cell biology.
ObjectiveThe course will teach fundamental concept of Uncertainty Quantification and Propagation (UQ+P) for computational models of systems in Engineering and Life Sciences. Emphasis will be placed on practical and computational aspects of UQ+P including the implementation of relevant algorithms in multicore architectures.
ContentTopics that will be covered include: Uncertainty quantification under
parametric and non-parametric modelling uncertainty, Bayesian inference with model class assessment, Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulation, prior and posterior reliability analysis.
Lecture notesThe class will be largely based on the book: Data Analysis: A Bayesian Tutorial by Devinderjit Sivia as well as on class notes and related literature that will be distributed in class.
Literature1. Data Analysis: A Bayesian Tutorial by Devinderjit Sivia
2. Probability Theory: The Logic of Science by E. T. Jaynes
3. Class Notes
Prerequisites / NoticeFundamentals of Probability, Fundamentals of Computational Modeling
227-0385-10LBiomedical ImagingW6 credits5GS. Kozerke, K. P. Prüssmann, M. Rudin
AbstractIntroduction and analysis of medical imaging technology including X-ray procedures, computed tomography, nuclear imaging techniques using single photon and positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound imaging techniques.
ObjectiveTo understand the physical and technical principles underlying X-ray imaging, computed tomography, single photon and positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound and Doppler imaging techniques. The mathematical framework is developed to describe image encoding/decoding, point-spread function/modular transfer function, signal-to-noise ratio, contrast behavior for each of the methods. Matlab exercises are used to implement and study basic concepts.
Content- X-ray imaging
- Computed tomography
- Single photon emission tomography
- Positron emission tomography
- Magnetic resonance imaging
- Ultrasound/Doppler imaging
Lecture notesLecture notes and handouts
LiteratureWebb A, Smith N.B. Introduction to Medical Imaging: Physics, Engineering and Clinical Applications; Cambridge University Press 2011
Prerequisites / NoticeAnalysis, Linear Algebra, Physics, Basics of Signal Theory, Basic skills in Matlab programming
227-0386-00LBiomedical Engineering Information W4 credits3GJ. Vörös, S. J. Ferguson, S. Kozerke, U. Moser, M. Rudin, M. P. Wolf, M. Zenobi-Wong
AbstractIntroduction into selected topics of biomedical engineering as well as their relationship with physics and physiology. The focus is on learning the concepts that govern common medical instruments and the most important organs from an engineering point of view. In addition, the most recent achievements and trends of the field of biomedical engineering are also outlined.
ObjectiveIntroduction into selected topics of biomedical engineering as well as their relationship with physics and physiology. The course provides an overview of the various topics of the different tracks of the biomedical engineering master course and helps orienting the students in selecting their specialized classes and project locations.
ContentIntroduction into neuro- and electrophysiology. Functional analysis of peripheral nerves, muscles, sensory organs and the central nervous system. Electrograms, evoked potentials. Audiometry, optometry. Functional electrostimulation: Cardiac pacemakers. Function of the heart and the circulatory system, transport and exchange of substances in the human body, pharmacokinetics. Endoscopy, medical television technology. Lithotripsy. Electrical Safety. Orthopaedic biomechanics. Lung function. Bioinformatics and Bioelectronics. Biomaterials. Biosensors. Microcirculation.Metabolism.
Practical and theoretical exercises in small groups in the laboratory.
Lecture notesIntroduction to Biomedical Engineering
by Enderle, Banchard, and Bronzino

AND

Link
227-0447-00LImage Analysis and Computer Vision Information W6 credits3V + 1UL. Van Gool, O. Göksel, E. Konukoglu
AbstractLight and perception. Digital image formation. Image enhancement and feature extraction. Unitary transformations. Color and texture. Image segmentation and deformable shape matching. Motion extraction and tracking. 3D data extraction. Invariant features. Specific object recognition and object class recognition.
ObjectiveOverview of the most important concepts of image formation, perception and analysis, and Computer Vision. Gaining own experience through practical computer and programming exercises.
ContentThe first part of the course starts off from an overview of existing and emerging applications that need computer vision. It shows that the realm of image processing is no longer restricted to the factory floor, but is entering several fields of our daily life. First it is investigated how the parameters of the electromagnetic waves are related to our perception. Also the interaction of light with matter is considered. The most important hardware components of technical vision systems, such as cameras, optical devices and illumination sources are discussed. The course then turns to the steps that are necessary to arrive at the discrete images that serve as input to algorithms. The next part describes necessary preprocessing steps of image analysis, that enhance image quality and/or detect specific features. Linear and non-linear filters are introduced for that purpose. The course will continue by analyzing procedures allowing to extract additional types of basic information from multiple images, with motion and depth as two important examples. The estimation of image velocities (optical flow) will get due attention and methods for object tracking will be presented. Several techniques are discussed to extract three-dimensional information about objects and scenes. Finally, approaches for the recognition of specific objects as well as object classes will be discussed and analyzed.
Lecture notesCourse material Script, computer demonstrations, exercises and problem solutions
Prerequisites / NoticePrerequisites:
Basic concepts of mathematical analysis and linear algebra. The computer exercises are based on Linux and C.
The course language is English.
327-2125-00LMicroscopy Training SEM I - Introduction to SEM Restricted registration - show details
Number of participants limited to 6.
The participants will be chosen based on a short motivation letter. Please send this letter to S. Rodighiero (main lecturer) as soon as possible.
W1 credit3PS. Rodighiero, A. G. Bittermann, K. Kunze, J. Reuteler
AbstractThe introductory course on Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) emphasizes hands-on learning. Using 2 SEM instruments, students have the opportunity to study their own samples, or standard test samples, as well as solving exercises provided by ScopeM scientists.
Objective- Set-up, align and operate a SEM successfully and safely.
- Accomplish imaging tasks successfully and optimize microscope performances.
- Master the operation of a low-vacuum and field-emission SEM and EDX instrument.
- Perform sample preparation with corresponding techniques and equipment for imaging and analysis
- Acquire techniques in obtaining secondary electron and backscatter electron micrographs
- Perform EDX qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis
ContentDuring the course, students learn through lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on sessions how to setup and operate SEM instruments, including low-vacuum and low-voltage applications.
This course gives basic skills for students new to SEM. At the end of the course, students with no prior experience are able to align a SEM, to obtain secondary electron (SE) and backscatter electron (BSE) micrographs and to perform energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis. The procedures to better utilize SEM to solve practical problems and to optimize SEM analysis for a wide range of materials will be emphasized.

- Discussion of students' sample/interest
- Introduction and discussion on Electron Microscopy and instrumentation
- Lectures on electron sources, electron lenses and probe formation
- Lectures on beam/specimen interaction, image formation, image contrast and imaging modes.
- Lectures on sample preparation techniques for EM
- Brief description and demonstration of the SEM microscope
- Practice on beam/specimen interaction, image formation, image contrast (and image processing)
- Student participation on sample preparation techniques
- Scanning Electron Microscopy lab exercises: setup and operate the instrument under various imaging modalities
- Lecture and demonstrations on X-ray micro-analysis (theory and detection), qualitative and semi-quantitative EDX and point analysis, linescans and spectral mapping
- Practice on real-world samples and report results
Literature- Detailed course manual
- Williams, Carter: Transmission Electron Microscopy, Plenum Press, 1996
- Hawkes, Valdre: Biophysical Electron Microscopy, Academic Press, 1990
- Egerton: Physical Principles of Electron Microscopy: an introduction to TEM, SEM and AEM, Springer Verlag, 2007
Prerequisites / NoticeNo mandatory prerequisites. Please consider the prior attendance to EM Basic lectures (551- 1618-00V; 227-0390-00L; 327-0703-00L) as suggested prerequisite.
327-2126-00LMicroscopy Training TEM I - Introduction to TEM Restricted registration - show details
Does not take place this semester.
Number of participants limited to 6.

The participants will be chosen based on a short motivation letter. Please send this letter to S. Rodighiero (main lecturer).
W1 credit3P
AbstractThe introductory course on Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) provides theoretical and hands-on learning for new operators, utilizing lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on sessions.
Objective- Overview of TEM theory, instrumentation, operation and applications.
- Alignment and operation of a TEM, as well as acquisition and interpretation of images, diffraction patterns, accomplishing basic tasks successfully.
- Knowledge of electron imaging modes (including Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy), magnification calibration, and image acquisition using CCD cameras.
- To set up the TEM to acquire diffraction patterns, perform camera length calibration, as well as measure and interpret diffraction patterns.
- Overview of techniques for specimen preparation.
ContentUsing two Transmission Electron Microscopes the students learn how to align a TEM, select parameters for acquisition of images in bright field (BF) and dark field (DF), perform scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) imaging, phase contrast imaging, and acquire electron diffraction patterns. The participants will also learn basic and advanced use of digital cameras and digital imaging methods.

- Introduction and discussion on Electron Microscopy and instrumentation.
- Lectures on electron sources, electron lenses and probe formation.
- Lectures on beam/specimen interaction, image formation, image contrast and imaging modes.
- Lectures on sample preparation techniques for EM.
- Brief description and demonstration of the TEM microscope.
- Practice on beam/specimen interaction, image formation, Image contrast (and image processing).
- Demonstration of Transmission Electron Microscopes and imaging modes (Phase contrast, BF, DF, STEM).
- Student participation on sample preparation techniques.
- Transmission Electron Microscopy lab exercises: setup and operate the instrument under various imaging modalities.
- TEM alignment, calibration, correction to improve image contrast and quality.
- Electron diffraction.
- Practice on real-world samples and report results.
Literature- Detailed course manual
- Williams, Carter: Transmission Electron Microscopy, Plenum Press, 1996
- Hawkes, Valdre: Biophysical Electron Microscopy, Academic Press, 1990
- Egerton: Physical Principles of Electron Microscopy: an introduction to TEM, SEM and AEM, Springer Verlag, 2007
Prerequisites / NoticeNo mandatory prerequisites. Please consider the prior attendance to EM Basic lectures (551- 1618-00V; 227-0390-00L; 327-0703-00L) as suggested prerequisite.
363-0301-00LWork Design and Organizational Change Information W3 credits2GG. Grote
AbstractGood work design is crucial for individual and company effectiveness and a core element to be considered in organizational change. Meaning of work, organization-technology interaction, and uncertainty management are discussed with respect to work design and sustainable organizational change. As course project, students learn and apply a method for analyzing and designing work in business settings.
Objective- Know effects of work design on competence, motivation, and well-being
- Understand links between design of individual jobs and work processes
- Know basic processes involved in systematic organizational change
- Understand the interaction between organization and technology and its impact on organizational change
- Understand relevance of work design for company performance and strategy
- Know and apply methods for analyzing and designing work
Content- Work design: From Adam Smith to job crafting
- Effects of work design on performance and well-being
- Approaches to analyzing and designing work
- Modes of organizational change and change methods
- Balancing stability and flexibility in organizations as design criterium
- The organization-technology interaction and its impact on work design and organizational change
- Example Flexible working arrangements
- Strategic choices for work design
LiteratureA list of required readings will be provided at the beginning of the course.
Prerequisites / NoticeThe course includes the completion of a course project to be conducted in groups of four students. The project entails applying a particular method for analyzing and designing work processes and is carried out by means of interviews and observations in companies chosen by the students.
363-0790-00LTechnology Entrepreneurship Information W2 credits2VU. Claesson, B. Clarysse
AbstractTechnology ventures are significantly changing the global economic picture. Technological skills increasingly need to be complemented by entrepreneurial understanding.
This course offers the fundamentals in theory and practice of entrepreneurship in new technology ventures. Main topics covered are success factors in the creation of new firms, including founding, financing and growing a venture.
ObjectiveThis course provides theory-grounded knowledge and practice-driven skills for founding, financing, and growing new technology ventures. A critical understanding of dos and don'ts is provided through highlighting and discussing real life examples and cases.
ContentSee course website: Link
Lecture notesLecture slides and case material
376-0130-00LLaboratory Course in Exercise Physiology Information Restricted registration - show details
Number of participants limited to 48.

BWS: Amandatory for "Exercise physiology".
HST: Possible from the 5th semester on,
W3 credits4PC. Spengler
AbstractConduct physical performance tests and measurements that are typically used to assess performance of athletes and/or patients and that deepen the understanding of physiological processes in response to physical exertion.
ObjectiveGain hands-on experience in exercise physiology and consolidate knowledge on physiological adaptations to different types and degrees of physical activity and climatic influences. Learn fundamental assessment techniques of the muscular system, the cardio-respiratory system and of whole-body performance, learn scientifically correct data analysis and interpretation of results. Insight into today's Sports Medicine.
ContentLaboratory course:
Various exercise tests assessing human performance and assessments of physiological responses to activity (examples are VO2max-test, Conconi-Tests, Determination of anaerobic threshold, Cooper-Test, 1-repetition maximum test, lactate minimum test), dynamometry, mechanography, body composition etc.). Insight into measurements in Sports Medicine.
Lecture notesTutorial on Laboratory Experiments in Exercise Physiology
(Editor: Exercise Physiology Lab)
LiteratureSchmidt/Lang/Heckmann: Physiologie des Menschen, Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg

Kenney/Wilmore/Costill: Physiology of Sport and Exercise, Human Kinetics
Prerequisites / NoticePrerequisite:
Anatomy and physiology classes and lab course in physiology successfully completed (BWS students please contact C. M. Spengler)

Desirable:
Exercise Physiology Lecture (concomitantly or passed; is selection criterion in case of more applications than lab spaces)
376-0203-00LMovement and Sport Biomechanics Information W4 credits3GW. R. Taylor, R. List, S. Lorenzetti
AbstractLearning to view the human body as a (bio-) mechanical system. Making the connections between everyday movements and sports activity with injury, discomfort, prevention and rehabilitation.
ObjectiveStudents are able to describe the human body as a mechanical system.
They analyse and describe human movement according to the laws of mechanics.
ContentMovement- and sports biomechanics deals with the attributes of the human body and their link to mechanics. The course includes topics such as functional anatomy, biomechanics of daily activities (gait, running, etc.) and looks at movement in sport from a mechanical point of view. Furthermore, simple reflections on the loading analysis of joints in various situations are discussed. Additionally, questions covering the statics and dynamics of rigid bodies, and inverse dynamics, relevant to biomechanics are investigated.
376-0207-00LExercise PhysiologyW4 credits3GC. Spengler
AbstractThis course provides an overview over molecular and systemic aspects of neuromuscular, cardiovascular and respiratory adaptations to acute and chronic exercise as well as the interactions of the different systems influencing factors, e.g. genetics, gender, age, altitude/depth, heat/cold, with respect to performance and health.
ObjectiveThe aim of this course is to understand molecular and systemic aspects of neuromuscular, cardiovascular and respiratory adaptations to acute and chronic exercise as well as the interaction of the different systems regarding health-relevant aspects and performance in healthy people and persons with selected diseases. Furthermore, students will understand the influence of genetics, gender, age, altitude/depth, heat and cold on the named factors.
ContentHistory of Exercise Physiology, research methods, fibertype heterogeneity and its functional significance, neural control of muscle force, molecular nad cellular mechanisms of muscle adaptation to resistance, endurance and stretching exercise, interindividual variability in the response to training, cardiorespiratory and metabolic responses to acute and chronic exercise, sexi differences relevant to exercise performance, exercise in hot and cold environment, children and adolescents in sport and exercise, exercise at altitude and depth, aging and exercise performance, exercise for health, exercise in the context of disease.
Lecture notesOnline material is provided during the course.
LiteratureRecommended textbooks:

William D. McArdle, Frank I. Katch, Victor L. Katch
Exercise Physiology: Nutrition, Energy, and Human Performance, Eighth Edition, 2014
ISBN/ISSN: 9781451191554

W.L. Kenney, J.H. Wilmore, D.L. Costill
Physiology of Sport and Exercise
5th Edition, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0-7360-9409-2 / ISBN-10: 0-7360-9409-1
Prerequisites / NoticeAnatomy and Physiology I + II
376-0815-00LWriting your Master's Thesis: Natural Sciences and Engineering C1-C2 Restricted registration - show details
Does not take place this semester.
Your course regristration is only valid with a simultaneous online registration at the language center (Link).

Number of participants limited to 15 (3 courses are available).

Attention: Registration is only possible from 12.9. (from 11.30h) - 15.9.2016
W2 credits2VS. Milligan
AbstractWe'll prepare you to produce your MSc thesis. You'll learn how to structure your thesis, write scientific English, and manage your writing efficiently. You'll receive detailed feedback on work in progress.
ObjectiveBy the end of the course students are able to plan, draft, and edit academic English papers and theses; structure and write clear texts in a style which is acceptable to their academic discourse community; manage the writing process efficiently; select formal vocabulary and use it in a generally accurate and correct manner; choose and use generally suitable grammatical structures, punctuation, and orthographic conventions, assess their own effectiveness as writers of academic English, and identify areas in which further development is needed.
ContentThe course covers the writing context; the writing process; structuring sentences, paragraphs, longer sections (such as introduction, methods, results, and discussion), and whole texts; presenting and integrating non-textual elements such as graphs and tables; and editing and correcting drafts and proofs. Each lesson comprises a mixture of elements, including specialist input, individual tasks, pairwork, and groupwork. Active participation is expected.
376-1033-00LHistory of SportsW2 credits2VM. Gisler
AbstractComprehension for development and changes of sports from the ancient world to the presence. Description of sports in services of national idea, from education and health promotion from the middle of the 18th century till this day.
ObjectiveUnderstanding for the development and adaptation of sports from the ancient world to present times.
ContentKurzüberblick über Antike bis frühe Neuzeit. Darstellung des Sports im Dienst nationaler Ideen, von Bildung und Erziehung, der Gesundheitsförderung von der Mitte des 18. Jahrhunderts bis heute.Überblick über die Geschichte der Olympischen Spiele in der Antike und Gegenwart.
Lecture notesEin Skript für die aktuelle Veranstaltung wird abgegeben.
LiteratureLiteraturangaben für eine Vertiefung der Inhalte werden im Skript gemacht. Die Anschaffung von Spezialliteratur ist allerdings nicht notwendig.
376-1107-00LSport PedagogyW2 credits2VD. Seiler Hubler
AbstractCentral aspects of Sport related pedagogy will be handled in these lectures. These aspects cover, amongst others, the subject and tasks of Sport related pedagogy. Furthermore, the general and sports relevant foundations of Sport related pedagogy will be covered.
ObjectiveTo gain basic knowledge of sports pedagogy and to recognize starting points for applied sports pedagogical intervention in schools.
ContentInhaltliche Schwerpunkte der Vorlesung sind:
- Einführung in die Sportpädagogik und die pädagogische Psychologie des Sportunterrichts
- Bedeutung des Sports im Jugendalter
- Zeitgemässer Sportunterricht
- Sport und Leistung
- Heterogenität im Sportunterricht
- Sport und Gesundheit
- Geschlechterfragen im Sport
- Soziale und moralische Entwicklung im Sportunterricht
Lecture notesUnterrichtsmaterialien zu den einzelnen Veranstaltungen werden den Studierenden zur Verfügung gestellt.
376-1127-00LSociology of SportW2 credits2VM. Lamprecht
AbstractThese lectures deal with the current changes in society and sport and provide an overview of the many different problems and perspectives of sport sociology.
ObjectiveThe lectures set out to:
- present the different dimensions, functions and interrelationships of present-day sport
- provide an introduction to the central theories and models of (sport) sociology
- show how far sport reflects society and how it changes and becomes more differentiated in the process
- take current examples from newspapers, magazines and television to highlight the sociological view of sport.
Content• Sport and social change: developments and trends
• The economy and the media: dependencies, consequences, scandals
• Social inequalities and distinctions: gender differences and group behavior
• Conflicts and politics: sports organizations, doping, violence
Lecture notesSelected materials for the lecture are available under Link --> Lehre
Literature- Coakley, Jay und Elizabeth Pike (2009): Sport in Society: Issues and Controversies. New York: Mc.Graw-Hill.
- Lamprecht, Markus und Hanspeter Stamm (2002): Sport zwischen Kultur, Kult und Kommerz. Zürich: Seismo.
- Thiel Ansgar, Klaus Seiberth und Jochen Mayer (2013): Sportsoziologie: Ein Lehrbuch in 13 Lektionen. Aachen: Meyer & Meyer.
- Weis, Kurt und Robert Gugutzer (Hg.) (2008): Handbuch Sportsoziologie. Schorndorf: Hofmann.

A detailed program with additional references will be delivered at the beginning of the lecture.
376-1117-00LSport PsychologyW2 credits2VH. Gubelmann
AbstractThis lecture is intended as an introduction to sport psychology and imparts knowledge on selected areas of the subject.
ObjectiveStudents are given insight into different work areas of sport psychology. In order to understand what «sport psychology» is, it is necessary to explain the essence and tasks of sport psychology and what it relates to, and to work out an underlying basis for key topics, such as cognition and emotions. Students' expertise is furthered by presenting and providing more in-depth treatment of additional topics of sport psychology. Selected intervention forms are intended to provide insight into applied sport psychology and ensure that mental processes and their impact in sport can be recognised. Case studies and practical exercises (e.g. objective training) are intended to prompt students to reflect to a greater extent on the forms in which sport psychology can be applied in their practice of sports and to integrate these in their teaching.
ContentMain Topics
- Introduction to sport psychology
- Cognitions in sports: mental rehearsal and mental training
- Emotions and stress
- Motivation: goal-setting in sports
- Career and career transition in elite sport
- Coach-Athlete-Interaction
- Psychological aspects of sport-injury rehabilitation
- Group dynamics in sport
Lecture notesUnterrichtsmaterialien zu den einzelnen Veranstaltungen werden den Studierenden zur Verfügung gestellt.
LiteraturePflichtlektüre: Alfermann, D. & Stoll, O. (2010). Sportpsychologie: Ein Lehrbuch in 12 Lektionen. (3. Aufl.), Aachen u.a.: Meyer & Meyer.

Empfohlen: Gerrig, J.P. (2014). Psychologie. (20. Aufl.), München u.a.: Pearson.
376-1177-00LHuman Factors IW2 credits2VM. Menozzi Jäckli, R. Huang, M. Siegrist
AbstractEvery day humans interact with various systems. Strategies of interaction, individual needs, physical & mental abilities, and system properties are important factors in controlling the quality and performance in interaction processes. In the lecture, factors are investigated by basic scientific approaches. Discussed topics are important for optimizing people's satisfaction & overall performance.
ObjectiveThe goal of the lecture is to empower students in better understanding the applied theories, principles, and methods in various applications. Students are expected to learn about how to enable an efficient and qualitatively high standing interaction between human and the environment, considering costs, benefits, health, and safety as well. Thus, an ergonomic design and evaluation process of products, tasks, and environments may be promoted in different disciplines. The goal is achieved in addressing a broad variety of topics and embedding the discussion in macroscopic factors such as the behavior of consumers and objectives of economy.
Content- Physiological, physical, and cognitive factors in sensation and perception
- Body spaces and functional anthropometry, Digital Human Models
- Experimental techniques in assessing human performance and well-being
- Human factors and ergonomics in system designs, product development and innovation
- Human information processing and biological cybernetics
- Interaction among consumers, environments, behavior, and tasks
Literature- Gavriel Salvendy, Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics, 4th edition (2012), is available on NEBIS as electronic version and for free to ETH students
- Further textbooks are introduced in the lecture
- Brouchures, checklists, key articles etc. are uploaded in ILIAS
376-1179-00LApplications of Cybernetics in ErgonomicsW1 credit1UM. Menozzi Jäckli, Y.‑Y. Hedinger Huang, R. Huang
AbstractCybernetics systems have been studied and applied in various research fields, such as applications in the ergonomics domain. Research interests include the man-machine interaction (MMI) topic which involving the performance in multi-model interactions, quantification in gestalt principles in product development; or the information processing matter.
ObjectiveTo learn and practice cybernetics principles in interface designs and product development.
Content- Fitt's law applied in manipulation tasks
- Hick-Hyman law applied in design of the driver assistance systems - Vigilance applied in quality inspection
- Accommodation/vergence crosslink function
- Cross-link models in neurobiology- the ocular motor control system
- Human performance in optimization of production lines
LiteratureGavriel Salvendy, Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics, 4th edition (2012)
376-1219-00LRehabilitation Engineering II: Rehabilitation of Sensory and Vegetative FunctionsW3 credits2VR. Riener, R. Gassert, L. Marchal Crespo
AbstractRehabilitation Engng is the application of science and technology to ameliorate the handicaps of individuals with disabilities to reintegrate them into society.The goal is to present classical and new rehabilitation engineering principles applied to compensate or enhance motor, sensory, and cognitive deficits. Focus is on the restoration and treatment of the human sensory and vegetative system.
ObjectiveProvide knowledge on the anatomy and physiology of the human sensory system, related dysfunctions and pathologies, and how rehabilitation engineering can provide sensory restoration and substitution.

This lecture is independent from Rehabilitation Engineering I. Thus, both lectures can be visited in arbitrary order.
ContentIntroduction, problem definition, overview
Rehabilitation of visual function
- Anatomy and physiology of the visual sense
- Technical aids (glasses, sensor substitution)
- Retina and cortex implants
Rehabilitation of hearing function
- Anatomy and physiology of the auditory sense
- Hearing aids
- Cochlea Implants
Rehabilitation and use of kinesthetic and tactile function
- Anatomy and physiology of the kinesthetic and tactile sense
- Tactile/haptic displays for motion therapy (incl. electrical stimulation)
- Role of displays in motor learning
Rehabilitation of vestibular function
- Anatomy and physiology of the vestibular sense
- Rehabilitation strategies and devices (e.g. BrainPort)
Rehabilitation of vegetative Functions
- Cardiac Pacemaker
- Phrenic stimulation, artificial breathing aids
- Bladder stimulation, artificial sphincter
Brain stimulation and recording
- Deep brain stimulation for patients with Parkinson, epilepsy, depression
- Brain-Computer Interfaces
LiteratureIntroductory Books:

An Introduction to Rehabilitation Engineering. R. A. Cooper, H. Ohnabe, D. A. Hobson (Eds.). Taylor & Francis, 2007.

Principles of Neural Science. E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz, T. M Jessell (Eds.). Mc Graw Hill, New York, 2000.

Force and Touch Feedback for Virtual Reality. G. C. Burdea (Ed.). Wiley, New York, 1996 (available on NEBIS).

Human Haptic Perception, Basics and Applications. M. Grunwald (Ed.). Birkhäuser, Basel, 2008.

The Sense of Touch and Its Rendering, Springer Tracts in Advanced Robotics 45, A. Bicchi et al.(Eds). Springer-Verlag Berlin, 2008.

Interaktive und autonome Systeme der Medizintechnik - Funktionswiederherstellung und Organersatz. Herausgeber: J. Werner, Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag 2005.

Neural prostheses - replacing motor function after desease or disability. Eds.: R. Stein, H. Peckham, D. Popovic. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Advances in Rehabilitation Robotics - Human-Friendly Technologies on Movement Assistance and Restoration for People with Disabilities. Eds: Z.Z. Bien, D. Stefanov (Lecture Notes in Control and Information Science, No. 306). Springer Verlag Berlin 2004.

Intelligent Systems and Technologies in Rehabilitation Engineering. Eds: H.N.L. Teodorescu, L.C. Jain (International Series on Computational Intelligence). CRC Press Boca Raton, 2001.


Selected Journal Articles and Web Links:

Abbas, J., Riener, R. (2001) Using mathematical models and advanced control systems techniques to enhance neuroprosthesis function. Neuromodulation 4, pp. 187-195.

Bach-y-Rita P., Tyler M., and Kaczmarek K (2003). Seeing with the brain. International journal of human-computer-interaction, 15(2):285-295.

Burdea, G., Popescu, V., Hentz, V., and Colbert, K. (2000): Virtual reality-based orthopedic telerehabilitation, IEEE Trans. Rehab. Eng., 8, pp. 430-432
Colombo, G., Jörg, M., Schreier, R., Dietz, V. (2000) Treadmill training of paraplegic patients using a robotic orthosis. Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, vol. 37, pp. 693-700.

Hayward, V. (2008): A Brief Taxonomy of Tactile Illusions and
Demonstrations That Can Be Done In a Hardware Store. Brain Research Bulletin, Vol 75, No 6, pp 742-752

Krebs, H.I., Hogan, N., Aisen, M.L., Volpe, B.T. (1998): Robot-aided neurorehabilitation, IEEE Trans. Rehab. Eng., 6, pp. 75-87

Levesque. V. (2005). Blindness, technology and haptics. Technical report, McGill University. Available at: Link

Quintern, J. (1998) Application of functional electrical stimulation in paraplegic patients. NeuroRehabilitation 10, pp. 205-250.

Riener, R., Nef, T., Colombo, G. (2005) Robot-aided neurorehabilitation for the upper extremities. Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing 43(1), pp. 2-10.

Riener, R. (1999) Model-based development of neuroprostheses for paraplegic patients. Royal Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences 354, pp. 877-894.

The vOICe. Link.

VideoTact, ForeThought Development, LLC. Link
Prerequisites / NoticeTarget Group:
Students of higher semesters and PhD students of
- D-MAVT, D-ITET, D-INFK, D-HEST
- Biomedical Engineering, Robotics, Systems and Control
- Medical Faculty, University of Zurich
Students of other departments, faculties, courses are also welcome
This lecture is independent from Rehabilitation Engineering I. Thus, both lectures can be visited in arbitrary order.
376-1714-00LBiocompatible MaterialsW4 credits3GK. Maniura, J. Möller, M. Zenobi-Wong
AbstractIntroduction to molecules used for biomaterials, molecular interactions between different materials and biological systems (molecules, cells, tissues). The concept of biocompatibility is discussed and important techniques from biomaterials research and development are introduced.
ObjectiveThe class consists of three parts:
1. Introdcution into molecular characteristics of molecules involved in the materials-to-biology interface. Molecular design of biomaterials.
2. The concept of biocompatibility.
3. Introduction into methodology used in biomaterials research and application.
ContentIntroduction into native and polymeric biomaterials used for medical applications. The concepts of biocompatibility, biodegradation and the consequences of degradation products are discussed on the molecular level. Different classes of materials with respect to potential applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery are introduced. Strong focus lies on the molecular interactions between materials having very different bulk and/or surface chemistry with living cells, tissues and organs. In particular the interface between the materials surfaces and the eukaryotic cell surface and possible reactions of the cells with an implant material are elucidated. Techniques to design, produce and characterize materials in vitro as well as in vivo analysis of implanted and explanted materials are discussed.
In addition, a link between academic research and industrial entrepreneurship is established by external guest speakers.
Lecture notesHandouts can be accessed online.
LiteratureLiteratur
Biomaterials Science: An Introduction to Materials in Medicine, Ratner B.D. et al, 3rd Edition, 2013
Comprehensive Biomaterials, Ducheyne P. et al., 1st Edition, 2011

(available online via ETH library)

Handouts provided during the classes and references therin.
376-1720-00LApplication of MATLAB in the Human Movement SciencesW2 credits2GR. van de Langenberg
AbstractStudents will learn to import, process and graphically present experimental data using the MATLAB computing environment. Both the data and the methods of analysis will be typical for experiments in Human Movement Science (i.e. kinematics, kinetics and electromyography).
ObjectiveStudents will acquire the ability to independently load, plot, and process kinematic, kinetic and electromyographical data using the MATLAB computing environment.
ContentDrawbacks of Excel; Possibilities in MATLAB; Import of several data formats; Plot of one and more signals; Removing of an offset and filtering of data based on self-written functions; Normalisation and parametrisation of data; Reliability; Interpolation, Differentiation and Integration in MATLAB.
LiteratureDuring the lecture, several electronically available MATLAB introductions are indicated. Course-specific scripts will be provided by the lecturer.
Prerequisites / NoticeA Laptop with MATLAB installed (v2009 or higher) and wireless internet access is mandatory. Two students can share a laptop if necessary. A MATLAB student version can be obtained at Stud-IDES for free.
376-1722-00LSpinal Cord Injury and Exercise
Prerequisite: Anatomy and Physiology
W2 credits2VC. Perret
AbstractIntensive discussion concerning complications of a spinal cord injury and their consequences on trainability and exercise performance of persons sitting in a wheelchair. Overview on the clinical application of exercise testing as well as on the implementation of sport scientific findings to optimise performance of spinal cord injured subjects in rehabilitation and elite sports.
ObjectiveKnowledge of the pathophysiology and the concomitant complications of a spinal cord injury and the consequences for physical exercise and trainability during rehabilitation as well as in recreational and elite sport.
ContentThe following issues will be discussed: Epidemiology and etiology of spinal cord injury; complications and consequences of spinal cord injury; trainability/exercise physiology and spinal cord injury; history and organisation of wheelchair sports; elite sport and spinal cord injury
LiteratureGeneral literature:

G.A. Zäch, H. G. Koch
Paraplegie - ganzheitliche Rehabilitation
Karger-Verlag, 2006
ISBN 3-8055-7980-2

V. Goosey-Tolfrey
Wheelchair sport: A complete guide for athletes, coaches and teachers
Human Kinetics, 2010

Y.C. Vanlandewijck, W.R. Thompson
The Paralympic Athlete
Wiley-Blackwell, 2011
ISBN 978-1-4443-3404-3

Liz Broad
Sports Nutrition for Paralympic Athletes
CRC Press 2014
ISBN 978-1-4665-0756-2
Prerequisites / NoticeVoraussetzung:Vorlesung Anatomie/Physiologie besucht!
376-1974-00LColloquium in Biomechanics Information W2 credits2KB. Helgason, S. J. Ferguson, R. Müller, J. G. Snedeker, W. R. Taylor, K. Würtz-Kozak, M. Zenobi-Wong
AbstractCurrent topics in biomechanics presented by speakers from academia and industry.
ObjectiveGetting insight into actual areas and problems of biomechanics.
376-1985-00LTrauma BiomechanicsW4 credits2V + 1UK.‑U. Schmitt, M. H. Muser
AbstractTrauma biomechanics in an interdisciplinary research field investigating the biomechanics of injuries and related subjects such as prevention. The lecture provides an introduction to the basic principles of trauma biomechanics.
ObjectiveIntroduction to the basic principles of trauma biomechanics.
ContentThis lecture serves as an introduction to the field of trauma biomechanics. Emphasis is placed on the interdisciplinary nature of impact biomechanics, which uses the combination of fundamental engineering principles and advanced medical technologies to develop injury prevention measures. Topics include: accident statistics and accident reconstruction, biomechanical response of the human to impact loading, injury mechanisms and injury criteria, test methods (including crash tests), computer simulations using multi-body and finite element modelling techniques, aspects of passive safety of vehicles (focusing on restraint systems and vehicle compatibility). Real world examples mainly from automobile safety are used to augment lecture material.
Lecture notesHandouts will be made available.
LiteratureSchmitt K-U, Niederer P, M. Muser, Walz F: "Trauma Biomechanics - An Introduction to Injury Biomechanics", Springer Verlag
376-2017-00LBiomechanics of Sports Injuries and RehabilitationW3 credits2VK.‑U. Schmitt, J. Goldhahn
AbstractThis lectures introduces the basic principles of injury mechanics and rehabilitation focussing on sports injuries.
ObjectiveWithin the scope of this lecture you will learn the basic principles of trauma biomechanics. Based on examples from sports, you will get to know different mechanisms that can possibly result in injury. Investigating the background and cause of injury should allow you to assess the injury risk for sports activities. Furthermore you should be able to develop measures to prevent such injury.
ContentThis lecture deals with the basic principles of injury mechanics and rehabilitation. Mechanisms that can result in injury are presented. Furthermore possibilities to prevent injuries are discussed. Thereby the lecture focuses on sports injuries.
Lecture notesHandouts will be made available.
LiteratureSchmitt K-U, Niederer P, M. Muser, Walz F: "Trauma Biomechanics - Accidental Injury in traffic and sports", Springer Verlag
Prerequisites / NoticeA course work is required. The mark of this course work contributes to the final credits for this lecture. Details will be given during the first lecture.
376-2019-00LApplied Movement Analysis Information W2 credits2GR. Scharpf, S. Lorenzetti
AbstractBased on practical examples out of sport, everyday movement and therapy, students use and compare different methods of movement analysis.
ObjectiveStudents are able to assess human movement using different methods of movement analysis.
ContentDuring the course students get acquainted with different methods of movement analysis such as: functional, morphological, clinical, mechanical, and others.
Based on practical examples, these methods are used and compared. The examples range from sport, everyday movement and therapy, such as hockey, gymnastics, acrobatics, badminton, gait / running and strength training. In the first phase of the class, the different approaches are applied. In the second phase, small teams are working on individual projects. These will be discussed and presented in plenum.
Lecture notesClass material will be distributed using the moodle platform.
551-1153-00LSystems Biology of Metabolism
Number of participants limited to 15.
W4 credits2VU. Sauer, N. Zamboni, M. Zampieri
AbstractStarting from contemporary biological problems related to metabolism, the course focuses on systems biological approaches to address them. In a problem-oriented, this-is-how-it-is-done manner, we thereby teach modern methods and concepts.
ObjectiveDevelop a deeper understanding of how relevant biological problems can be solved, thereby providing advanced insights to key experimental and computational methods in systems biology.
ContentThe course will be given as a mixture of lectures, studies of original research and guided discussions that focus on current research topics. For each particular problem studied, we will work out how the various methods work and what their capabilities/limits are. The problem areas range from microbial metabolism to cancer cell metabolism and from metabolic networks to regulation networks in populations and single cells. Key methods to be covered are various modeling approaches, metabolic flux analyses, metabolomics and other omics.
Lecture notesScript and original publications will be supplied during the course.
Prerequisites / NoticeThe course extends many of the generally introduced concepts and methods of the Concept Course in Systems Biology. It requires a good knowledge of biochemistry and basics of mathematics and chemistry.
752-6105-00LEpidemiology and Prevention
Information for UZH students:
Enrolment to this course unit only possible at ETH. No enrolment to module CS16_101 at UZH.

Please mind the ETH enrolment deadlines for UZH students: Link
W3 credits2VM. Puhan, R. Heusser
AbstractThe module „Epidemiology and prevention“ describes the process of scientific discovery from the detection of a disease and its causes, to the development and evaluation of preventive and treatment interventions and to improved population health.
ObjectiveThe overall goal of the course is to introduce students to epidemiological thinking and methods, which are criticial pillars for medical and public health research. Students will also become aware on how epidemiological facts are used in prevention, practice and politics.
ContentThe module „Epidemiology and prevention“ follows an overall framework that describes the course of scientific discovery from the detection of a disease to the development of prevention and treatment interventions and their evaluation in clinical trials and real world settings. We will discuss study designs in the context of existing knowledge and the type of evidence needed to advance knowledge. Examples form nutrition, chronic and infectious diseases will be used in order to show the underlying concepts and methods.
752-6151-00LPublic Health ConceptsW3 credits2VR. Heusser
AbstractThe module "public health concepts" offers an introduction to key principles of public health. Students get acquainted with the concepts and methods of epidemiology. Students also learn to use epidemiological data for prevention and health promotion purposes. Public health concepts and intervention strategies are presented, using examples from infectious and chronic diseases.
ObjectiveAt the end of this module students are able:
- to interpret the results of epidemiological studies
- to critically assess scientific literature
- to know the definition, dimensions and determinants of health
- to plan public health interventions and health promotion projects
ContentConcepts of descriptive and analytical epidemiology, study designs, measures of effect, confounding and bias, screening, surveilllance, definition of health and health promotion, health dimensions and health determinants, prevention strategies, public health interventions, public health action cycle, epidemiology and prevention of infectious and chronic diseases (HIV, Tuberculosis, Obesity, Public health nutrition).
Lecture notesHandouts are provided to students in the classroom.
Prerequisites / NoticeLanguage of the course is english
752-6403-00LNutrition and PerformanceW2 credits2VS. Mettler, M. B. Zimmermann
AbstractThe course introduces basic concepts of the interaction between nutrition and exercise and cognitive performance.
ObjectiveTo understand the potential effects of nutrition on exercise performance, with a focus on concepts and principles of nutrition before, during and after exercise.
ContentThe course will cover elementary aspects of sports nutrition physiology, including carbohydrate, glycogen, fat, protein and energy metabolism. A main focus will be to understand nutritional aspects before exercise to be prepared for intensive exercise bouts, how exercise performance can be supported by nutrition during exercise and how recovery can be assisted by nutrition after exercise.
Although this is a scientific course, it is a goal of the course to translate basic sports nutrition science into practical sports nutrition examples.
Lecture notesLecture slides and required handouts will be available on the ETH website.
LiteratureInformation on further reading will be announced during the lecture. There will be some mandatory as well as voluntary readings.
Prerequisites / NoticeGeneral knowledge about nutrition, human biology, physiology and biochemistry is a prerequisite for this course. The course builds on basic nutrition and biochemistry knowledge to address exercise and performance related aspects of nutrition.

The course is designed for 3rd year Bachelor students, Master students and postgraduate students (MAS/CAS).

Language: English

It is strongly recommended to attend the lectures. The lecture (including the handouts) is not designed for distance education.
Major in Human Health, Nutrition and Environment
Compulsory Courses
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
701-1701-00LHuman Health, Nutrition and Environment: Term Paper Restricted registration - show details
Only for students of the Major Human Health, Nutrition and Environment.
O6 credits13AJ. Nuessli Guth, T. Julian, K. McNeill, M. B. Zimmermann
AbstractWriting of a review paper of scientific quality on a topic in the domain of Human Health, Nutrition and Environment based on critical evaluation of scientific literature.
Objective- Acquisition of knowledge in the field of the review paper
- Assessment of original literature as well as synthesis and analysis of the findings
- Practising of academic writing in English
- Giving an oral presentation with discussion on the topic of the review paper
ContentTopics are offered in the domains of the major 'Human Health, Nutrition and Environment' covering 'Public Health', 'Infectious Diseases', 'Nutrition and Health' and 'Environment and Health'.
Lecture notesGuidelines will be handed out in the beginning.
LiteratureLiterature will be identified based on the topic chosen.
376-0300-00LTranslational Science for Health and Medicine Restricted registration - show details O3 credits2GJ. Goldhahn, C. Wolfrum
AbstractTranslational science is a cross disciplinary scientific research that is motivated by the need for practical applications that help people. The course should help to clarify basics of translational science, illustrate successful applications and should enable students to integrate key features into their future projects.
ObjectiveAfter completing this course, students will be able to understand:
Principles of translational science (including project planning, ethics application, basics of resource management and interdisciplinary communication)
ContentWhat is translational science and what is it not?
How to identify need?
- Disease concepts and consequences for research
- Basics about incidence, prevalence etc., and orphan indications
How to choose the appropriate research type and methodology
- Ethical considerations including ethics application
- Pros and cons of different types of research
- Coordination of complex approaches incl. timing and resources
How to measure success?
- Outcome variables
- Improving the translational process
Challenges of communication?
How independent is translational science?
- Academic boundary conditions vs. industrial influences
Positive and negative examples will be illustrated by distinguished guest speakers.
Electives
Elective Courses I
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
401-0629-00LApplied BiostatisticsW4 credits3GM. Müller
AbstractPrinciples and main methods in biostatistics with emphasis on practical aspects. Experimental and observational studies. Regression and analysis of variance. Introduction into survival analysis.
ObjectiveGetting an overwiew of the problems and statistical methods used in health sciences. Practise in using the software R to analyze data and interpreting the sults.
ContentExperimental and observational studies. Relative risks and odds ratios. Diagnostic tests, ROC analysis. Multiple linear and logistic regression, analysis of variance. Introduction into survival analysis.
Lecture notessee teaching document repository
LiteratureLe, Chap T. and Eberly, L.: Introductory Biostatistics. Wiley Interscience, 2014.

Norman, G. and Streiner, D.: Biostatistics. The Bare Essentials. pmph USA. 3th edition 2008.

Rosner B: Fundamentals of Biostatistics. Duxbury Press, 7th edition, 2010.
Prerequisites / NoticeThe statistical package R will be used in the exercises.
If you are unfamiliar with R, I highly recommend the online R course etutoR.
752-6105-00LEpidemiology and Prevention
Information for UZH students:
Enrolment to this course unit only possible at ETH. No enrolment to module CS16_101 at UZH.

Please mind the ETH enrolment deadlines for UZH students: Link
W3 credits2VM. Puhan, R. Heusser
AbstractThe module „Epidemiology and prevention“ describes the process of scientific discovery from the detection of a disease and its causes, to the development and evaluation of preventive and treatment interventions and to improved population health.
ObjectiveThe overall goal of the course is to introduce students to epidemiological thinking and methods, which are criticial pillars for medical and public health research. Students will also become aware on how epidemiological facts are used in prevention, practice and politics.
ContentThe module „Epidemiology and prevention“ follows an overall framework that describes the course of scientific discovery from the detection of a disease to the development of prevention and treatment interventions and their evaluation in clinical trials and real world settings. We will discuss study designs in the context of existing knowledge and the type of evidence needed to advance knowledge. Examples form nutrition, chronic and infectious diseases will be used in order to show the underlying concepts and methods.
752-6151-00LPublic Health ConceptsW3 credits2VR. Heusser
AbstractThe module "public health concepts" offers an introduction to key principles of public health. Students get acquainted with the concepts and methods of epidemiology. Students also learn to use epidemiological data for prevention and health promotion purposes. Public health concepts and intervention strategies are presented, using examples from infectious and chronic diseases.
ObjectiveAt the end of this module students are able:
- to interpret the results of epidemiological studies
- to critically assess scientific literature
- to know the definition, dimensions and determinants of health
- to plan public health interventions and health promotion projects
ContentConcepts of descriptive and analytical epidemiology, study designs, measures of effect, confounding and bias, screening, surveilllance, definition of health and health promotion, health dimensions and health determinants, prevention strategies, public health interventions, public health action cycle, epidemiology and prevention of infectious and chronic diseases (HIV, Tuberculosis, Obesity, Public health nutrition).
Lecture notesHandouts are provided to students in the classroom.
Prerequisites / NoticeLanguage of the course is english
Elective Courses II
Module: Infectious Diseases
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
551-0223-00LImmunology III Information W4 credits2VM. Kopf, M. Bachmann, J. Kisielow, A. Lanzavecchia, S. R. Leibundgut, A. Oxenius, R. Spörri
AbstractThis course provides a detailed understanding of
- development of T and B cells
- the dynamics of a immune response during acute and chronic infection
- mechanisms of immunopathology
- modern vaccination strategies
Key experimental results will be shown to help understanding how immunological text book knowledge has evolved.
ObjectiveObtain a detailed understanding of
- the development, activation, and differentiation of different types of T cells and their effectormechanisms during immune responses,
- Recognition of pathogenic microorganisms by the host cells and molecular events thereafter,
- events and signals for maturation of naive B cells to antibody producing plasma cells and memory B cells.
- Optimization of B cell responses by intelligent design of new vaccines
Contento Development and selection of CD4 and CD8 T cells, natural killer T cells (NKT), and regulatory T cells (Treg)
o NK T cells and responses to lipid antigens
o Differentiation, characterization, and function of CD4 T cell subsets such as Th1, Th2, and Th17
o Overview of cytokines and their effector function
o Co-stimulation (signals 1-3)
o Dendritic cells
o Evolution of the "Danger" concept
o Cells expressing Pattern Recognition Receptors and their downstream signals
o T cell function and dysfunction in acute and chronic viral infections
LiteratureDocuments of the lectures are available for download at:
Link
Prerequisites / NoticeImmunology I and II recommended but not compulsory
636-0017-00LComputational Biology Information W4 credits3GT. Stadler, C. Magnus
AbstractThe aim of the course is to provide up-to-date knowledge on how we can study biological processes using genetic sequencing data. Computational algorithms extracting biological information from genetic sequence data are discussed, and statistical tools to understand this information in detail are introduced.
ObjectiveAttendees will learn which information is contained in genetic sequencing data and how to extract information from them using computational tools. The main concepts introduced are:
* stochastic models in molecular evolution
* phylogenetic & phylodynamic inference
* maximum likelihood and Bayesian statistics
Attendees will apply these concepts to a number of applications yielding biological insight into:
* epidemiology
* pathogen evolution
* macroevolution of species
ContentThe course consists of four parts. We first introduce modern genetic sequencing technology, and algorithms to obtain sequence alignments from the output of the sequencers. We then present methods to directly analyze this alignment (such as BLAST algorithm, GWAS approaches). Second, we introduce mechanisms and concepts of molecular evolution, i.e. we discuss how genetic sequences change over time. Third, we employ evolutionary concepts to infer ancestral relationships between organisms based on their genetic sequences, i.e. we discuss methods to infer genealogies and phylogenies. We finally introduce the field of phylodynamics. The aim of that field is to understand and quantify the population dynamic processes (such as transmission in epidemiology or speciation & extinction in macroevolution) based on a phylogeny. Throughout the class, the models and methods are illustrated on different datasets giving insight into the epidemiology and evolution of a range of infectious diseases (e.g. HIV, HCV, influenza, Ebola). Applications of the methods to the field of macroevolution provide insight into the evolution and ecology of different species clades. Students will be trained in the algorithms and their application both on paper and in silico as part of the exercises.
Lecture notesSlides of the lecture will be available online.
Link
LiteratureThe course is not based on any of the textbooks below, but they are excellent choices as accompanying material:
* Yang, Z. 2006. Computational Molecular Evolution.
* Felsenstein, J. 2004. Inferring Phylogenies.
* Semple, C. & Steel, M. 2003. Phylogenetics.
* Drummond, A. & Bouckaert, R. 2015. Bayesian evolutionary analysis with BEAST
Prerequisites / NoticeBasic knowledge in linear algebra, analysis, and statistics will be helpful. Some programming experience will be useful for the exercises, but is not required. Programming skills will not be tested in the examination.
701-0263-01LSeminar in Evolutionary Ecology of Infectious DiseasesW3 credits2GD. Croll, S. Bonhoeffer, R. R. Regös
AbstractStudents of this course will discuss current topics from the field of infectious disease biology. From a list of publications, each student chooses some themes that he/she is going to explain and discuss with all other participants and under supervision. The actual topics will change from year to year corresponding to the progress and new results occuring in the field.
ObjectiveThis is an advanced course that will require significant student participation.  Students will learn how to evaluate and present scientific literature and trace the development of ideas related to understanding the ecology and evolutionary biology of infectious diseases.
ContentA core set of ~10 classic publications encompassing unifying themes in infectious disease ecology and evolution, such as virulence, resistance, metapopulations, networks, and competition will be presented and discussed.  Pathogens will include bacteria, viruses and fungi.  Hosts will include animals, plants and humans.
Lecture notesPublications and class notes can be downloaded from a web page announced during the lecture.
LiteraturePapers will be assigned and downloaded from a web page announced during the lecture.
701-1703-00LEvolutionary Medicine for Infectious DiseasesW3 credits2GA. Hall
AbstractThis course explores infectious disease from both the host and pathogen perspective. Through short lectures, reading and active discussion, students will identify areas where evolutionary thinking can improve our understanding of infectious diseases and, ultimately, our ability to treat them effectively.
ObjectiveStudents will learn to (i) identify evolutionary explanations for the origins and characteristics of infectious diseases in a range of organisms and (ii) evaluate ways of integrating evolutionary thinking into improved strategies for treating infections of humans and animals. This will incorporate principles that apply across any host-pathogen interaction, as well as system-specific mechanistic information, with particular emphasis on bacteria and viruses.
ContentWe will cover several topics where evolutionary thinking is relevant to understanding or treating infectious diseases. This includes: (i) determinants of pathogen host range and virulence, (ii) dynamics of host-parasite coevolution, (iii) pathogen adaptation to evade or suppress immune responses, (iv) antimicrobial resistance, (v) evolution-proof medicine. For each topic there will be a short (< 30 minutes) introductory lecture, before students independently research the primary literature and develop half a page of discussion points and questions, followed by interactive discussion in class.
LiteratureStudents will read the primary literature on each topic, and in places we will use the following books:

Schmid Hempel 2011 Evolutionary Parasitology
Stearns & Medzhitov 2016 Evolutionary Medicine
Prerequisites / NoticeA basic understanding of evolutionary biology, microbiology or parasitology will be advantageous but is not essential.
752-4009-00LMolecular Biology of Foodborne PathogensW3 credits2VM. Loessner, M. Schuppler
AbstractThe course offers detailed information on selected foodborne pathogens and toxin producing organisms; the focus lies on relevant molecular biological aspects of pathogenicity and virulence, as well as on the occurrence and survival of these organisms in foods.
ObjectiveDetailed and current status of research and insights into the molecular basis of foodborne diseases, with focus on interactions of the microorganism or the toxins they produce with the human system. Understanding the relationship between specific types of food and the associated pathogens and microbial risks. Another focus lies on the currently available methods and techniques useful for the various purposes, i.e., detection, differentiation (typing), and antimicrobial agents.
ContentMolecular biology of infectious foodborne pathogens (Listeria, Vibrio, E. coli, Campylobacter, etc) and toxin-producing organisms (Bacillus, Clostridium, Staphylococcus). How and under which conditions will toxins and virulence factors be produced, and how do they work? How is the interaction between the human host and the microbial pathogen? What are the roles of food and the environment ? What can be done to interfere with the potential risks? Which methods are best suited for what approach? Last, but not least, the role of bacteriophages in microbial pathogenicity will be highlighted, in addition to various applications of bacteriophage for both diagnsotics and antimicrobial intervention.
Lecture notesElectronic copies of the presentation slides (PDF) and additional material will be made available for download to registered students.
LiteratureRecommendations will be given in the first lecture
Prerequisites / NoticeLectures (2 hours) will be held as a single session of approximately 60+ minutes (10:15 until approx. 11:15 h), with no break !
Module: Nutrition and Health
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
752-2122-00LFood and Consumer BehaviourW2 credits2VM. Siegrist, C. Hartmann
AbstractThis course focuses on food consumer behavior, consumer's decision-making processes and consumer's attitudes towards food products.
ObjectiveThe course provides an overview about the following topics: Factors influencing consumer's food choice, food and health, attitudes towards new foods and food technologies, labeling and food policy issues
752-5103-00LFunctional Microorganisms in FoodsW3 credits2GC. Lacroix, T. de Wouters, L. Meile, C. Schwab
AbstractThis integration course will discuss new applications of microorganisms with functional properties in food and functional food products. Selected topics will be used to illustrate the rapid development but also limits of basic knowledge for applications of functional microorganisms to produce food with high quality, safety and potential health benefits for consumers.
ObjectiveTo understand the principles, roles and mechanisms of microorganisms with metabolic activities of high potential for application in traditional and functional foods utilization with high quality, safety and potential health benefits for the consumers. This course will integrate basic knowledge in food microbiology, microbial physiology, biochemistry, and technology.
ContentThis course will address selected and current topics on new applications of microorganisms with functional properties in food and functional food products and characterization of functionality and safety of food bacteria. Specialists from the Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, as well as invited speakers from the industry will contribute to the selected topics as follows:

- Probiotics and Prebiotics: Probiotics, functional foods and health, towards understanding molecular modes of probiotic action; Challenges for the production and addition of probiotics to foods; Prebiotics and other microbial substrates for gut functionality.

- Bioprotective Cultures and Antimicrobial Metabolites: Antifungal cultures and applications in foods; Antimicrobial peptide-producing cultures (bacteriocins) for enhancing food quality and safety; Development of new protective cultures, the long path from research to industry.

- Legal and Protection Issues Related Functional Foods

- Industrial Biotechnology of Flavor and Taste Development

- Safety of Food Starter Cultures and Probiotics

Students will be required to complete a group project on food products and ingredients with of from functional bacteria. The project will involve information research and analysis followed by an oral presentation and short writen report.
Lecture notesCopy of the power point slides from lectures will be provided.
LiteratureA list of references will be given at the beginning of the course for the different topics presented during this course.
752-6101-00LDietary Etiologies of Chronic DiseaseW3 credits2VM. B. Zimmermann
AbstractTo have the student gain understanding of the links between the diet and the etiology and progression of chronic diseases, including diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, arthritis and food allergies.
ObjectiveTo examine and understand the protective effect of foods and food ingredients in the maintenance of health and the prevention of chronic disease, as well as the progression of complications of the chronic diseases.
ContentThe course evaluates food and food ingredients in relation to primary and secondary prevention of chronic diseases including diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, arthritis and food allergies.
Lecture notesThere is no script. Powerpoint presentations will be made available on-line to students.
LiteratureTo be provided by the individual lecturers, at their discretion.
Prerequisites / NoticeNo compulsory prerequisites, but prior completion of Human Nutrition I + II (Humanernährung I+II) is strongly advised.
752-6402-00LNutrigenomicsW3 credits2VG. Vergères
AbstractNutrigenomics - toward personalized nutrition?
Breakthroughs in biology recently led nutrition scientists to apply modern tools (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, genetics, epigenetics) to the analysis of the interactions of food with humans. The lecture presents these tools and illustrates their application in selected topics relevant to human nutrition and food sciences.
Objective- Overall understanding of the transdisciplinary research being conducted under the term nutrigenomics.
- Overall understating of the omics technologies used in nutrigenomics and their applications to human nutrition and food science.
- Ability to critically evaluate the potential and risks associated with the field of nutrigenomics
Content- For the content of the script see section "Skript" below
- The lecture is completed by an optional project entitled 'Personalized Nutrition' in which the students have the opportunity to receive a personalized nutritional guidance that is based on their own genetic makeup. The scientific literature on which the genetic tests are based is presented by the students during the lecture.
Lecture notesThe script is composed of circa 450 slides (ca 18 slides/lecture) organized in 9 modules

Module A
From biochemical nutrition research to nutrigenomics

Module B
Nutritional genomics

Module C
Nutrigenetics

Module D
Nutri-epigenomics

Module E
Transcriptomics in nutrition research

Module F
Proteomics in nutrition research

Module G
Metabolomics in nutrition research

Module H
Nutritional systems biology

Module I
Individualized nutrition - opportunities and challenges
LiteratureNo extra reading requested. Most slides in the lecture are referenced with web adresses.
Prerequisites / NoticeBasic training in biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology, and human nutrition. Interest in interdisciplinary sciences linking molecular biology to human health. Interest in the application of analytical laboratory methods to the understanding of human biology, in particular nutrition.
Module: Environment and Health
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
701-1341-00LWater Resources and Drinking WaterW3 credits2GS. Hug, M. Berg, F. Hammes, U. von Gunten
AbstractThe course covers qualitative (chemistry and microbiology) and quantitative aspects of drinking water from the resource to the tap. Natural processes, anthropogenic pollution, legislation of groundwater and surface water and of drinking water as well as water treatment will be discussed for industrialized and developing countries.
ObjectiveThe goal of this lecture is to give an overview over the whole path of drinking water from the source to the tap and understand the involved physical, chemical and biological processes which determine the drinking water quality.
ContentThe course covers qualitative (chemistry and microbiology) and quantitative aspects of drinking water from the resource to the tap. The various water resources, particularly groundwater and surface water, are discussed as part of the natural water cycle influenced by anthropogenic activities such as agriculture, industry, urban water systems. Furthermore legislation related to water resources and drinking water will be discussed. The lecture is focused on industrialized countries, but also addresses global water issues and problems in the developing world. Finally unit processes for drinking water treatment (filtration, adsorption, oxidation, disinfection etc.) will be presented and discussed.
Lecture notesHandouts will be distributed
LiteratureWill be mentioned in handouts
Major in Medical Technology
Compulsory Courses
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
376-0300-00LTranslational Science for Health and Medicine Restricted registration - show details O3 credits2GJ. Goldhahn, C. Wolfrum
AbstractTranslational science is a cross disciplinary scientific research that is motivated by the need for practical applications that help people. The course should help to clarify basics of translational science, illustrate successful applications and should enable students to integrate key features into their future projects.
ObjectiveAfter completing this course, students will be able to understand:
Principles of translational science (including project planning, ethics application, basics of resource management and interdisciplinary communication)
ContentWhat is translational science and what is it not?
How to identify need?
- Disease concepts and consequences for research
- Basics about incidence, prevalence etc., and orphan indications
How to choose the appropriate research type and methodology
- Ethical considerations including ethics application
- Pros and cons of different types of research
- Coordination of complex approaches incl. timing and resources
How to measure success?
- Outcome variables
- Improving the translational process
Challenges of communication?
How independent is translational science?
- Academic boundary conditions vs. industrial influences
Positive and negative examples will be illustrated by distinguished guest speakers.
Electives
Elective Courses I
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
376-0021-00LIntroduction to Biomedical Engineering IW4 credits3GP. Christen, R. Müller, J. G. Snedeker, M. Zenobi-Wong
AbstractIntroduction to biomechanics, biomaterials, tissue engineering, medical imaging as well as the history of biomedical engineering.
ObjectiveUnderstanding of physical and technical principles in biomechanics, biomaterials, tissue engineering, medical imaging as well as the history of biomedical engineering. Mathematical description and problem solving. Knowledge of biomedical engineering applications in research and clinical practice.
ContentTissue and Cellular Biomechanics, Molecular Biomechanics and Biopolymers, Computational Biomechanics, Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering, Radiation and Radiographic Imaging, Diagnostic Ultrasound Imaging, Magnetic Resonance Imaging,
Biomedical Optics and Lasers.
Lecture notesStored on ILIAS.
LiteratureIntroduction to Biomedical Engineering, 3rd Edition 2011,
Autor: John Enderle, Joseph Bronzino, ISBN 9780123749796
Academic Press
376-1714-00LBiocompatible MaterialsW4 credits3GK. Maniura, J. Möller, M. Zenobi-Wong
AbstractIntroduction to molecules used for biomaterials, molecular interactions between different materials and biological systems (molecules, cells, tissues). The concept of biocompatibility is discussed and important techniques from biomaterials research and development are introduced.
ObjectiveThe class consists of three parts:
1. Introdcution into molecular characteristics of molecules involved in the materials-to-biology interface. Molecular design of biomaterials.
2. The concept of biocompatibility.
3. Introduction into methodology used in biomaterials research and application.
ContentIntroduction into native and polymeric biomaterials used for medical applications. The concepts of biocompatibility, biodegradation and the consequences of degradation products are discussed on the molecular level. Different classes of materials with respect to potential applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery are introduced. Strong focus lies on the molecular interactions between materials having very different bulk and/or surface chemistry with living cells, tissues and organs. In particular the interface between the materials surfaces and the eukaryotic cell surface and possible reactions of the cells with an implant material are elucidated. Techniques to design, produce and characterize materials in vitro as well as in vivo analysis of implanted and explanted materials are discussed.
In addition, a link between academic research and industrial entrepreneurship is established by external guest speakers.
Lecture notesHandouts can be accessed online.
LiteratureLiteratur
Biomaterials Science: An Introduction to Materials in Medicine, Ratner B.D. et al, 3rd Edition, 2013
Comprehensive Biomaterials, Ducheyne P. et al., 1st Edition, 2011

(available online via ETH library)

Handouts provided during the classes and references therin.
Elective Courses II
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
151-0255-00LEnergy Conversion and Transport in BiosystemsW4 credits2V + 1UD. Poulikakos, A. Ferrari
AbstractTheory and application of thermodynamics and energy conversion in biological systems with focus on the cellular level.
ObjectiveTheory and application of energy conversion at the cellular level. Understanding of the basic features governing solutes transport in the principal systems of the human cell. Connection of characteristics and patterns from other fields of engineering to biofluidics. Heat and mass transport processes in the cell, generation of forces, work and relation to biomedical technologies.
ContentMass transfer models for the transport of chemical species in the human cell. Organization and function of the cell membrane and of the cell cytoskeleton. The role of molecular motors in cellular force generation and their function in cell migration. Description of the functionality of these systems and of analytical experimental and computational techniques for understanding of their operation. Introduction to cell metabolism, cellular energy transport and cellular thermodynamics.
Lecture notesMaterial in the form of hand-outs will be distributed.
LiteratureLecture notes and references therein.
151-0604-00LMicrorobotics Information
Does not take place this semester.
W4 credits3GB. Nelson
AbstractMicrorobotics is an interdisciplinary field that combines aspects of robotics, micro and nanotechnology, biomedical engineering, and materials science. The aim of this course is to expose students to the fundamentals of this emerging field. Throughout the course students are expected to submit assignments. The course concludes with an end-of-semester examination.
ObjectiveThe objective of this course is to expose students to the fundamental aspects of the emerging field of microrobotics. This includes a focus on physical laws that predominate at the microscale, technologies for fabricating small devices, bio-inspired design, and applications of the field.
ContentMain topics of the course include:
- Scaling laws at micro/nano scales
- Electrostatics
- Electromagnetism
- Low Reynolds number flows
- Observation tools
- Materials and fabrication methods
- Applications of biomedical microrobots
Lecture notesThe powerpoint slides presented in the lectures will be made available in hardcopy and as pdf files. Several readings will also be made available electronically.
Prerequisites / NoticeThe lecture will be taught in English.
227-0385-10LBiomedical ImagingW6 credits5GS. Kozerke, K. P. Prüssmann, M. Rudin
AbstractIntroduction and analysis of medical imaging technology including X-ray procedures, computed tomography, nuclear imaging techniques using single photon and positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound imaging techniques.
ObjectiveTo understand the physical and technical principles underlying X-ray imaging, computed tomography, single photon and positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound and Doppler imaging techniques. The mathematical framework is developed to describe image encoding/decoding, point-spread function/modular transfer function, signal-to-noise ratio, contrast behavior for each of the methods. Matlab exercises are used to implement and study basic concepts.
Content- X-ray imaging
- Computed tomography
- Single photon emission tomography
- Positron emission tomography
- Magnetic resonance imaging
- Ultrasound/Doppler imaging
Lecture notesLecture notes and handouts
LiteratureWebb A, Smith N.B. Introduction to Medical Imaging: Physics, Engineering and Clinical Applications; Cambridge University Press 2011
Prerequisites / NoticeAnalysis, Linear Algebra, Physics, Basics of Signal Theory, Basic skills in Matlab programming
227-0391-00LMedical Image AnalysisW3 credits2GP. C. Cattin, M. A. Reyes Aguirre
AbstractIt is the objective of this lecture to introduce the basic concepts used
in Medical Image Analysis. In particular the lecture focuses on shape
representation schemes, segmentation techniques, and the various image registration methods commonly used in Medical Image Analysis applications.
ObjectiveThis lecture aims to give an overview of the basic concepts of Medical Image Analysis and its application areas.
Prerequisites / NoticeBasic knowledge of computer vision would be helpful.
227-0393-10LBioelectronics and Biosensors
New course. Not to be confounded with 227-0393-00L last offered in the Spring Semester 2015.
W6 credits2V + 2UJ. Vörös, M. F. Yanik, T. Zambelli
AbstractThe course introduces the concepts of bioelectricity and biosensing. The sources and use of electrical fields and currents in the context of biological systems and problems are discussed. The fundamental challenges of measuring biological signals are introduced. The most important biosensing techniques and their physical concepts are introduced in a quantitative fashion.
ObjectiveDuring this course the students will:
- learn the basic concepts in biosensing and bioelectronics
- be able to solve typical problems in biosensing and bioelectronics
- learn about the remaining challenges in this field
ContentL1. Bioelectronics history, its applications and overview of the field
- Volta and Galvani dispute
- BMI, pacemaker, cochlear implant, retinal implant, limb replacement devices
- Fundamentals of biosensing
- Glucometer and ELISA

L2. Fundamentals of quantum and classical noise in measuring biological signals

L3. Biomeasurement techniques with photons

L4. Acoustics sensors
- Differential equation for quartz crystal resonance
- Acoustic sensors and their applications

L5. Engineering principles of optical probes for measuring and manipulating molecular and cellular processes

L6. Optical biosensors
- Differential equation for optical waveguides
- Optical sensors and their applications
- Plasmonic sensing

L7. Basic notions of molecular adsorption and electron transfer
- Quantum mechanics: Schrödinger equation energy levels from H atom to crystals, energy bands
- Electron transfer: Marcus theory, Gerischer theory

L8. Potentiometric sensors
- Fundamentals of the electrochemical cell at equilibrium (Nernst equation)
- Principles of operation of ion-selective electrodes

L9. Amperometric sensors and bioelectric potentials
- Fundamentals of the electrochemical cell with an applied overpotential to generate a faraday current
- Principles of operation of amperometric sensors
- Ion flow through a membrane (Fick equation, Nernst equation, Donnan equilibrium, Goldman equation)

L10. Channels, amplification, signal gating, and patch clamp Y4

L11. Action potentials and impulse propagation

L12. Functional electric stimulation and recording
- MEA and CMOS based recording
- Applying potential in liquid - simulation of fields and relevance to electric stimulation

L13. Neural networks memory and learning
LiteraturePlonsey and Barr, Bioelectricity: A Quantitative Approach (Third edition)
Prerequisites / NoticeSupervised exercises solving real-world problems. Some Matlab based exercises in groups.
227-0447-00LImage Analysis and Computer Vision Information W6 credits3V + 1UL. Van Gool, O. Göksel, E. Konukoglu
AbstractLight and perception. Digital image formation. Image enhancement and feature extraction. Unitary transformations. Color and texture. Image segmentation and deformable shape matching. Motion extraction and tracking. 3D data extraction. Invariant features. Specific object recognition and object class recognition.
ObjectiveOverview of the most important concepts of image formation, perception and analysis, and Computer Vision. Gaining own experience through practical computer and programming exercises.
ContentThe first part of the course starts off from an overview of existing and emerging applications that need computer vision. It shows that the realm of image processing is no longer restricted to the factory floor, but is entering several fields of our daily life. First it is investigated how the parameters of the electromagnetic waves are related to our perception. Also the interaction of light with matter is considered. The most important hardware components of technical vision systems, such as cameras, optical devices and illumination sources are discussed. The course then turns to the steps that are necessary to arrive at the discrete images that serve as input to algorithms. The next part describes necessary preprocessing steps of image analysis, that enhance image quality and/or detect specific features. Linear and non-linear filters are introduced for that purpose. The course will continue by analyzing procedures allowing to extract additional types of basic information from multiple images, with motion and depth as two important examples. The estimation of image velocities (optical flow) will get due attention and methods for object tracking will be presented. Several techniques are discussed to extract three-dimensional information about objects and scenes. Finally, approaches for the recognition of specific objects as well as object classes will be discussed and analyzed.
Lecture notesCourse material Script, computer demonstrations, exercises and problem solutions
Prerequisites / NoticePrerequisites:
Basic concepts of mathematical analysis and linear algebra. The computer exercises are based on Linux and C.
The course language is English.
227-0965-00LMicro and Nano-Tomography of Biological TissuesW4 credits3GM. Stampanoni, P. A. Kaestner
AbstractThe lecture introduces the physical and technical know-how of X-ray tomographic microscopy. Several X-ray imaging techniques (absorption-, phase- and darkfield contrast) will be discussed and their use in daily research, in particular biology, is presented. The course discusses the aspects of quantitative evaluation of tomographic data sets like segmentation, morphometry and statistics.
ObjectiveIntroduction to the basic concepts of X-ray tomographic imaging, image analysis and data quantification at the micro and nano scale with particular emphasis on biological applications
ContentSynchrotron-based X-ray micro- and nano-tomography is today a powerful technique for non-destructive, high-resolution investigations of a broad range of materials. The high-brilliance and high-coherence of third generation synchrotron radiation facilities allow quantitative, three-dimensional imaging at the micro and nanometer scale and extend the traditional absorption imaging technique to edge-enhanced and phase-sensitive measurements, which are particularly suited for investigating biological samples.

The lecture includes a general introduction to the principles of tomographic imaging from image formation to image reconstruction. It provides the physical and engineering basics to understand how imaging beamlines at synchrotron facilities work, looks into the recently developed phase contrast methods, and explores the first applications of X-ray nano-tomographic experiments.

The course finally provides the necessary background to understand the quantitative evaluation of tomographic data, from basic image analysis to complex morphometrical computations and 3D visualization, keeping the focus on biomedical applications.
Lecture notesAvailable online
LiteratureWill be indicated during the lecture.
227-0969-00LMethods & Models for fMRI Data Analysis Information W6 credits4VK. Stephan
AbstractThis course teaches methods and models for fMRI data analysis, covering all aspects of statistical parametric mapping (SPM), incl. preprocessing, the general linear model, statistical inference, multiple comparison corrections, event-related designs, and Dynamic Causal Modelling (DCM), a Bayesian framework for identification of nonlinear neuronal systems from neurophysiological data.
ObjectiveTo obtain in-depth knowledge of the theoretical foundations of SPM
and DCM and of their application to empirical fMRI data.
ContentThis course teaches state-of-the-art methods and models for fMRI data analysis. It covers all aspects of statistical parametric mapping (SPM), incl. preprocessing, the general linear model, frequentist and Bayesian inference, multiple comparison corrections, and event-related designs, and Dynamic Causal Modelling (DCM), a Bayesian framework for identification of nonlinear neuronal systems from neurophysiological data. A particular emphasis of the course will be on methodological questions arising in the context of studies in psychiatry, neurology and neuroeconomics.
327-0505-00LSurfaces, Interfaces and their Applications I Information W3 credits2V + 1UN. Spencer, M. P. Heuberger, L. Isa
AbstractAfter being introduced to the physical/chemical principles and importance of surfaces and interfaces, the student is introduced to the most important techniques that can be used to characterize surfaces. Later, liquid interfaces are treated, followed by an introduction to the fields of tribology (friction, lubrication, and wear) and corrosion.
ObjectiveTo gain an understanding of the physical and chemical principles, as well as the tools and applications of surface science, and to be able to choose appropriate surface-analytical approaches for solving problems.
ContentIntroduction to Surface Science
Physical Structure of Surfaces
Surface Forces (static and dynamic)
Adsorbates on Surfaces
Surface Thermodynamics and Kinetics
The Solid-Liquid Interface
Electron Spectroscopy
Vibrational Spectroscopy on Surfaces
Scanning Probe Microscopy
Introduction to Tribology
Introduction to Corrosion Science
Lecture notesScript Download:
Link
LiteratureScript (20 CHF)
Book: "Surface Analysis--The Principal Techniques", Ed. J.C. Vickerman, Wiley, ISBN 0-471-97292
Prerequisites / NoticeChemistry:
General undergraduate chemistry
including basic chemical kinetics and thermodynamics

Physics:
General undergraduate physics
including basic theory of diffraction and basic knowledge of crystal structures
327-2125-00LMicroscopy Training SEM I - Introduction to SEM Restricted registration - show details
Number of participants limited to 6.
The participants will be chosen based on a short motivation letter. Please send this letter to S. Rodighiero (main lecturer) as soon as possible.
W1 credit3PS. Rodighiero, A. G. Bittermann, K. Kunze, J. Reuteler
AbstractThe introductory course on Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) emphasizes hands-on learning. Using 2 SEM instruments, students have the opportunity to study their own samples, or standard test samples, as well as solving exercises provided by ScopeM scientists.
Objective- Set-up, align and operate a SEM successfully and safely.
- Accomplish imaging tasks successfully and optimize microscope performances.
- Master the operation of a low-vacuum and field-emission SEM and EDX instrument.
- Perform sample preparation with corresponding techniques and equipment for imaging and analysis
- Acquire techniques in obtaining secondary electron and backscatter electron micrographs
- Perform EDX qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis
ContentDuring the course, students learn through lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on sessions how to setup and operate SEM instruments, including low-vacuum and low-voltage applications.
This course gives basic skills for students new to SEM. At the end of the course, students with no prior experience are able to align a SEM, to obtain secondary electron (SE) and backscatter electron (BSE) micrographs and to perform energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis. The procedures to better utilize SEM to solve practical problems and to optimize SEM analysis for a wide range of materials will be emphasized.

- Discussion of students' sample/interest
- Introduction and discussion on Electron Microscopy and instrumentation
- Lectures on electron sources, electron lenses and probe formation
- Lectures on beam/specimen interaction, image formation, image contrast and imaging modes.
- Lectures on sample preparation techniques for EM
- Brief description and demonstration of the SEM microscope
- Practice on beam/specimen interaction, image formation, image contrast (and image processing)
- Student participation on sample preparation techniques
- Scanning Electron Microscopy lab exercises: setup and operate the instrument under various imaging modalities
- Lecture and demonstrations on X-ray micro-analysis (theory and detection), qualitative and semi-quantitative EDX and point analysis, linescans and spectral mapping
- Practice on real-world samples and report results
Literature- Detailed course manual
- Williams, Carter: Transmission Electron Microscopy, Plenum Press, 1996
- Hawkes, Valdre: Biophysical Electron Microscopy, Academic Press, 1990
- Egerton: Physical Principles of Electron Microscopy: an introduction to TEM, SEM and AEM, Springer Verlag, 2007
Prerequisites / NoticeNo mandatory prerequisites. Please consider the prior attendance to EM Basic lectures (551- 1618-00V; 227-0390-00L; 327-0703-00L) as suggested prerequisite.
327-2126-00LMicroscopy Training TEM I - Introduction to TEM Restricted registration - show details
Does not take place this semester.
Number of participants limited to 6.

The participants will be chosen based on a short motivation letter. Please send this letter to S. Rodighiero (main lecturer).
W1 credit3P
AbstractThe introductory course on Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) provides theoretical and hands-on learning for new operators, utilizing lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on sessions.
Objective- Overview of TEM theory, instrumentation, operation and applications.
- Alignment and operation of a TEM, as well as acquisition and interpretation of images, diffraction patterns, accomplishing basic tasks successfully.
- Knowledge of electron imaging modes (including Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy), magnification calibration, and image acquisition using CCD cameras.
- To set up the TEM to acquire diffraction patterns, perform camera length calibration, as well as measure and interpret diffraction patterns.
- Overview of techniques for specimen preparation.
ContentUsing two Transmission Electron Microscopes the students learn how to align a TEM, select parameters for acquisition of images in bright field (BF) and dark field (DF), perform scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) imaging, phase contrast imaging, and acquire electron diffraction patterns. The participants will also learn basic and advanced use of digital cameras and digital imaging methods.

- Introduction and discussion on Electron Microscopy and instrumentation.
- Lectures on electron sources, electron lenses and probe formation.
- Lectures on beam/specimen interaction, image formation, image contrast and imaging modes.
- Lectures on sample preparation techniques for EM.
- Brief description and demonstration of the TEM microscope.
- Practice on beam/specimen interaction, image formation, Image contrast (and image processing).
- Demonstration of Transmission Electron Microscopes and imaging modes (Phase contrast, BF, DF, STEM).
- Student participation on sample preparation techniques.
- Transmission Electron Microscopy lab exercises: setup and operate the instrument under various imaging modalities.
- TEM alignment, calibration, correction to improve image contrast and quality.
- Electron diffraction.
- Practice on real-world samples and report results.
Literature- Detailed course manual
- Williams, Carter: Transmission Electron Microscopy, Plenum Press, 1996
- Hawkes, Valdre: Biophysical Electron Microscopy, Academic Press, 1990
- Egerton: Physical Principles of Electron Microscopy: an introduction to TEM, SEM and AEM, Springer Verlag, 2007
Prerequisites / NoticeNo mandatory prerequisites. Please consider the prior attendance to EM Basic lectures (551- 1618-00V; 227-0390-00L; 327-0703-00L) as suggested prerequisite.
363-0790-00LTechnology Entrepreneurship Information W2 credits2VU. Claesson, B. Clarysse
AbstractTechnology ventures are significantly changing the global economic picture. Technological skills increasingly need to be complemented by entrepreneurial understanding.
This course offers the fundamentals in theory and practice of entrepreneurship in new technology ventures. Main topics covered are success factors in the creation of new firms, including founding, financing and growing a venture.
ObjectiveThis course provides theory-grounded knowledge and practice-driven skills for founding, financing, and growing new technology ventures. A critical understanding of dos and don'ts is provided through highlighting and discussing real life examples and cases.
ContentSee course website: Link
Lecture notesLecture slides and case material
376-0815-00LWriting your Master's Thesis: Natural Sciences and Engineering C1-C2 Restricted registration - show details
Does not take place this semester.
Your course regristration is only valid with a simultaneous online registration at the language center (Link).

Number of participants limited to 15 (3 courses are available).

Attention: Registration is only possible from 12.9. (from 11.30h) - 15.9.2016
W2 credits2VS. Milligan
AbstractWe'll prepare you to produce your MSc thesis. You'll learn how to structure your thesis, write scientific English, and manage your writing efficiently. You'll receive detailed feedback on work in progress.
ObjectiveBy the end of the course students are able to plan, draft, and edit academic English papers and theses; structure and write clear texts in a style which is acceptable to their academic discourse community; manage the writing process efficiently; select formal vocabulary and use it in a generally accurate and correct manner; choose and use generally suitable grammatical structures, punctuation, and orthographic conventions, assess their own effectiveness as writers of academic English, and identify areas in which further development is needed.
ContentThe course covers the writing context; the writing process; structuring sentences, paragraphs, longer sections (such as introduction, methods, results, and discussion), and whole texts; presenting and integrating non-textual elements such as graphs and tables; and editing and correcting drafts and proofs. Each lesson comprises a mixture of elements, including specialist input, individual tasks, pairwork, and groupwork. Active participation is expected.
363-1065-00LDesign Thinking: Human-Centred Solutions to Real World Challenges Restricted registration - show details
Due to didactic reasons, the number of participants is limited to 30.

All interested students are invited to apply for this course by sending a one-page motivation letter until 14.9.16 to Florian Rittiner (Link).

Additionally please enroll via mystudies. Places will be assigned after the first lecture on the basis of your motivation letter and commitment for the class.
W5 credits5GA. Cabello Llamas, F. Rittiner, S. Brusoni, C. Hölscher, M. Meboldt
AbstractThe goal of this course is to engage students in a multidisciplinary collaboration to tackle real world problems. Following a design thinking approach, students will work in teams to solve a set of design challenges that are organized as a one-week, a three-week, and a final six-week project in collaboration with an external project partner.

Information and application: Link
ObjectiveDuring the course, students will learn about different design thinking methods and tools. This will enable them to:
- Generate deep insights through the systematic observation and interaction of key stakeholders.
- Engage in collaborative ideation with a multidisciplinary (student) team.
- Rapidly prototype and iteratively test ideas and concepts by using various materials and techniques.
ContentThe purpose of this course is to equip the students with methods and tools to tackle a broad range of problems. Following a Design Thinking approach, the students will learn how to observe and interact with key stakeholders in order to develop an in-depth understanding of what is truly important and emotionally meaningful to the people at the center of a problem. Based on these insights, the students ideate on possible solutions and immediately validated them through quick iterations of prototyping and testing using different tools and materials. The students will work in multidisciplinary teams on a set of challenges that are organized as a one-week, a three-week, and a final six-week project with an external project partner. In this course, the students will learn about the different Design Thinking methods and tools that are needed to generate deep insights, to engage in collaborative ideation, rapid prototyping and iterative testing.

Design Thinking is a deeply human process that taps into the creative abilities we all have, but that get often overlooked by more conventional problem solving practices. It relies on our ability to be intuitive, to recognize patterns, to construct ideas that are emotionally meaningful as well as functional, and to express ourselves through means beyond words or symbols. Design Thinking provides an integrated way by incorporating tools, processes and techniques from design, engineering, the humanities and social sciences to identify, define and address diverse challenges. This integration leads to a highly productive collaboration between different disciplines.

For more information and the application visit: Link
Prerequisites / NoticeClass attendance and active participation is crucial as much of the learning occurs through the work in teams during class. Therefore, attendance is obligatory for every session. Please also note that the group work outside class is an essential element of this course, so that students must expect an above-average workload.
376-1103-00LFrontiers in NanotechnologyW4 credits4VV. Vogel, further lecturers
AbstractMany disciplines are meeting at the nanoscale, from physics, chemistry to engineering, from the life sciences to medicine. The course will prepare students to communicate more effectively across disciplinary boundaries, and will provide them with deep insights into the various frontiers.
ObjectiveBuilding upon advanced technologies to create, visualize, analyze and manipulate nano-structures, as well as to probe their nano-chemistry, nano-mechanics and other properties within manmade and living systems, many exciting discoveries are currently made. They change the way we do science and result in so many new technologies.

The goal of the course is to give Master and Graduate students from all interested departments an overview of what nanotechnology is all about, from analytical techniques to nanosystems, from physics to biology. Students will start to appreciate the extent to which scientific communities are meeting at the nanoscale. They will learn about the specific challenges and what is currently “sizzling” in the respective fields, and learn the vocabulary that is necessary to communicate effectively across departmental boundaries.

Each lecturer will first give an overview of the state-of-the art in his/her field, and then describe the research highlights in his/her own research group. While preparing their Final Projects and discussing them in front of the class, the students will deepen their understanding of how to apply a range of new technologies to solve specific scientific problems and technical challenges. Exposure to the different frontiers will also improve their ability to conduct effective nanoscale research, recognize the broader significance of their work and to start collaborations.
ContentStarting with the fabrication and analysis of nanoparticles and nanostructured materials that enable a variety of scientific and technical applications, we will transition to discussing biological nanosystems, how they work and what bioinspired engineering principles can be derived, to finally discussing biomedical applications and potential health risk issues. Scientific aspects as well as the many of the emerging technologies will be covered that start impacting so many aspects of our lives. This includes new phenomena in physics, advanced materials, novel technologies and new methods to address major medical challenges.
Lecture notesAll the enrolled students will get access to a password protected website where they can find pdf files of the lecture notes, and typically 1-2 journal articles per lecture that cover selected topics.
376-1177-00LHuman Factors IW2 credits2VM. Menozzi Jäckli, R. Huang, M. Siegrist
AbstractEvery day humans interact with various systems. Strategies of interaction, individual needs, physical & mental abilities, and system properties are important factors in controlling the quality and performance in interaction processes. In the lecture, factors are investigated by basic scientific approaches. Discussed topics are important for optimizing people's satisfaction & overall performance.
ObjectiveThe goal of the lecture is to empower students in better understanding the applied theories, principles, and methods in various applications. Students are expected to learn about how to enable an efficient and qualitatively high standing interaction between human and the environment, considering costs, benefits, health, and safety as well. Thus, an ergonomic design and evaluation process of products, tasks, and environments may be promoted in different disciplines. The goal is achieved in addressing a broad variety of topics and embedding the discussion in macroscopic factors such as the behavior of consumers and objectives of economy.
Content- Physiological, physical, and cognitive factors in sensation and perception
- Body spaces and functional anthropometry, Digital Human Models
- Experimental techniques in assessing human performance and well-being
- Human factors and ergonomics in system designs, product development and innovation
- Human information processing and biological cybernetics
- Interaction among consumers, environments, behavior, and tasks
Literature- Gavriel Salvendy, Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics, 4th edition (2012), is available on NEBIS as electronic version and for free to ETH students
- Further textbooks are introduced in the lecture
- Brouchures, checklists, key articles etc. are uploaded in ILIAS
376-1179-00LApplications of Cybernetics in ErgonomicsW1 credit1UM. Menozzi Jäckli, Y.‑Y. Hedinger Huang, R. Huang
AbstractCybernetics systems have been studied and applied in various research fields, such as applications in the ergonomics domain. Research interests include the man-machine interaction (MMI) topic which involving the performance in multi-model interactions, quantification in gestalt principles in product development; or the information processing matter.
ObjectiveTo learn and practice cybernetics principles in interface designs and product development.
Content- Fitt's law applied in manipulation tasks
- Hick-Hyman law applied in design of the driver assistance systems - Vigilance applied in quality inspection
- Accommodation/vergence crosslink function
- Cross-link models in neurobiology- the ocular motor control system
- Human performance in optimization of production lines
LiteratureGavriel Salvendy, Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics, 4th edition (2012)
376-1219-00LRehabilitation Engineering II: Rehabilitation of Sensory and Vegetative FunctionsW3 credits2VR. Riener, R. Gassert, L. Marchal Crespo
AbstractRehabilitation Engng is the application of science and technology to ameliorate the handicaps of individuals with disabilities to reintegrate them into society.The goal is to present classical and new rehabilitation engineering principles applied to compensate or enhance motor, sensory, and cognitive deficits. Focus is on the restoration and treatment of the human sensory and vegetative system.
ObjectiveProvide knowledge on the anatomy and physiology of the human sensory system, related dysfunctions and pathologies, and how rehabilitation engineering can provide sensory restoration and substitution.

This lecture is independent from Rehabilitation Engineering I. Thus, both lectures can be visited in arbitrary order.
ContentIntroduction, problem definition, overview
Rehabilitation of visual function
- Anatomy and physiology of the visual sense
- Technical aids (glasses, sensor substitution)
- Retina and cortex implants
Rehabilitation of hearing function
- Anatomy and physiology of the auditory sense
- Hearing aids
- Cochlea Implants
Rehabilitation and use of kinesthetic and tactile function
- Anatomy and physiology of the kinesthetic and tactile sense
- Tactile/haptic displays for motion therapy (incl. electrical stimulation)
- Role of displays in motor learning
Rehabilitation of vestibular function
- Anatomy and physiology of the vestibular sense
- Rehabilitation strategies and devices (e.g. BrainPort)
Rehabilitation of vegetative Functions
- Cardiac Pacemaker
- Phrenic stimulation, artificial breathing aids
- Bladder stimulation, artificial sphincter
Brain stimulation and recording
- Deep brain stimulation for patients with Parkinson, epilepsy, depression
- Brain-Computer Interfaces
LiteratureIntroductory Books:

An Introduction to Rehabilitation Engineering. R. A. Cooper, H. Ohnabe, D. A. Hobson (Eds.). Taylor & Francis, 2007.

Principles of Neural Science. E. R. Kandel, J. H. Schwartz, T. M Jessell (Eds.). Mc Graw Hill, New York, 2000.

Force and Touch Feedback for Virtual Reality. G. C. Burdea (Ed.). Wiley, New York, 1996 (available on NEBIS).

Human Haptic Perception, Basics and Applications. M. Grunwald (Ed.). Birkhäuser, Basel, 2008.

The Sense of Touch and Its Rendering, Springer Tracts in Advanced Robotics 45, A. Bicchi et al.(Eds). Springer-Verlag Berlin, 2008.

Interaktive und autonome Systeme der Medizintechnik - Funktionswiederherstellung und Organersatz. Herausgeber: J. Werner, Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag 2005.

Neural prostheses - replacing motor function after desease or disability. Eds.: R. Stein, H. Peckham, D. Popovic. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Advances in Rehabilitation Robotics - Human-Friendly Technologies on Movement Assistance and Restoration for People with Disabilities. Eds: Z.Z. Bien, D. Stefanov (Lecture Notes in Control and Information Science, No. 306). Springer Verlag Berlin 2004.

Intelligent Systems and Technologies in Rehabilitation Engineering. Eds: H.N.L. Teodorescu, L.C. Jain (International Series on Computational Intelligence). CRC Press Boca Raton, 2001.


Selected Journal Articles and Web Links:

Abbas, J., Riener, R. (2001) Using mathematical models and advanced control systems techniques to enhance neuroprosthesis function. Neuromodulation 4, pp. 187-195.

Bach-y-Rita P., Tyler M., and Kaczmarek K (2003). Seeing with the brain. International journal of human-computer-interaction, 15(2):285-295.

Burdea, G., Popescu, V., Hentz, V., and Colbert, K. (2000): Virtual reality-based orthopedic telerehabilitation, IEEE Trans. Rehab. Eng., 8, pp. 430-432
Colombo, G., Jörg, M., Schreier, R., Dietz, V. (2000) Treadmill training of paraplegic patients using a robotic orthosis. Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, vol. 37, pp. 693-700.

Hayward, V. (2008): A Brief Taxonomy of Tactile Illusions and
Demonstrations That Can Be Done In a Hardware Store. Brain Research Bulletin, Vol 75, No 6, pp 742-752

Krebs, H.I., Hogan, N., Aisen, M.L., Volpe, B.T. (1998): Robot-aided neurorehabilitation, IEEE Trans. Rehab. Eng., 6, pp. 75-87

Levesque. V. (2005). Blindness, technology and haptics. Technical report, McGill University. Available at: Link

Quintern, J. (1998) Application of functional electrical stimulation in paraplegic patients. NeuroRehabilitation 10, pp. 205-250.

Riener, R., Nef, T., Colombo, G. (2005) Robot-aided neurorehabilitation for the upper extremities. Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing 43(1), pp. 2-10.

Riener, R. (1999) Model-based development of neuroprostheses for paraplegic patients. Royal Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences 354, pp. 877-894.

The vOICe. Link.

VideoTact, ForeThought Development, LLC. Link
Prerequisites / NoticeTarget Group:
Students of higher semesters and PhD students of
- D-MAVT, D-ITET, D-INFK, D-HEST
- Biomedical Engineering, Robotics, Systems and Control
- Medical Faculty, University of Zurich
Students of other departments, faculties, courses are also welcome
This lecture is independent from Rehabilitation Engineering I. Thus, both lectures can be visited in arbitrary order.
376-1279-00LVirtual Reality in Medicine Restricted registration - show details
Does not take place this semester.
W3 credits2VR. Riener
AbstractVirtual Reality has the potential to support medical training and therapy. This lecture will derive the technical principles of multi-modal (audiovisual, haptic, tactile etc.) input devices, displays and rendering techniques. Examples are presented in the fields of surgical training, intra-operative augmentation, and rehabilitation. The lecture is accompanied by practical courses and excursions.
ObjectiveProvide theoretical and practical knowledge of new principles and applications of multi-modal simulation and interface technologies in medical education, therapy, and rehabilitation.
ContentVirtual Reality has the potential to provide descriptive and practical information for medical training and therapy while relieving the patient and/or the physician. Multi-modal interactions between the user and the virtual environment facilitate the generation of high-fidelity sensory impressions, by using not only visual and auditory modalities, but also kinesthetic, tactile, and even olfactory feedback. On the basis of the existing physiological constraints, this lecture will derive the technical requirements and principles of multi-modal input devices, displays, and rendering techniques. Several examples are presented that are currently being developed or already applied for surgical training, intra-operative augmentation, and rehabilitation. The lecture will be accompanied by several practical courses on graphical and haptic display devices as well as excursions to facilities equipped with large-scale VR equipment.

Target Group:
Students of higher semesters and PhD students of
- D-HEST, D-MAVT, D-ITET, D-INFK, D-PHYS
- Robotics, Systems and Control Master
- Biomedical Engineering/Movement Science and Sport
- Medical Faculty, University of Zurich
Students of other departments, faculties, courses are also welcome!
LiteratureBook: Virtual Reality in Medicine. Riener, Robert; Harders, Matthias; 2012 Springer.
Prerequisites / NoticeThe course language is English.
Basic experience in Information Technology and Computer Science will be of advantage
More details will be announced in the lecture.
376-1351-00LMicro/Nanotechnology and Microfluidics for Biomedical ApplicationsW2 credits2VE. Delamarche
AbstractThis course is an introduction to techniques in micro/nanotechnology and to microfluidics. It reviews how many familiar devices are built and can be used for research and biomedical applications. Transistors for DNA sequencing, beamers for patterning proteins, hard-disk technology for biosensing and scanning microfluidics for analyzing tissue sections are just a few examples of the covered topics.
ObjectiveThe main objective of the course is to introduce micro/nanotechnology and microfluidics to students having a background in the life sciences. The course should familiarize the students with the techniques used in micro/nanotechnology and show them how micro/nanotechnology pervades throughout life sciences. Microfluidics will be emphasized due to their increasing importance in research and medical applications. The second objective is to have life students less intimidated by micro/nanotechnology and make them able to link instruments and techniques to specific problems that they might have in their projects/studies. This will also help students getting access to the ETHZ/IBM Nanotech Center infrastructure if needed.
ContentMostly formal lectures (2 × 45 min), with a 2 hour visit and introduction to cleanroom and micro/nanotechnology instruments, last 3 sessions would be dedicated to the presentation and evaluation of projects by students (3 students per team).
Prerequisites / NoticeNanotech center and lab visit at IBM would be mandatory, as well as attending the student project presentations.
376-1504-00LPhysical Human Robot Interaction (pHRI) Restricted registration - show details
Number of participants limited to 26.
W4 credits2V + 2UR. Gassert, O. Lambercy
AbstractThis course focuses on the emerging, interdisciplinary field of physical human-robot interaction, bringing together themes from robotics, real-time control, human factors, haptics, virtual environments, interaction design and other fields to enable the development of human-oriented robotic systems.
ObjectiveThe objective of this course is to give an introduction to the fundamentals of physical human robot interaction, through lectures on the underlying theoretical/mechatronics aspects and application fields, in combination with a hands-on lab tutorial. The course will guide students through the design and evaluation process of such systems.

By the end of this course, you should understand the critical elements in human-robot interactions - both in terms of engineering and human factors - and use these to evaluate and de- sign safe and efficient assistive and rehabilitative robotic systems. Specifically, you should be able to:

1) identify critical human factors in physical human-robot interaction and use these to derive design requirements;
2) compare and select mechatronic components that optimally fulfill the defined design requirements;
3) derive a model of the device dynamics to guide and optimize the selection and integration of selected components
into a functional system;
4) design control hardware and software and implement and
test human-interactive control strategies on the physical
setup;
5) characterize and optimize such systems using both engineering and psychophysical evaluation metrics;
6) investigate and optimize one aspect of the physical setup and convey and defend the gained insights in a technical presentation.
ContentThis course provides an introduction to fundamental aspects of physical human-robot interaction. After an overview of human haptic, visual and auditory sensing, neurophysiology and psychophysics, principles of human-robot interaction systems (kinematics, mechanical transmissions, robot sensors and actuators used in these systems) will be introduced. Throughout the course, students will gain knowledge of interaction control strategies including impedance/admittance and force control, haptic rendering basics and issues in device design for humans such as transparency and stability analysis, safety hardware and procedures. The course is organized into lectures that aim to bring students up to speed with the basics of these systems, readings on classical and current topics in physical human-robot interaction, laboratory sessions and lab visits.
Students will attend periodic laboratory sessions where they will implement the theoretical aspects learned during the lectures. Here the salient features of haptic device design will be identified and theoretical aspects will be implemented in a haptic system based on the haptic paddle (Link), by creating simple dynamic haptic virtual environments and understanding the performance limitations and causes of instabilities (direct/virtual coupling, friction, damping, time delays, sampling rate, sensor quantization, etc.) during rendering of different mechanical properties.
Lecture notesWill be distributed through the document repository before the lectures.
Link
LiteratureAbbott, J. and Okamura, A. (2005). Effects of position quantization and sampling rate on virtual-wall passivity. Robotics, IEEE Transactions on, 21(5):952 - 964.
Adams, R. and Hannaford, B. (1999). Stable haptic interaction with virtual environments. Robotics and Automation, IEEE Transactions on, 15(3):465 -474.
Buerger, S. and Hogan, N. (2007). Complementary stability and loop shaping for improved human ndash;robot interaction. Robotics, IEEE Transactions on, 23(2):232 -244.
Burdea, G. and Brooks, F. (1996). Force and touch feedback for virtual reality. John Wiley & Sons New York NY.
Colgate, J. and Brown, J. (1994). Factors affecting the z-width of a haptic display. In Robotics and Automation, 1994. Proceedings., 1994 IEEE International Conference on, pages 3205 -3210 vol.4.
Diolaiti, N., Niemeyer, G., Barbagli, F., and Salisbury, J. (2006). Stability of haptic rendering: Discretization, quantization, time delay, and coulomb effects. Robotics, IEEE Transactions on, 22(2):256 -268.
Gillespie, R. and Cutkosky, M. (1996). Stable user-specific haptic rendering of the virtual wall. In Proceedings of the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exhibition, volume 58, pages 397-406.
Hannaford, B. and Ryu, J.-H. (2002). Time-domain passivity control of haptic interfaces. Robotics and Automation, IEEE Transactions on, 18(1):1 -10.
Hashtrudi-Zaad, K. and Salcudean, S. (2001). Analysis of control architectures for teleoperation systems with impedance/admittance master and slave manipulators. The International Journal of Robotics Research, 20(6):419.
Hayward, V. and Astley, O. (1996). Performance measures for haptic interfaces. In ROBOTICS RESEARCH-INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM-, volume 7, pages 195-206. Citeseer.
Hayward, V. and Maclean, K. (2007). Do it yourself haptics: part i. Robotics Automation Magazine, IEEE, 14(4):88 -104.
Leskovsky, P., Harders, M., and Szeekely, G. (2006). Assessing the fidelity of haptically rendered deformable objects. In Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems, 2006 14th Symposium on, pages 19 - 25.
MacLean, K. and Hayward, V. (2008). Do it yourself haptics: Part ii [tutorial]. Robotics Automation Magazine, IEEE, 15(1):104 -119.
Mahvash, M. and Hayward, V. (2003). Passivity-based high-fidelity haptic rendering of contact. In Robotics and Automation, 2003. Proceedings. ICRA '03. IEEE International Conference on, volume 3, pages 3722 - 3728 vol.3.
Mehling, J., Colgate, J., and Peshkin, M. (2005). Increasing the impedance range of a haptic display by adding electrical damping. In Eurohaptics Conference, 2005 and Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems, 2005. World Haptics 2005. First Joint, pages 257 - 262.
Okamura, A., Richard, C., and Cutkosky, M. (2002). Feeling is believing: Using a force-feedback joystick to teach dynamic systems. JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION-WASHINGTON-, 91(3):345-350.
O'Malley, M. and Goldfarb, M. (2004). The effect of virtual surface stiffness on the haptic perception of detail. Mechatronics, IEEE/ASME Transactions on, 9(2):448 -454.
Richard, C. and Cutkosky, M. (2000). The effects of real and computer generated friction on human performance in a targeting task. In Proceedings of the ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Division, volume 69, page 2.
Salisbury, K., Conti, F., and Barbagli, F. (2004). Haptic rendering: Introductory concepts. Computer Graphics and Applications, IEEE, 24(2):24-32.
Weir, D., Colgate, J., and Peshkin, M. (2008). Measuring and increasing z-width with active electrical damping. In Haptic interfaces for virtual environment and teleoperator systems, 2008. haptics 2008. symposium on, pages 169 -175.
Yasrebi, N. and Constantinescu, D. (2008). Extending the z-width of a haptic device using acceleration feedback. Haptics: Perception, Devices and Scenarios, pages 157-162.
Prerequisites / NoticeNotice:
The registration is limited to 26 students
There are 4 credit points for this lecture.
The lecture will be held in English.
The students are expected to have basic control knowledge from previous classes.
Link
376-1622-00LPractical Methods in Tissue Engineering Restricted registration - show details
Number of participants limited to 12.
W5 credits4PK. Würtz-Kozak, M. Zenobi-Wong
AbstractThe goal of this course is to teach MSc students the necessary skills for doing research in the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
ObjectivePractical exercises and demonstrations on topics including sterile cell culture, light microscopy and histology, protein and gene expression analysis, and viability assays are covered. The advantages of 3D cell cultures will be discussed and practical work on manufacturing and evaluating hydrogels and scaffolds for tissue engineering will be performed in small groups. In addition to practical lab work, the course will teach skills in data acquisition/analysis.
376-1651-00LClinical and Movement BiomechanicsW4 credits3GS. Lorenzetti, R. List, N. Singh
AbstractMeasurement and modeling of the human movement during daily activities and in a clinical environment.
ObjectiveThe students are able to analyse the human movement from a technical point of view, to process the data and perform modeling with a focus towards clinical application.
ContentThis course includes study design, measurement techniques, clinical testing, accessing movement data and anysis as well as modeling with regards to human movement.
376-1985-00LTrauma BiomechanicsW4 credits2V + 1UK.‑U. Schmitt, M. H. Muser
AbstractTrauma biomechanics in an interdisciplinary research field investigating the biomechanics of injuries and related subjects such as prevention. The lecture provides an introduction to the basic principles of trauma biomechanics.
ObjectiveIntroduction to the basic principles of trauma biomechanics.
ContentThis lecture serves as an introduction to the field of trauma biomechanics. Emphasis is placed on the interdisciplinary nature of impact biomechanics, which uses the combination of fundamental engineering principles and advanced medical technologies to develop injury prevention measures. Topics include: accident statistics and accident reconstruction, biomechanical response of the human to impact loading, injury mechanisms and injury criteria, test methods (including crash tests), computer simulations using multi-body and finite element modelling techniques, aspects of passive safety of vehicles (focusing on restraint systems and vehicle compatibility). Real world examples mainly from automobile safety are used to augment lecture material.
Lecture notesHandouts will be made available.
LiteratureSchmitt K-U, Niederer P, M. Muser, Walz F: "Trauma Biomechanics - An Introduction to Injury Biomechanics", Springer Verlag
376-1974-00LColloquium in Biomechanics Information W2 credits2KB. Helgason, S. J. Ferguson, R. Müller, J. G. Snedeker, W. R. Taylor, K. Würtz-Kozak, M. Zenobi-Wong
AbstractCurrent topics in biomechanics presented by speakers from academia and industry.
ObjectiveGetting insight into actual areas and problems of biomechanics.
401-0629-00LApplied BiostatisticsW4 credits3GM. Müller
AbstractPrinciples and main methods in biostatistics with emphasis on practical aspects. Experimental and observational studies. Regression and analysis of variance. Introduction into survival analysis.
ObjectiveGetting an overwiew of the problems and statistical methods used in health sciences. Practise in using the software R to analyze data and interpreting the sults.
ContentExperimental and observational studies. Relative risks and odds ratios. Diagnostic tests, ROC analysis. Multiple linear and logistic regression, analysis of variance. Introduction into survival analysis.
Lecture notessee teaching document repository
LiteratureLe, Chap T. and Eberly, L.: Introductory Biostatistics. Wiley Interscience, 2014.

Norman, G. and Streiner, D.: Biostatistics. The Bare Essentials. pmph USA. 3th edition 2008.

Rosner B: Fundamentals of Biostatistics. Duxbury Press, 7th edition, 2010.
Prerequisites / NoticeThe statistical package R will be used in the exercises.
If you are unfamiliar with R, I highly recommend the online R course etutoR.
402-0674-00LPhysics in Medical Research: From Atoms to Cells Information W6 credits2V + 1UB. K. R. Müller
AbstractScanning probe and diffraction techniques allow studying activated atomic processes during early stages of epitaxial growth. For quantitative description, rate equation analysis, mean-field nucleation and scaling theories are applied on systems ranging from simple metallic to complex organic materials. The knowledge is expanded to optical and electronic properties as well as to proteins and cells.
ObjectiveThe lecture series is motivated by an overview covering the skin of the crystals, roughness analysis, contact angle measurements, protein absorption/activity and monocyte behaviour.

As the first step, real structures on clean surfaces including surface reconstructions and surface relaxations, defects in crystals are presented, before the preparation of clean metallic, semiconducting, oxidic and organic surfaces are introduced.

The atomic processes on surfaces are activated by the increase of the substrate temperature. They can be studied using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The combination with molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) allows determining the sizes of the critical nuclei and the other activated processes in a hierarchical fashion. The evolution of the surface morphology is characterized by the density and size distribution of the nanostructures that could be quantified by means of the rate equation analysis, the mean-field nucleation theory, as well as the scaling theory. The surface morphology is further characterized by defects and nanostructure's shapes, which are based on the strain relieving mechanisms and kinetic growth processes.

High-resolution electron diffraction is complementary to scanning probe techniques and provides exact mean values. Some phenomena are quantitatively described by the kinematic theory and perfectly understood by means of the Ewald construction. Other phenomena need to be described by the more complex dynamical theory. Electron diffraction is not only associated with elastic scattering but also inelastic excitation mechanisms that reflect the electronic structure of the surfaces studied. Low-energy electrons lead to phonon and high-energy electrons to plasmon excitations. Both effects are perfectly described by dipole and impact scattering.

Thin-films of rather complex organic materials are often quantitatively characterized by photons with a broad range of wavelengths from ultra-violet to infra-red light. Asymmetries and preferential orientations of the (anisotropic) molecules are verified using the optical dichroism and second harmonic generation measurements. These characterization techniques are vital for optimizing the preparation of medical implants and the determination of tissue's anisotropies within the human body.

Cell-surface interactions are related to the cell adhesion and the contractile cellular forces. Physical means have been developed to quantify these interactions. Other physical techniques are introduced in cell biology, namely to count and sort cells, to study cell proliferation and metabolism and to determine the relation between cell morphology and function.

3D scaffolds are important for tissue augmentation and engineering. Design, preparation methods, and characterization of these highly porous 3D microstructures are also presented.

Visiting clinical research in a leading university hospital will show the usefulness of the lecture series.
535-0423-00LDrug Delivery and Drug TargetingW2 credits2VJ.‑C. Leroux, D. Brambilla
AbstractThe students gain an overview on current principles, methodologies and systems for controlled delivery and targeting of drugs. This enables the students to understand and evaluate the field in terms of scientific criteria.
ObjectiveThe students dispose of an overview on current principles and systems for the controlled delivery and targeting of drugs. The focus of the course lies on developing a capacity to understand the involved technologies and methods, as well as an appreciation of the chances and constraints of their therapeutic usage, with prime attention on anticancer drugs, therapeutic peptides, proteins, nucleic acids and vaccines.
ContentThe course covers the following topics: drug targeting and delivery principles, radiopharmaceuticals, macromolecular drug carriers, liposomes, micelles, micro/nanoparticles, gels and implants, administration of vaccines, delivery of active agents in tissue engineeering, targeting at the gastrointestinal level, synthetic carriers for nucleic acid drugs, ophthalmic devices and novel trends in transdermal and nasal drug delivery.
Lecture notesSelected lecture notes, documents and supporting material will be directly provided or may be downloaded using

Link

The website also displays additional information on peroral delivery systems, transdermal systems and systems for alternative routes (nasal, pulmonary) of delivery. These fields are covered in detail in the course Galenische Pharmazie II (Galenical Pharmacy II).
LiteratureY. Perrie, T. Rhades. Pharmaceutics - Drug Delivery and Targeting, second edition, Pharmaceutical Press, London and Chicago, 2012.

Further references will be provided in the course.
551-0317-00LImmunology I Information W3 credits2VA. Oxenius, M. Kopf
AbstractIntroduction into structural and functional aspects of the immune system.
Basic knowledge of the mechanisms and the regulation of an immune response.
ObjectiveIntroduction into structural and functional aspects of the immune system.
Basic knowledge of the mechanisms and the regulation of an immune response.
Content- Introduction and historical background
- Innate and adaptive immunity, Cells and organs of the immune system
- B cells and antibodies
- Generation of diversity
- Antigen presentation and Major Histoincompatibility (MHC) antigens
- Thymus and T cell selection
- Autoimmunity
- Cytotoxic T cells and NK cells
- Th1 and Th2 cells, regulatory T cells
- Allergies
- Hypersensitivities
- Vaccines, immune-therapeutic interventions
Lecture notesElectronic access to the documentation will be provided. The link can be found at "Lernmaterialien"
Literature- Kuby, Immunology, 7th edition, Freemen + Co., New York, 2009
Prerequisites / NoticeImmunology I (WS) and Immunology II (SS) will be examined as one learning entity in a "Sessionsprüfung".
551-0319-00LCellular Biochemistry (Part I) Information W3 credits2VU. Kutay, R. I. Enchev, B. Kornmann, M. Peter, I. Zemp, further lecturers
AbstractConcepts and molecular mechanisms underlying the biochemistry of the cell, providing advanced insights into structure, function and regulation of individual cell components. Particular emphasis will be put on the spatial and temporal integration of different molecules and signaling pathways into global cellular processes such as intracellular transport, cell division & growth, and cell migration.
ObjectiveThe full-year course (551-0319-00 & 551-0320-00) focuses on the molecular mechanisms and concepts underlying the biochemistry of cellular physiology, investigating how these processes are integrated to carry out highly coordinated cellular functions. The molecular characterisation of complex cellular functions requires a combination of approaches such as biochemistry, but also cell biology and genetics. This course is therefore the occasion to discuss these techniques and their integration in modern cellular biochemistry.
The students will be able to describe the structural and functional details of individual cell components, and the spatial and temporal regulation of their interactions. In particular, they will learn to explain the integration of different molecules and signaling pathways into complex and highly dynamic cellular processes such as intracellular transport, cytoskeletal rearrangements, cell motility, cell division and cell growth. In addition, they will be able to illustrate the relevance of particular signaling pathways for cellular pathologies such as cancer.
ContentStructural and functional details of individual cell components, regulation of their interactions, and various aspects of the regulation and compartmentalisation of biochemical processes.
Topics include: biophysical and electrical properties of membranes; viral membranes; structural and functional insights into intracellular transport and targeting; vesicular trafficking and phagocytosis; post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression.
Lecture notesScripts and additional material will be provided during the semester. Please contact Dr. Alicia Smith for assistance with the learning materials. (Link)
LiteratureRecommended supplementary literature (review articles and selected primary literature) will be provided during the course.
Prerequisites / NoticeTo attend this course the students must have a solid basic knowledge in chemistry, biochemistry and general biology. The course will be taught in English.
636-0003-00LBiological Engineering and BiotechnologyW6 credits3VM. Fussenegger
AbstractBiological Engineering and Biotechnology will cover the latest biotechnological advances as well as their industrial implementation to engineer mammalian cells for use in human therapy. This lecture will provide forefront insights into key scientific aspects and the main points in industrial decision-making to bring a therapeutic from target to market.
Objective1. Insight Into The Mammalian Cell Cycle. Cycling, The Balance Between Proliferation and Cancer - Implications For Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing. 2. The Licence To Kill. Apoptosis Regulatory Networks - Engineering of Survival Pathways To Increase Robustness of Production Cell Lines. 3. Everything Under Control I. Regulated Transgene Expression in Mammalian Cells - Facts and Future. 4. Secretion Engineering. The Traffic Jam getting out of the Cell. 5. From Target To Market. An Antibody's Journey From Cell Culture to The Clinics. 6. Biology and Malign Applications. Do Life Sciences Enable the Development of Biological Weapons? 7. Functional Food. Enjoy your Meal! 8. Industrial Genomics. Getting a Systems View on Nutrition and Health - An Industrial Perspective. 9. IP Management - Food Technology. Protecting Your Knowledge For Business. 10. Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing I. Introduction to Process Development. 11. Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing II. Up- stream Development. 12. Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing III. Downstream Development. 13. Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing IV. Pharma Development.
Lecture notesHandsout during the course.
Major in Molecular Health Sciences
Compulsory Courses
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
376-0300-00LTranslational Science for Health and Medicine Restricted registration - show details O3 credits2GJ. Goldhahn, C. Wolfrum
AbstractTranslational science is a cross disciplinary scientific research that is motivated by the need for practical applications that help people. The course should help to clarify basics of translational science, illustrate successful applications and should enable students to integrate key features into their future projects.
ObjectiveAfter completing this course, students will be able to understand:
Principles of translational science (including project planning, ethics application, basics of resource management and interdisciplinary communication)
ContentWhat is translational science and what is it not?
How to identify need?
- Disease concepts and consequences for research
- Basics about incidence, prevalence etc., and orphan indications
How to choose the appropriate research type and methodology
- Ethical considerations including ethics application
- Pros and cons of different types of research
- Coordination of complex approaches incl. timing and resources
How to measure success?
- Outcome variables
- Improving the translational process
Challenges of communication?
How independent is translational science?
- Academic boundary conditions vs. industrial influences
Positive and negative examples will be illustrated by distinguished guest speakers.
Electives
Elective Courses I
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
551-0309-00LConcepts in Modern GeneticsW6 credits4VY. Barral, D. Bopp, A. Hajnal, M. Stoffel, O. Voinnet
AbstractConcepts of modern genetics and genomics, including principles of classical genetics; yeast genetics; gene mapping; forward and reverse genetics; structure and function of eukaryotic chromosomes; molecular mechanisms and regulation of transcription, replication, DNA-repair and recombination; analysis of developmental processes; epigenetics and RNA interference.
ObjectiveThis course focuses on the concepts of classical and modern genetics and genomics.
ContentThe topics include principles of classical genetics; yeast genetics; gene mapping; forward and reverse genetics; structure and function of eukaryotic chromosomes; molecular mechanisms and regulation of transcription, replication, DNA-repair and recombination; analysis of developmental processes; epigenetics and RNA interference.
Lecture notesScripts and additional material will be provided during the semester.
Prerequisites / NoticeThis course is a co-production of the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, and will be taught in English. The course takes place on Monday afternoon at ETH Hoenggerberg, and on Tuesday morning at UZH Irchel.
Elective Courses II
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
327-2125-00LMicroscopy Training SEM I - Introduction to SEM Restricted registration - show details
Number of participants limited to 6.
The participants will be chosen based on a short motivation letter. Please send this letter to S. Rodighiero (main lecturer) as soon as possible.
W1 credit3PS. Rodighiero, A. G. Bittermann, K. Kunze, J. Reuteler
AbstractThe introductory course on Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) emphasizes hands-on learning. Using 2 SEM instruments, students have the opportunity to study their own samples, or standard test samples, as well as solving exercises provided by ScopeM scientists.
Objective- Set-up, align and operate a SEM successfully and safely.
- Accomplish imaging tasks successfully and optimize microscope performances.
- Master the operation of a low-vacuum and field-emission SEM and EDX instrument.
- Perform sample preparation with corresponding techniques and equipment for imaging and analysis
- Acquire techniques in obtaining secondary electron and backscatter electron micrographs
- Perform EDX qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis
ContentDuring the course, students learn through lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on sessions how to setup and operate SEM instruments, including low-vacuum and low-voltage applications.
This course gives basic skills for students new to SEM. At the end of the course, students with no prior experience are able to align a SEM, to obtain secondary electron (SE) and backscatter electron (BSE) micrographs and to perform energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis. The procedures to better utilize SEM to solve practical problems and to optimize SEM analysis for a wide range of materials will be emphasized.

- Discussion of students' sample/interest
- Introduction and discussion on Electron Microscopy and instrumentation
- Lectures on electron sources, electron lenses and probe formation
- Lectures on beam/specimen interaction, image formation, image contrast and imaging modes.
- Lectures on sample preparation techniques for EM
- Brief description and demonstration of the SEM microscope
- Practice on beam/specimen interaction, image formation, image contrast (and image processing)
- Student participation on sample preparation techniques
- Scanning Electron Microscopy lab exercises: setup and operate the instrument under various imaging modalities
- Lecture and demonstrations on X-ray micro-analysis (theory and detection), qualitative and semi-quantitative EDX and point analysis, linescans and spectral mapping
- Practice on real-world samples and report results
Literature- Detailed course manual
- Williams, Carter: Transmission Electron Microscopy, Plenum Press, 1996
- Hawkes, Valdre: Biophysical Electron Microscopy, Academic Press, 1990
- Egerton: Physical Principles of Electron Microscopy: an introduction to TEM, SEM and AEM, Springer Verlag, 2007
Prerequisites / NoticeNo mandatory prerequisites. Please consider the prior attendance to EM Basic lectures (551- 1618-00V; 227-0390-00L; 327-0703-00L) as suggested prerequisite.
327-2126-00LMicroscopy Training TEM I - Introduction to TEM Restricted registration - show details
Does not take place this semester.
Number of participants limited to 6.

The participants will be chosen based on a short motivation letter. Please send this letter to S. Rodighiero (main lecturer).
W1 credit3P
AbstractThe introductory course on Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) provides theoretical and hands-on learning for new operators, utilizing lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on sessions.
Objective- Overview of TEM theory, instrumentation, operation and applications.
- Alignment and operation of a TEM, as well as acquisition and interpretation of images, diffraction patterns, accomplishing basic tasks successfully.
- Knowledge of electron imaging modes (including Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy), magnification calibration, and image acquisition using CCD cameras.
- To set up the TEM to acquire diffraction patterns, perform camera length calibration, as well as measure and interpret diffraction patterns.
- Overview of techniques for specimen preparation.
ContentUsing two Transmission Electron Microscopes the students learn how to align a TEM, select parameters for acquisition of images in bright field (BF) and dark field (DF), perform scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) imaging, phase contrast imaging, and acquire electron diffraction patterns. The participants will also learn basic and advanced use of digital cameras and digital imaging methods.

- Introduction and discussion on Electron Microscopy and instrumentation.
- Lectures on electron sources, electron lenses and probe formation.
- Lectures on beam/specimen interaction, image formation, image contrast and imaging modes.
- Lectures on sample preparation techniques for EM.
- Brief description and demonstration of the TEM microscope.
- Practice on beam/specimen interaction, image formation, Image contrast (and image processing).
- Demonstration of Transmission Electron Microscopes and imaging modes (Phase contrast, BF, DF, STEM).
- Student participation on sample preparation techniques.
- Transmission Electron Microscopy lab exercises: setup and operate the instrument under various imaging modalities.
- TEM alignment, calibration, correction to improve image contrast and quality.
- Electron diffraction.
- Practice on real-world samples and report results.
Literature- Detailed course manual
- Williams, Carter: Transmission Electron Microscopy, Plenum Press, 1996
- Hawkes, Valdre: Biophysical Electron Microscopy, Academic Press, 1990
- Egerton: Physical Principles of Electron Microscopy: an introduction to TEM, SEM and AEM, Springer Verlag, 2007
Prerequisites / NoticeNo mandatory prerequisites. Please consider the prior attendance to EM Basic lectures (551- 1618-00V; 227-0390-00L; 327-0703-00L) as suggested prerequisite.
376-0815-00LWriting your Master's Thesis: Natural Sciences and Engineering C1-C2 Restricted registration - show details
Does not take place this semester.
Your course regristration is only valid with a simultaneous online registration at the language center (Link).

Number of participants limited to 15 (3 courses are available).

Attention: Registration is only possible from 12.9. (from 11.30h) - 15.9.2016
W2 credits2VS. Milligan
AbstractWe'll prepare you to produce your MSc thesis. You'll learn how to structure your thesis, write scientific English, and manage your writing efficiently. You'll receive detailed feedback on work in progress.
ObjectiveBy the end of the course students are able to plan, draft, and edit academic English papers and theses; structure and write clear texts in a style which is acceptable to their academic discourse community; manage the writing process efficiently; select formal vocabulary and use it in a generally accurate and correct manner; choose and use generally suitable grammatical structures, punctuation, and orthographic conventions, assess their own effectiveness as writers of academic English, and identify areas in which further development is needed.
ContentThe course covers the writing context; the writing process; structuring sentences, paragraphs, longer sections (such as introduction, methods, results, and discussion), and whole texts; presenting and integrating non-textual elements such as graphs and tables; and editing and correcting drafts and proofs. Each lesson comprises a mixture of elements, including specialist input, individual tasks, pairwork, and groupwork. Active participation is expected.
551-0223-00LImmunology III Information W4 credits2VM. Kopf, M. Bachmann, J. Kisielow, A. Lanzavecchia, S. R. Leibundgut, A. Oxenius, R. Spörri
AbstractThis course provides a detailed understanding of
- development of T and B cells
- the dynamics of a immune response during acute and chronic infection
- mechanisms of immunopathology
- modern vaccination strategies
Key experimental results will be shown to help understanding how immunological text book knowledge has evolved.
ObjectiveObtain a detailed understanding of
- the development, activation, and differentiation of different types of T cells and their effectormechanisms during immune responses,
- Recognition of pathogenic microorganisms by the host cells and molecular events thereafter,
- events and signals for maturation of naive B cells to antibody producing plasma cells and memory B cells.
- Optimization of B cell responses by intelligent design of new vaccines
Contento Development and selection of CD4 and CD8 T cells, natural killer T cells (NKT), and regulatory T cells (Treg)
o NK T cells and responses to lipid antigens
o Differentiation, characterization, and function of CD4 T cell subsets such as Th1, Th2, and Th17
o Overview of cytokines and their effector function
o Co-stimulation (signals 1-3)
o Dendritic cells
o Evolution of the "Danger" concept
o Cells expressing Pattern Recognition Receptors and their downstream signals
o T cell function and dysfunction in acute and chronic viral infections
LiteratureDocuments of the lectures are available for download at:
Link
Prerequisites / NoticeImmunology I and II recommended but not compulsory
551-0317-00LImmunology I Information W3 credits2VA. Oxenius, M. Kopf
AbstractIntroduction into structural and functional aspects of the immune system.
Basic knowledge of the mechanisms and the regulation of an immune response.
ObjectiveIntroduction into structural and functional aspects of the immune system.
Basic knowledge of the mechanisms and the regulation of an immune response.
Content- Introduction and historical background
- Innate and adaptive immunity, Cells and organs of the immune system
- B cells and antibodies
- Generation of diversity
- Antigen presentation and Major Histoincompatibility (MHC) antigens
- Thymus and T cell selection
- Autoimmunity
- Cytotoxic T cells and NK cells
- Th1 and Th2 cells, regulatory T cells
- Allergies
- Hypersensitivities
- Vaccines, immune-therapeutic interventions
Lecture notesElectronic access to the documentation will be provided. The link can be found at "Lernmaterialien"
Literature- Kuby, Immunology, 7th edition, Freemen + Co., New York, 2009
Prerequisites / NoticeImmunology I (WS) and Immunology II (SS) will be examined as one learning entity in a "Sessionsprüfung".
551-0512-00LCurrent Topics in Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology Information Restricted registration - show details
Number of participants limited to 8.
W2 credits1SU. Suter
AbstractThe course is a literature seminar or "journal club". Each Friday a student, or a member of the Suter Lab in the Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, will present a paper from the recent literature.
ObjectiveThe course introduces you to recent developments in the fields of cellular and molecular neurobiology. It also supports you to develop your skills in critically reading the scientific literature. You should be able to grasp what the authors wanted to learn i.e. their goals, why the authors chose the experimental approach they used, the strengths and weaknesses of the experiments and the data presented, and how the work fits into the wider literature in the field. You will present one paper yourself, which provides you with practice in public speaking.
ContentYou will present one paper yourself. Give an introduction to the field of the paper, then show and comment on the main results (all the papers we present are available online, so you can show original figures with a beamer). Finish with a summary of the main points and a discussion of their significance.
You are expected to take part in the discussion and to ask questions. To prepare for this you should read all the papers beforehand (they will be announced a week in advance of the presentation).
Lecture notesPresentations will be made available after the seminars.
Prerequisites / NoticeYou must attend at least 80% of the journal clubs, and give a presentation of your own. At the end of the semester there will be a 30 minute oral exam on the material presented during the semester. The grade will be based on the exam (45%), your presentation (45%), and a contribution based on your active participation in discussion of other presentations (10%).
551-0571-00LFrom DNA to Diversity (University of Zurich)
No enrolment to this course at ETH Zurich. Book the corresponding module directly at UZH.
UZH Module Code: BIO336

Mind the enrolment deadlines at UZH:
Link
W2 credits2VA. Hajnal, D. Bopp, E. Hafen
AbstractThe evolution of the various body-plans is investigated by means of comparison of developmentally essential control genes of molecularly analysed model organisms.
ObjectiveBy the end of this module, each student should be able to
- recognize the universal principles underlying the development of
different animal body plans.
- explain how the genes encoding the molecular toolkit have evolved
to create animal diversity.
- relate changes in gene structure or function to evolutionary
changes in animal development.
Key skills:
By the end of this module, each student should be able to
- present and discuss a relevant evolutionary topic in an oral
presentation
- select and integrate key concepts in animal evolution from
primary literature
- participate in discussions on topics presented by others
551-1003-00LMethods of Biological Analysis Information W3 credits3GR. Aebersold, M. Badertscher, K. Weis
Abstract529-1042-00
Principles of the most important separation techniques and the interpretation of molecular spectra.

551-1003-00
The course will teach the basis and typical applications of methods for the analysis of nucleic acid sequences, mass spectrometric analysis of proteins and proteomes and advanced light and fluorescent imaging methods.
Objective529-1042-00
Knowledge of the necessary basics and the possibilities of application of the relevant spectroscopical and separation methods in analytical chermistry.

551-1003-00
Knowledge of the theoretical basis of the methods for nucleic acid sequence analysis, mass spectrometry based protein and proteome analysis and advanced light and fluorescent imaging methods, and an understanding of the application of these principles in experimental biology.
Content529-1042-00
Application oriented basics of instrumental analysis in organic chemistry and the empirical employment of the methods of structure elucidation (mass spectrometry, NMR-, IR-, UV/VIS spectroscopy). Basics and application of chromatographic and electrophoretic separation methods. Application of the knowledge by practising.

551-1003-00
The course will consist of lectures covering the theoretical and technical base of the respective analytical methods and of exercises where typical applications of the methods in modern experimental biology are discussed.
Lecture notes529-1042-00
A comprehensive script is available in the HCI-Shop. A summary of the part "Spektroskopie" defines the relevant material for the exam.

551-1003-00
Materials supporting the lectures and exercises will be made available via Moodle.
Literature529-1042-00
- Pretsch E., Bühlmann P., Badertscher M. Structure Determination of Organic Compounds, 5th revised and enlarged English edition, Springer-Verlag, Berlin 2009;
- Pretsch E., Bühlmann P., Badertscher M., Spektroskopische Daten zur Strukturaufklärung organischer Verbindungen, fünfte Auflage, Springer-Verlag, Berlin 2010;
- D.A. Skoog, J.J. Leary, Instrumentelle Analytik, Grundlagen, Geräte, Anwendungen, Springer, Berlin, 1996;
- K. Cammann, Instrumentelle Analytische Chemie, Verfahren, Anwendungen, Qualitätssicherung, Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, Heidelberg, 2001;
- R. Kellner, J.-M. Mermet, M. Otto, H.M. Widmer, Analytical Chemistry, Wiley-VCH Verlag, Weinheim, 1998;
- K. Robards, P.R.Haddad, P.E. Jackson, Principles and practice of modern chromatographic methods, Academic Press, London, 1994;
Prerequisites / Notice529-1042-00
Prerequisites:
- 529-1001-01 V "Allgemeine Chemie I (für Biol./Pharm.Wiss.)"
- 529-1001-00 P "Allgemeine Chemie I (für Biol./Pharm.Wiss.)"
- 529-1011-00 G "Organische Chemie I (für Biol./Pharm.Wiss.)"
551-1105-00LGlycobiologyW4 credits2VM. Aebi, T. Hennet
AbstractStructural principles, nomenclature and different classes of glycosylation. The different pathways of N- and O-linked protein glycosylation and glycolipid biosynthesis in prokaryotes and eukaryotes are discussed. Specific glycan binding proteins and their role in deciphering the glycan code are presented. The role of glycans in infectious diseases, antigen mimicry and autoimmunity are discussed.
ObjectiveDetailed knowledge in 1) the different areas of prokaryotic and eukaryotic glycobiology, in particular in the biosynthesis of glycoproteins and glycolipids, 2) the cellular machinery required for these pathways, 3) the principles of carbohydrate/protein interaction, 4) the function of lectins, 5) the role of glycans in infectious disease.
ContentStructure and linkages; analytical approaches; N-linked protein glycosylation (ER, Golgi); glycan-assisted protein folding and quality control; O-linked protein glycosylation; glucosaminoglycans; glycolipids; prokaryotic glycosylation pathways; lectins; glycans and infectious disease
Lecture noteshandouts
LiteratureIntroduction to Glycobiology; M.E.Taylor, K.Drickamer, Oxford University Press, 2003
Essentials of Glycobiology (second edition); A.Varki et al. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 2009
Prerequisites / NoticeThe course will be in English. It will include the preparation of short essays (marked) about defined topics in Glycobiology.
551-1145-00LViral and non-Viral Vectors for Human Gene-Therapy - from Pathogens to Safe Medical Applications
No enrolment to this course at ETH Zurich. Book the corresponding module directly at UZH.
UZH Module Code: BIO708

Mind the enrolment deadlines at UZH:
Link
W2 credits3VUniversity lecturers
AbstractBasic aspects of virology, the viral mechanisms for transfer of genetic material into cells, different vector-systems and target cells, animal models, specific applications for inborn diseases of the immune system and of metabolism, adverse effects, and new developments of vector systems will be taught.
ObjectiveKnowledge of important viral and non-viral vector systems.
Knowledge of application in human diseases.
Knowledge of limiting factors.
551-1153-00LSystems Biology of Metabolism
Number of participants limited to 15.
W4 credits2VU. Sauer, N. Zamboni, M. Zampieri
AbstractStarting from contemporary biological problems related to metabolism, the course focuses on systems biological approaches to address them. In a problem-oriented, this-is-how-it-is-done manner, we thereby teach modern methods and concepts.
ObjectiveDevelop a deeper understanding of how relevant biological problems can be solved, thereby providing advanced insights to key experimental and computational methods in systems biology.
ContentThe course will be given as a mixture of lectures, studies of original research and guided discussions that focus on current research topics. For each particular problem studied, we will work out how the various methods work and what their capabilities/limits are. The problem areas range from microbial metabolism to cancer cell metabolism and from metabolic networks to regulation networks in populations and single cells. Key methods to be covered are various modeling approaches, metabolic flux analyses, metabolomics and other omics.
Lecture notesScript and original publications will be supplied during the course.
Prerequisites / NoticeThe course extends many of the generally introduced concepts and methods of the Concept Course in Systems Biology. It requires a good knowledge of biochemistry and basics of mathematics and chemistry.
551-1171-00LImmunology: from Milestones to Current TopicsW4 credits2SB. Ludewig, J. Kisielow, M. Kopf, A. Oxenius, University lecturers
AbstractMilestones in Immunology: on old concepts and modern experiments
ObjectiveThe course will cover six grand topics in immunology (B cells, innate immunity, antigen presentation, tumor immunity, thymus and T cells, cytotoxic T cells and NK cells) and for each grand topic four hours will be allocated. During the first double hour, historical milestone papers will be presented by the supervisor providing an overview on the development of the conceptional framework and critical technological advances. The students will also prepare themselves for this double lecture by reading the historical milestone papers and contributing to the discussion. In the following lecture up to four students will present each a recent high impact research paper which emerged from the landmark achievements of the previously discussed milestone concepts.
ContentMilestones and current topics of innate immunity, antigen presentatino, B cells, thymus and T cells, cytotoxic T cells and NK cells, and tumor immunology.
Lecture notesOriginal and review articles will be distributed by the lecturer.
LiteratureLiteraturunterlagen werden vor Beginn des Kurses auf folgender website zugänglich sein: Moodle Course Link
551-1303-00LCellular Biochemistry of Health and Disease Information Restricted registration - show details
Number of participants limited to 15.
W4 credits2SP. Picotti, Y. Barral, J. Fernandes de Matos, V. Korkhov, B. Kornmann, R. Kroschewski, M. Peter, A. E. Smith, K. Weis
AbstractDuring this Masters level seminar style course, students will explore current research topics in cellular biochemistry focused on the structure, function and regulation of selected cell components, and the consequences of dysregulation for pathologies.
ObjectiveStudents will work with experts toward a critical analysis of cutting-edge research in the domain of cellular biochemistry, with emphasis on normal cellular processes and the consequences of their dysregulation. At the end of the course, students will be able to introduce, present, evaluate, critically discuss and write about recent scientific articles in the research area of cellular biochemistry.
ContentGuided by an expert in the field, students will engage in classical round-table style discussions of current literature with occasional frontal presentations. Students will alternate as discussion leaders throughout the semester, with the student leader responsible to briefly summarize key general knowledge and context of the assigned primary research paper. Together with the faculty expert, all students will participate in discussion of the primary paper, including the foundation of the biological question, specific questions addressed, key methods, key results, remaining gaps and research implications.
LiteratureThe literature will be provided during the course
Prerequisites / NoticeThe course will be taught in English.
551-1323-00LFundamentals of Biology II: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Information W4 credits4VK. Locher, N. Ban, R. Glockshuber, E. Weber-Ban
AbstractThe course provides an introduction to Biochemistry / Molecular Biology with some emphasis on chemical and biophysical aspects.
ObjectiveTopics include the structure-function
relationship of proteins / nucleic acids, protein folding, enzymatic catalysis, cellular pathways involved in bioenergetics and the biosynthesis and breakdown of amino acids, glycans, nucleotides, fatty acids and phospholipids, and steroids. There will also be a discussion of DNA replication and repair, transcription, and translation.
Lecture notesnone
Literaturemandatory: "Biochemistry",
Autoren: Berg/Tymoczko/Stryer, 8th edition, Palgrave Macmillan, International edition (the English version will be preordered at the Polybuchhandlung)
Prerequisites / NoticeSome of the lectures are given in the English language.
636-0003-00LBiological Engineering and BiotechnologyW6 credits3VM. Fussenegger
AbstractBiological Engineering and Biotechnology will cover the latest biotechnological advances as well as their industrial implementation to engineer mammalian cells for use in human therapy. This lecture will provide forefront insights into key scientific aspects and the main points in industrial decision-making to bring a therapeutic from target to market.
Objective1. Insight Into The Mammalian Cell Cycle. Cycling, The Balance Between Proliferation and Cancer - Implications For Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing. 2. The Licence To Kill. Apoptosis Regulatory Networks - Engineering of Survival Pathways To Increase Robustness of Production Cell Lines. 3. Everything Under Control I. Regulated Transgene Expression in Mammalian Cells - Facts and Future. 4. Secretion Engineering. The Traffic Jam getting out of the Cell. 5. From Target To Market. An Antibody's Journey From Cell Culture to The Clinics. 6. Biology and Malign Applications. Do Life Sciences Enable the Development of Biological Weapons? 7. Functional Food. Enjoy your Meal! 8. Industrial Genomics. Getting a Systems View on Nutrition and Health - An Industrial Perspective. 9. IP Management - Food Technology. Protecting Your Knowledge For Business. 10. Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing I. Introduction to Process Development. 11. Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing II. Up- stream Development. 12. Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing III. Downstream Development. 13. Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing IV. Pharma Development.
Lecture notesHandsout during the course.
636-0017-00LComputational Biology Information W4 credits3GT. Stadler, C. Magnus
AbstractThe aim of the course is to provide up-to-date knowledge on how we can study biological processes using genetic sequencing data. Computational algorithms extracting biological information from genetic sequence data are discussed, and statistical tools to understand this information in detail are introduced.
ObjectiveAttendees will learn which information is contained in genetic sequencing data and how to extract information from them using computational tools. The main concepts introduced are:
* stochastic models in molecular evolution
* phylogenetic & phylodynamic inference
* maximum likelihood and Bayesian statistics
Attendees will apply these concepts to a number of applications yielding biological insight into:
* epidemiology
* pathogen evolution
* macroevolution of species
ContentThe course consists of four parts. We first introduce modern genetic sequencing technology, and algorithms to obtain sequence alignments from the output of the sequencers. We then present methods to directly analyze this alignment (such as BLAST algorithm, GWAS approaches). Second, we introduce mechanisms and concepts of molecular evolution, i.e. we discuss how genetic sequences change over time. Third, we employ evolutionary concepts to infer ancestral relationships between organisms based on their genetic sequences, i.e. we discuss methods to infer genealogies and phylogenies. We finally introduce the field of phylodynamics. The aim of that field is to understand and quantify the population dynamic processes (such as transmission in epidemiology or speciation & extinction in macroevolution) based on a phylogeny. Throughout the class, the models and methods are illustrated on different datasets giving insight into the epidemiology and evolution of a range of infectious diseases (e.g. HIV, HCV, influenza, Ebola). Applications of the methods to the field of macroevolution provide insight into the evolution and ecology of different species clades. Students will be trained in the algorithms and their application both on paper and in silico as part of the exercises.
Lecture notesSlides of the lecture will be available online.
Link
LiteratureThe course is not based on any of the textbooks below, but they are excellent choices as accompanying material:
* Yang, Z. 2006. Computational Molecular Evolution.
* Felsenstein, J. 2004. Inferring Phylogenies.
* Semple, C. & Steel, M. 2003. Phylogenetics.
* Drummond, A. & Bouckaert, R. 2015. Bayesian evolutionary analysis with BEAST
Prerequisites / NoticeBasic knowledge in linear algebra, analysis, and statistics will be helpful. Some programming experience will be useful for the exercises, but is not required. Programming skills will not be tested in the examination.
636-0507-00LSynthetic Biology II Restricted registration - show details W4 credits4AS. Panke, Y. Benenson, J. Stelling
Abstract7 months biological design project, during which the students are required to give presentations on advanced topics in synthetic biology (specifically genetic circuit design) and then select their own biological system to design. The system is subsequently modeled, analyzed, and experimentally implemented. Results are presented at an international student competition at the MIT (Cambridge).
ObjectiveThe students are supposed to acquire a deep understanding of the process of biological design including model representation of a biological system, its thorough analysis, and the subsequent experimental implementation of the system and the related problems.
ContentPresentations on advanced synthetic biology topics (eg genetic circuit design, adaptation of systems dynamics, analytical concepts, large scale de novo DNA synthesis), project selection, modeling of selected biological system, design space exploration, sensitivity analysis, conversion into DNA sequence, (DNA synthesis external,) implementation and analysis of design, summary of results in form of scientific presentation and poster, presentation of results at the iGEM international student competition (Link).
Lecture notesHandouts during course
Prerequisites / NoticeThe final presentation of the project is typically at the MIT (Cambridge, US). Other competing schools include regularly Imperial College, Cambridge University, Harvard University, UC Berkeley, Princeton Universtiy, CalTech, etc.

This project takes place between end of Spring Semester and beginning of Autumn Semester. Registration in April.

Please note that the number of ECTS credits and the actual work load are disconnected.
701-1703-00LEvolutionary Medicine for Infectious DiseasesW3 credits2GA. Hall
AbstractThis course explores infectious disease from both the host and pathogen perspective. Through short lectures, reading and active discussion, students will identify areas where evolutionary thinking can improve our understanding of infectious diseases and, ultimately, our ability to treat them effectively.
ObjectiveStudents will learn to (i) identify evolutionary explanations for the origins and characteristics of infectious diseases in a range of organisms and (ii) evaluate ways of integrating evolutionary thinking into improved strategies for treating infections of humans and animals. This will incorporate principles that apply across any host-pathogen interaction, as well as system-specific mechanistic information, with particular emphasis on bacteria and viruses.
ContentWe will cover several topics where evolutionary thinking is relevant to understanding or treating infectious diseases. This includes: (i) determinants of pathogen host range and virulence, (ii) dynamics of host-parasite coevolution, (iii) pathogen adaptation to evade or suppress immune responses, (iv) antimicrobial resistance, (v) evolution-proof medicine. For each topic there will be a short (< 30 minutes) introductory lecture, before students independently research the primary literature and develop half a page of discussion points and questions, followed by interactive discussion in class.
LiteratureStudents will read the primary literature on each topic, and in places we will use the following books:

Schmid Hempel 2011 Evolutionary Parasitology
Stearns & Medzhitov 2016 Evolutionary Medicine
Prerequisites / NoticeA basic understanding of evolutionary biology, microbiology or parasitology will be advantageous but is not essential.
752-4009-00LMolecular Biology of Foodborne PathogensW3 credits2VM. Loessner, M. Schuppler
AbstractThe course offers detailed information on selected foodborne pathogens and toxin producing organisms; the focus lies on relevant molecular biological aspects of pathogenicity and virulence, as well as on the occurrence and survival of these organisms in foods.
ObjectiveDetailed and current status of research and insights into the molecular basis of foodborne diseases, with focus on interactions of the microorganism or the toxins they produce with the human system. Understanding the relationship between specific types of food and the associated pathogens and microbial risks. Another focus lies on the currently available methods and techniques useful for the various purposes, i.e., detection, differentiation (typing), and antimicrobial agents.
ContentMolecular biology of infectious foodborne pathogens (Listeria, Vibrio, E. coli, Campylobacter, etc) and toxin-producing organisms (Bacillus, Clostridium, Staphylococcus). How and under which conditions will toxins and virulence factors be produced, and how do they work? How is the interaction between the human host and the microbial pathogen? What are the roles of food and the environment ? What can be done to interfere with the potential risks? Which methods are best suited for what approach? Last, but not least, the role of bacteriophages in microbial pathogenicity will be highlighted, in addition to various applications of bacteriophage for both diagnsotics and antimicrobial intervention.
Lecture notesElectronic copies of the presentation slides (PDF) and additional material will be made available for download to registered students.
LiteratureRecommendations will be given in the first lecture
Prerequisites / NoticeLectures (2 hours) will be held as a single session of approximately 60+ minutes (10:15 until approx. 11:15 h), with no break !
752-6101-00LDietary Etiologies of Chronic DiseaseW3 credits2VM. B. Zimmermann
AbstractTo have the student gain understanding of the links between the diet and the etiology and progression of chronic diseases, including diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, arthritis and food allergies.
ObjectiveTo examine and understand the protective effect of foods and food ingredients in the maintenance of health and the prevention of chronic disease, as well as the progression of complications of the chronic diseases.
ContentThe course evaluates food and food ingredients in relation to primary and secondary prevention of chronic diseases including diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, arthritis and food allergies.
Lecture notesThere is no script. Powerpoint presentations will be made available on-line to students.
LiteratureTo be provided by the individual lecturers, at their discretion.
Prerequisites / NoticeNo compulsory prerequisites, but prior completion of Human Nutrition I + II (Humanernährung I+II) is strongly advised.
752-6105-00LEpidemiology and Prevention
Information for UZH students:
Enrolment to this course unit only possible at ETH. No enrolment to module CS16_101 at UZH.

Please mind the ETH enrolment deadlines for UZH students: Link
W3 credits2VM. Puhan, R. Heusser
AbstractThe module „Epidemiology and prevention“ describes the process of scientific discovery from the detection of a disease and its causes, to the development and evaluation of preventive and treatment interventions and to improved population health.
ObjectiveThe overall goal of the course is to introduce students to epidemiological thinking and methods, which are criticial pillars for medical and public health research. Students will also become aware on how epidemiological facts are used in prevention, practice and politics.
ContentThe module „Epidemiology and prevention“ follows an overall framework that describes the course of scientific discovery from the detection of a disease to the development of prevention and treatment interventions and their evaluation in clinical trials and real world settings. We will discuss study designs in the context of existing knowledge and the type of evidence needed to advance knowledge. Examples form nutrition, chronic and infectious diseases will be used in order to show the underlying concepts and methods.
Major in Neurosciences
Compulsory Courses
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
376-0300-00LTranslational Science for Health and Medicine Restricted registration - show details O3 credits2GJ. Goldhahn, C. Wolfrum
AbstractTranslational science is a cross disciplinary scientific research that is motivated by the need for practical applications that help people. The course should help to clarify basics of translational science, illustrate successful applications and should enable students to integrate key features into their future projects.
ObjectiveAfter completing this course, students will be able to understand:
Principles of translational science (including project planning, ethics application, basics of resource management and interdisciplinary communication)
ContentWhat is translational science and what is it not?
How to identify need?
- Disease concepts and consequences for research
- Basics about incidence, prevalence etc., and orphan indications
How to choose the appropriate research type and methodology
- Ethical considerations including ethics application
- Pros and cons of different types of research
- Coordination of complex approaches incl. timing and resources
How to measure success?
- Outcome variables
- Improving the translational process
Challenges of communication?
How independent is translational science?
- Academic boundary conditions vs. industrial influences
Positive and negative examples will be illustrated by distinguished guest speakers.
Electives
Elective Courses I
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
376-1305-00LDevelopment of the Nervous SystemW3 credits2VE. Stoeckli, further lecturers
AbstractThe course covers the development of the nervous system (NS) with a focus on neurogenesis and migration, axon growth, synapse formation, mol. & cell. mechanisms, and diseases of the developing NS.
ObjectiveThe aim is to give a deepened insight on the normal development, of the nervous system based on molecular, cellular and biochemical approaches.
ContentThe main focus is on the development of the NS: Early development of the NS, cellular processes, nerve fiber growth, building of synapses and neuronal networks.
Lecture notesMust be downloaded from OLAT: Link
as BIO344
LiteratureThe lecture requires reading of book chapters, handouts and original scientific papers. Further information will be given in the individual lectures and are mentioned on OLAT.
Prerequisites / NoticeAuxiliary tools:
None. Bring something to write and your student ID
376-1305-01LStructure, Plasticity and Repair of the Nervous System Information W3 credits2VM. E. Schwab, L. Filli, K. A. Martin, further lecturers
AbstractThe course covers the structure, plasticity and regeneration of the adult nervous system (NS) with focus on: sensory systems, cognitive functions, learning and memory, molecular and cellular mechanisms, animal models, and diseases of the NS.
ObjectiveThe aim is to give a deepened insight into the structure, plasticity and regeneration of the nervous system based on molecular, cellular and biochemical approaches.
ContentThe main focus is on the structure, plasticity and regeneration of the NS: biology of the adult nervous system; structural plasticity of the adult nervous system, regeneration and repair: networks and nerve fibers, regeneration, pathological loss of cells.
Lecture notesETH students: Lecture notes will be provided on Moodle Link
Password will be provided at the beginning of the lecture.

UZH students: Lecture notes will be provided on OLAT: Link
LiteratureThe lecture requires reading of book chapters, handouts and original scientific papers. Further information will be given in the individual lectures and are mentioned on Moodle / OLAT.
551-0309-00LConcepts in Modern GeneticsW6 credits4VY. Barral, D. Bopp, A. Hajnal, M. Stoffel, O. Voinnet
AbstractConcepts of modern genetics and genomics, including principles of classical genetics; yeast genetics; gene mapping; forward and reverse genetics; structure and function of eukaryotic chromosomes; molecular mechanisms and regulation of transcription, replication, DNA-repair and recombination; analysis of developmental processes; epigenetics and RNA interference.
ObjectiveThis course focuses on the concepts of classical and modern genetics and genomics.
ContentThe topics include principles of classical genetics; yeast genetics; gene mapping; forward and reverse genetics; structure and function of eukaryotic chromosomes; molecular mechanisms and regulation of transcription, replication, DNA-repair and recombination; analysis of developmental processes; epigenetics and RNA interference.
Lecture notesScripts and additional material will be provided during the semester.
Prerequisites / NoticeThis course is a co-production of the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, and will be taught in English. The course takes place on Monday afternoon at ETH Hoenggerberg, and on Tuesday morning at UZH Irchel.
Elective Courses II
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
151-0104-00LUncertainty Quantification for Engineering & Life Sciences Restricted registration - show details
Does not take place this semester.
Number of participants limited to 60.
W4 credits3GP. Koumoutsakos
AbstractQuantification of uncertainties in computational models pertaining to applications in engineering and life sciences. Exploitation of massively available data to develop computational models with quantifiable predictive capabilities. Applications of Uncertainty Quantification and Propagation to problems in mechanics, control, systems and cell biology.
ObjectiveThe course will teach fundamental concept of Uncertainty Quantification and Propagation (UQ+P) for computational models of systems in Engineering and Life Sciences. Emphasis will be placed on practical and computational aspects of UQ+P including the implementation of relevant algorithms in multicore architectures.
ContentTopics that will be covered include: Uncertainty quantification under
parametric and non-parametric modelling uncertainty, Bayesian inference with model class assessment, Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulation, prior and posterior reliability analysis.
Lecture notesThe class will be largely based on the book: Data Analysis: A Bayesian Tutorial by Devinderjit Sivia as well as on class notes and related literature that will be distributed in class.
Literature1. Data Analysis: A Bayesian Tutorial by Devinderjit Sivia
2. Probability Theory: The Logic of Science by E. T. Jaynes
3. Class Notes
Prerequisites / NoticeFundamentals of Probability, Fundamentals of Computational Modeling
227-0447-00LImage Analysis and Computer Vision Information W6 credits3V + 1UL. Van Gool, O. Göksel, E. Konukoglu
AbstractLight and perception. Digital image formation. Image enhancement and feature extraction. Unitary transformations. Color and texture. Image segmentation and deformable shape matching. Motion extraction and tracking. 3D data extraction. Invariant features. Specific object recognition and object class recognition.
ObjectiveOverview of the most important concepts of image formation, perception and analysis, and Computer Vision. Gaining own experience through practical computer and programming exercises.
ContentThe first part of the course starts off from an overview of existing and emerging applications that need computer vision. It shows that the realm of image processing is no longer restricted to the factory floor, but is entering several fields of our daily life. First it is investigated how the parameters of the electromagnetic waves are related to our perception. Also the interaction of light with matter is considered. The most important hardware components of technical vision systems, such as cameras, optical devices and illumination sources are discussed. The course then turns to the steps that are necessary to arrive at the discrete images that serve as input to algorithms. The next part describes necessary preprocessing steps of image analysis, that enhance image quality and/or detect specific features. Linear and non-linear filters are introduced for that purpose. The course will continue by analyzing procedures allowing to extract additional types of basic information from multiple images, with motion and depth as two important examples. The estimation of image velocities (optical flow) will get due attention and methods for object tracking will be presented. Several techniques are discussed to extract three-dimensional information about objects and scenes. Finally, approaches for the recognition of specific objects as well as object classes will be discussed and analyzed.
Lecture notesCourse material Script, computer demonstrations, exercises and problem solutions
Prerequisites / NoticePrerequisites:
Basic concepts of mathematical analysis and linear algebra. The computer exercises are based on Linux and C.
The course language is English.
227-1037-00LIntroduction to Neuroinformatics Information W6 credits2V + 1UK. A. Martin, M. Cook, V. Mante, M. Pfeiffer
AbstractThe course provides an introduction to the functional properties of neurons. Particularly the description of membrane electrical properties (action potentials, channels), neuronal anatomy, synaptic structures, and neuronal networks. Simple models of computation, learning, and behavior will be explained. Some artificial systems (robot, chip) are presented.
ObjectiveUnderstanding computation by neurons and neuronal circuits is one of the great challenges of science. Many different disciplines can contribute their tools and concepts to solving mysteries of neural computation. The goal of this introductory course is to introduce the monocultures of physics, maths, computer science, engineering, biology, psychology, and even philosophy and history, to discover the enchantments and challenges that we all face in taking on this major 21st century problem and how each discipline can contribute to discovering solutions.
ContentThis course considers the structure and function of biological neural networks at different levels. The function of neural networks lies fundamentally in their wiring and in the electro-chemical properties of nerve cell membranes. Thus, the biological structure of the nerve cell needs to be understood if biologically-realistic models are to be constructed. These simpler models are used to estimate the electrical current flow through dendritic cables and explore how a more complex geometry of neurons influences this current flow. The active properties of nerves are studied to understand both sensory transduction and the generation and transmission of nerve impulses along axons. The concept of local neuronal circuits arises in the context of the rules governing the formation of nerve connections and topographic projections within the nervous system. Communication between neurons in the network can be thought of as information flow across synapses, which can be modified by experience. We need an understanding of the action of inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, so that the dynamics and logic of synapses can be interpreted. Finally, the neural architectures of feedforward and recurrent networks will be discussed in the context of co-ordination, control, and integration of sensory and motor information in neural networks.
227-1045-00LReadings in Neuroinformatics (University of Zurich) Restricted registration - show details
No enrolment to this course at ETH Zurich. Book the corresponding module directly at UZH.
UZH Module Code: INI431

Mind the enrolment deadlines at UZH:
Link
W3 credits1SG. Indiveri, M. Cook, D. Kiper
AbstractThirteen major areas of research have been selected, which cover the key concepts that have led to our current ideas of how the nervous system is built and functions. We will read both original papers and explore the conceptual the links between them and discuss the 'sociology' of science, the pursuit of basic science questions over a century of research."
ObjectiveIt is a commonplace that scientists rarely cite literature that is older than 10 years and when they do, they usually cite one paper that serves as the representative for a larger body of work that has long since been incorporated anonymously in textbooks. Worse than that, many authors have not even read the papers they cite in their own publications. This course, ‘Foundations of Neuroscience’ is one antidote. Thirteen major areas of research have been selected, which cover the key concepts that have led to our current ideas of how the nervous system is built and functions. Unusually, we will explore these areas of research by reading the original publications, instead of reading someone else’s digested summary from a textbook or review. By doing this, we will learn how the discoveries were made, what instrumentation was used, how the scientists interpreted their own findings, and how their work, often over many decades and linked together with related findings from many different scientists, generate the current views of mechanism and structure of the nervous system. To give one concrete example, in 1890 Roy and Sherrington showed that there was a neural activity-dependent regulation of blood flow in the brain. One hundred years later, Ogawa discovered that they could use Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) to measure a blood oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal, which they showed was neural activity-dependent. This discovery led to the development of human functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), which has revolutionized neuropsychology and neuropsychiatry. We will read both these original papers and explore the conceptual the links between them and discuss the ‘sociology’ of science, which in this case, the pursuit of basic science questions over a century of research, led to an explosion in applications. We will also explore the personalities of the scientists and the context in which they made their seminal discoveries. Each week the course members will be given original papers to read for homework, they will have to write a short abstract for each paper. We will then meet weekly with the course leader (KACM) and an assistant for an hour-or-so long interactive seminar. An intimate knowledge of the papers will be assumed so that the discussion does not center simply on an explication of the contents of the papers. Assessment will in the form of a written exam in which the students will be given a paper and asked to write a short abstract of the contents.
ContentIt is a commonplace that scientists rarely cite literature that is older than 10 years and when they do, they usually cite one paper that serves as the representative for a larger body of work that has long since been incorporated anonymously in textbooks. Worse than that many authors have not even read the papers they cite in their own publications. This course, ‘Foundations of Neuroscience’ is one antidote. Thirteen major areas of research have been selected, which cover the key concepts that have led to our current ideas of how the nervous system is built and functions. Unusually, we will explore these areas of research by reading the original publications, instead of reading someone else’s digested summary from a textbook or review. By doing this, we will learn how the discoveries were made, what instrumentation was used, how the scientists interpreted their own findings, and how their work, often over many decades and by many different scientists, linked together to generate the current view of mechanism and structure. We will also explore the personalities of the scientists and the context in which they made their seminal discoveries. To give one concrete example, in 1890 Roy and Sherrington showed that there was a neural activity-dependent regulation of blood flow in the brain. One hundred years later, Ogawa discovered that they could use Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) to measure a blood oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal, which they showed was neural activity-dependent. This discovery led to the development of human functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), which has revolutionized neuropsychology and neuropsychiatry. We will read both these original papers and explore the conceptual links between them and discuss the ‘sociology’ of science, which in this case, the pursuit of basic science questions over a century of research, led to an explosion in applications. Each week the course members will be given between 2 and 4 papers to read for homework and we will then meet weekly for an hour long interactive seminar. An intimate knowledge of the papers will be assumed so that the discussion does not center simply on an explication of the contents of the papers. Assessment will be done continuously as the individual students are asked to explain a figure, technique, or concept.
227-1047-00LConsciousness: From Philosophy to Neuroscience (University of Zurich) Information
No enrolment to this course at ETH Zurich. Book the corresponding module directly at UZH.
UZH Module Code: INI410

Mind the enrolment deadlines at UZH:
Link
W3 credits2VD. Kiper, A. Gamma
AbstractThis seminar reviews the philosophical and phenomenological as well as the neurobiological aspects of consciousness. The subjective features of consciousness are explored, and modern research into its neural substrate, particularly in the visual domain, is explained. Emphasis is placed on students developing their own thinking through a discussion-centered course structure.
ObjectiveThe course's goal is to give an overview of the contemporary state of consciousness research, with emphasis on the contributions brought by modern cognitive neuroscience. We aim to clarify concepts, explain their philosophical and scientific backgrounds, and to present experimental protocols that shed light on on a variety of consciousness related issues.
ContentThe course includes discussions of scientific as well as philosophical articles. We review current schools of thought, models of consciousness, and proposals for the neural correlate of consciousness (NCC).
Lecture notesNone
LiteratureWe display articles pertaining to the issues we cover in the class on the course's webpage.
Prerequisites / NoticeSince we are all experts on consciousness, we expect active participation and discussions!
327-2125-00LMicroscopy Training SEM I - Introduction to SEM Restricted registration - show details
Number of participants limited to 6.
The participants will be chosen based on a short motivation letter. Please send this letter to S. Rodighiero (main lecturer) as soon as possible.
W1 credit3PS. Rodighiero, A. G. Bittermann, K. Kunze, J. Reuteler
AbstractThe introductory course on Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) emphasizes hands-on learning. Using 2 SEM instruments, students have the opportunity to study their own samples, or standard test samples, as well as solving exercises provided by ScopeM scientists.
Objective- Set-up, align and operate a SEM successfully and safely.
- Accomplish imaging tasks successfully and optimize microscope performances.
- Master the operation of a low-vacuum and field-emission SEM and EDX instrument.
- Perform sample preparation with corresponding techniques and equipment for imaging and analysis
- Acquire techniques in obtaining secondary electron and backscatter electron micrographs
- Perform EDX qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis
ContentDuring the course, students learn through lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on sessions how to setup and operate SEM instruments, including low-vacuum and low-voltage applications.
This course gives basic skills for students new to SEM. At the end of the course, students with no prior experience are able to align a SEM, to obtain secondary electron (SE) and backscatter electron (BSE) micrographs and to perform energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis. The procedures to better utilize SEM to solve practical problems and to optimize SEM analysis for a wide range of materials will be emphasized.

- Discussion of students' sample/interest
- Introduction and discussion on Electron Microscopy and instrumentation
- Lectures on electron sources, electron lenses and probe formation
- Lectures on beam/specimen interaction, image formation, image contrast and imaging modes.
- Lectures on sample preparation techniques for EM
- Brief description and demonstration of the SEM microscope
- Practice on beam/specimen interaction, image formation, image contrast (and image processing)
- Student participation on sample preparation techniques
- Scanning Electron Microscopy lab exercises: setup and operate the instrument under various imaging modalities
- Lecture and demonstrations on X-ray micro-analysis (theory and detection), qualitative and semi-quantitative EDX and point analysis, linescans and spectral mapping
- Practice on real-world samples and report results
Literature- Detailed course manual
- Williams, Carter: Transmission Electron Microscopy, Plenum Press, 1996
- Hawkes, Valdre: Biophysical Electron Microscopy, Academic Press, 1990
- Egerton: Physical Principles of Electron Microscopy: an introduction to TEM, SEM and AEM, Springer Verlag, 2007
Prerequisites / NoticeNo mandatory prerequisites. Please consider the prior attendance to EM Basic lectures (551- 1618-00V; 227-0390-00L; 327-0703-00L) as suggested prerequisite.
327-2126-00LMicroscopy Training TEM I - Introduction to TEM Restricted registration - show details
Does not take place this semester.
Number of participants limited to 6.

The participants will be chosen based on a short motivation letter. Please send this letter to S. Rodighiero (main lecturer).
W1 credit3P
AbstractThe introductory course on Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) provides theoretical and hands-on learning for new operators, utilizing lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on sessions.
Objective- Overview of TEM theory, instrumentation, operation and applications.
- Alignment and operation of a TEM, as well as acquisition and interpretation of images, diffraction patterns, accomplishing basic tasks successfully.
- Knowledge of electron imaging modes (including Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy), magnification calibration, and image acquisition using CCD cameras.
- To set up the TEM to acquire diffraction patterns, perform camera length calibration, as well as measure and interpret diffraction patterns.
- Overview of techniques for specimen preparation.
ContentUsing two Transmission Electron Microscopes the students learn how to align a TEM, select parameters for acquisition of images in bright field (BF) and dark field (DF), perform scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) imaging, phase contrast imaging, and acquire electron diffraction patterns. The participants will also learn basic and advanced use of digital cameras and digital imaging methods.

- Introduction and discussion on Electron Microscopy and instrumentation.
- Lectures on electron sources, electron lenses and probe formation.
- Lectures on beam/specimen interaction, image formation, image contrast and imaging modes.
- Lectures on sample preparation techniques for EM.
- Brief description and demonstration of the TEM microscope.
- Practice on beam/specimen interaction, image formation, Image contrast (and image processing).
- Demonstration of Transmission Electron Microscopes and imaging modes (Phase contrast, BF, DF, STEM).
- Student participation on sample preparation techniques.
- Transmission Electron Microscopy lab exercises: setup and operate the instrument under various imaging modalities.
- TEM alignment, calibration, correction to improve image contrast and quality.
- Electron diffraction.
- Practice on real-world samples and report results.
Literature- Detailed course manual
- Williams, Carter: Transmission Electron Microscopy, Plenum Press, 1996
- Hawkes, Valdre: Biophysical Electron Microscopy, Academic Press, 1990
- Egerton: Physical Principles of Electron Microscopy: an introduction to TEM, SEM and AEM, Springer Verlag, 2007
Prerequisites / NoticeNo mandatory prerequisites. Please consider the prior attendance to EM Basic lectures (551- 1618-00V; 227-0390-00L; 327-0703-00L) as suggested prerequisite.
376-0221-00LMethods and Concepts in Human Systems Neuroscience and Motor Control Restricted registration - show details
Number of participants limited to 18
W3 credits3PN. Wenderoth
AbstractThis course provides hands-on experience with measurement and analysis methods relevant for Humans Systems Neuroscience and Motor control (nerve/brain stimulation, EMG, EEG, psycho-physical paradigms etc). Students read scientific material, set up experiments, perform measurements in the lab, analyse data, apply statistics and write short reports or essays.
ObjectiveThis course will prepare students for experimental work as it is typically done during the master thesis. The goal is to gain hands-on experience with measurement and analysis methods relevant for Humans Systems Neuroscience and Motor control (ifor example peripheral nerve stimulation, electrical and magnetic brain stimulation, EMG, EEG, psycho-physical paradigms etc). Students will learn how to perform small scientific projects in this area. Students will work individually or in small groups and solve scientific problems which require them to perform measurements in human participants, extract relevant readouts from the data, apply appropriate statistics and interpret the results. They will also be required to write small essays and reports and they will get feedback on their writing throughout the course.
Prerequisites / NoticeStudents are required to have successfully completed the course "Neural control of movement and motor learning" and to have basic knowledge of applied statistics. Self-study material about applied statistics will be available at the beginning of the course and statistical knowledge will be tested (central element) in the second course week. Passing this test is a requirement for continuing the course. Students will have to solve scientific problems, requiring them to independently study scientific material, apply statistics and report their results in the form of written reports and essays. Assessments will be made on the basis of the completed theoretical and practical work that will be performed either in small groups or individually.
376-0815-00LWriting your Master's Thesis: Natural Sciences and Engineering C1-C2 Restricted registration - show details
Does not take place this semester.
Your course regristration is only valid with a simultaneous online registration at the language center (Link).

Number of participants limited to 15 (3 courses are available).

Attention: Registration is only possible from 12.9. (from 11.30h) - 15.9.2016
W2 credits2VS. Milligan
AbstractWe'll prepare you to produce your MSc thesis. You'll learn how to structure your thesis, write scientific English, and manage your writing efficiently. You'll receive detailed feedback on work in progress.
ObjectiveBy the end of the course students are able to plan, draft, and edit academic English papers and theses; structure and write clear texts in a style which is acceptable to their academic discourse community; manage the writing process efficiently; select formal vocabulary and use it in a generally accurate and correct manner; choose and use generally suitable grammatical structures, punctuation, and orthographic conventions, assess their own effectiveness as writers of academic English, and identify areas in which further development is needed.
ContentThe course covers the writing context; the writing process; structuring sentences, paragraphs, longer sections (such as introduction, methods, results, and discussion), and whole texts; presenting and integrating non-textual elements such as graphs and tables; and editing and correcting drafts and proofs. Each lesson comprises a mixture of elements, including specialist input, individual tasks, pairwork, and groupwork. Active participation is expected.
376-1177-00LHuman Factors IW2 credits2VM. Menozzi Jäckli, R. Huang, M. Siegrist
AbstractEvery day humans interact with various systems. Strategies of interaction, individual needs, physical & mental abilities, and system properties are important factors in controlling the quality and performance in interaction processes. In the lecture, factors are investigated by basic scientific approaches. Discussed topics are important for optimizing people's satisfaction & overall performance.
ObjectiveThe goal of the lecture is to empower students in better understanding the applied theories, principles, and methods in various applications. Students are expected to learn about how to enable an efficient and qualitatively high standing interaction between human and the environment, considering costs, benefits, health, and safety as well. Thus, an ergonomic design and evaluation process of products, tasks, and environments may be promoted in different disciplines. The goal is achieved in addressing a broad variety of topics and embedding the discussion in macroscopic factors such as the behavior of consumers and objectives of economy.
Content- Physiological, physical, and cognitive factors in sensation and perception
- Body spaces and functional anthropometry, Digital Human Models
- Experimental techniques in assessing human performance and well-being
- Human factors and ergonomics in system designs, product development and innovation
- Human information processing and biological cybernetics
- Interaction among consumers, environments, behavior, and tasks
Literature- Gavriel Salvendy, Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics, 4th edition (2012), is available on NEBIS as electronic version and for free to ETH students
- Further textbooks are introduced in the lecture
- Brouchures, checklists, key articles etc. are uploaded in ILIAS
376-1179-00LApplications of Cybernetics in ErgonomicsW1 credit1UM. Menozzi Jäckli, Y.‑Y. Hedinger Huang, R. Huang
AbstractCybernetics systems have been studied and applied in various research fields, such as applications in the ergonomics domain. Research interests include the man-machine interaction (MMI) topic which involving the performance in multi-model interactions, quantification in gestalt principles in product development; or the information processing matter.
ObjectiveTo learn and practice cybernetics principles in interface designs and product development.
Content- Fitt's law applied in manipulation tasks
- Hick-Hyman law applied in design of the driver assistance systems - Vigilance applied in quality inspection
- Accommodation/vergence crosslink function
- Cross-link models in neurobiology- the ocular motor control system
- Human performance in optimization of production lines
LiteratureGavriel Salvendy, Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics, 4th edition (2012)
376-1414-00LCurrent Topics in Brain Research (HS)W1 credit1.5KM. E. Schwab, F. Helmchen, S. Jessberger, I. Mansuy, further lecturers
AbstractDifferent national and international scientific guests are invited to present and discuss their actual scientific results.
ObjectiveTo exchange scientific knowledge and data and to promote communication and collaborations among researchers.
For students: Critical discussion of current research. Students aiming at getting a credit point for this colloquium choose one topic and write a critical essay on the presented research topic.
ContentDifferent scientific guests working in the field of molecular cognition, neurochemistry, neuromorphology and neurophysiology present their latest scientific results.
Lecture notesno handout
Literatureno literature
376-1504-00LPhysical Human Robot Interaction (pHRI) Restricted registration - show details
Number of participants limited to 26.
W4 credits2V + 2UR. Gassert, O. Lambercy
AbstractThis course focuses on the emerging, interdisciplinary field of physical human-robot interaction, bringing together themes from robotics, real-time control, human factors, haptics, virtual environments, interaction design and other fields to enable the development of human-oriented robotic systems.
ObjectiveThe objective of this course is to give an introduction to the fundamentals of physical human robot interaction, through lectures on the underlying theoretical/mechatronics aspects and application fields, in combination with a hands-on lab tutorial. The course will guide students through the design and evaluation process of such systems.

By the end of this course, you should understand the critical elements in human-robot interactions - both in terms of engineering and human factors - and use these to evaluate and de- sign safe and efficient assistive and rehabilitative robotic systems. Specifically, you should be able to:

1) identify critical human factors in physical human-robot interaction and use these to derive design requirements;
2) compare and select mechatronic components that optimally fulfill the defined design requirements;
3) derive a model of the device dynamics to guide and optimize the selection and integration of selected components
into a functional system;
4) design control hardware and software and implement and
test human-interactive control strategies on the physical
setup;
5) characterize and optimize such systems using both engineering and psychophysical evaluation metrics;
6) investigate and optimize one aspect of the physical setup and convey and defend the gained insights in a technical presentation.
ContentThis course provides an introduction to fundamental aspects of physical human-robot interaction. After an overview of human haptic, visual and auditory sensing, neurophysiology and psychophysics, principles of human-robot interaction systems (kinematics, mechanical transmissions, robot sensors and actuators used in these systems) will be introduced. Throughout the course, students will gain knowledge of interaction control strategies including impedance/admittance and force control, haptic rendering basics and issues in device design for humans such as transparency and stability analysis, safety hardware and procedures. The course is organized into lectures that aim to bring students up to speed with the basics of these systems, readings on classical and current topics in physical human-robot interaction, laboratory sessions and lab visits.
Students will attend periodic laboratory sessions where they will implement the theoretical aspects learned during the lectures. Here the salient features of haptic device design will be identified and theoretical aspects will be implemented in a haptic system based on the haptic paddle (Link), by creating simple dynamic haptic virtual environments and understanding the performance limitations and causes of instabilities (direct/virtual coupling, friction, damping, time delays, sampling rate, sensor quantization, etc.) during rendering of different mechanical properties.
Lecture notesWill be distributed through the document repository before the lectures.
Link
LiteratureAbbott, J. and Okamura, A. (2005). Effects of position quantization and sampling rate on virtual-wall passivity. Robotics, IEEE Transactions on, 21(5):952 - 964.
Adams, R. and Hannaford, B. (1999). Stable haptic interaction with virtual environments. Robotics and Automation, IEEE Transactions on, 15(3):465 -474.
Buerger, S. and Hogan, N. (2007). Complementary stability and loop shaping for improved human ndash;robot interaction. Robotics, IEEE Transactions on, 23(2):232 -244.
Burdea, G. and Brooks, F. (1996). Force and touch feedback for virtual reality. John Wiley & Sons New York NY.
Colgate, J. and Brown, J. (1994). Factors affecting the z-width of a haptic display. In Robotics and Automation, 1994. Proceedings., 1994 IEEE International Conference on, pages 3205 -3210 vol.4.
Diolaiti, N., Niemeyer, G., Barbagli, F., and Salisbury, J. (2006). Stability of haptic rendering: Discretization, quantization, time delay, and coulomb effects. Robotics, IEEE Transactions on, 22(2):256 -268.
Gillespie, R. and Cutkosky, M. (1996). Stable user-specific haptic rendering of the virtual wall. In Proceedings of the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exhibition, volume 58, pages 397-406.
Hannaford, B. and Ryu, J.-H. (2002). Time-domain passivity control of haptic interfaces. Robotics and Automation, IEEE Transactions on, 18(1):1 -10.
Hashtrudi-Zaad, K. and Salcudean, S. (2001). Analysis of control architectures for teleoperation systems with impedance/admittance master and slave manipulators. The International Journal of Robotics Research, 20(6):419.
Hayward, V. and Astley, O. (1996). Performance measures for haptic interfaces. In ROBOTICS RESEARCH-INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM-, volume 7, pages 195-206. Citeseer.
Hayward, V. and Maclean, K. (2007). Do it yourself haptics: part i. Robotics Automation Magazine, IEEE, 14(4):88 -104.
Leskovsky, P., Harders, M., and Szeekely, G. (2006). Assessing the fidelity of haptically rendered deformable objects. In Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems, 2006 14th Symposium on, pages 19 - 25.
MacLean, K. and Hayward, V. (2008). Do it yourself haptics: Part ii [tutorial]. Robotics Automation Magazine, IEEE, 15(1):104 -119.
Mahvash, M. and Hayward, V. (2003). Passivity-based high-fidelity haptic rendering of contact. In Robotics and Automation, 2003. Proceedings. ICRA '03. IEEE International Conference on, volume 3, pages 3722 - 3728 vol.3.
Mehling, J., Colgate, J., and Peshkin, M. (2005). Increasing the impedance range of a haptic display by adding electrical damping. In Eurohaptics Conference, 2005 and Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems, 2005. World Haptics 2005. First Joint, pages 257 - 262.
Okamura, A., Richard, C., and Cutkosky, M. (2002). Feeling is believing: Using a force-feedback joystick to teach dynamic systems. JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION-WASHINGTON-, 91(3):345-350.
O'Malley, M. and Goldfarb, M. (2004). The effect of virtual surface stiffness on the haptic perception of detail. Mechatronics, IEEE/ASME Transactions on, 9(2):448 -454.
Richard, C. and Cutkosky, M. (2000). The effects of real and computer generated friction on human performance in a targeting task. In Proceedings of the ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Division, volume 69, page 2.
Salisbury, K., Conti, F., and Barbagli, F. (2004). Haptic rendering: Introductory concepts. Computer Graphics and Applications, IEEE, 24(2):24-32.
Weir, D., Colgate, J., and Peshkin, M. (2008). Measuring and increasing z-width with active electrical damping. In Haptic interfaces for virtual environment and teleoperator systems, 2008. haptics 2008. symposium on, pages 169 -175.
Yasrebi, N. and Constantinescu, D. (2008). Extending the z-width of a haptic device using acceleration feedback. Haptics: Perception, Devices and Scenarios, pages 157-162.
Prerequisites / NoticeNotice:
The registration is limited to 26 students
There are 4 credit points for this lecture.
The lecture will be held in English.
The students are expected to have basic control knowledge from previous classes.
Link
551-0317-00LImmunology I Information W3 credits2VA. Oxenius, M. Kopf
AbstractIntroduction into structural and functional aspects of the immune system.
Basic knowledge of the mechanisms and the regulation of an immune response.
ObjectiveIntroduction into structural and functional aspects of the immune system.
Basic knowledge of the mechanisms and the regulation of an immune response.
Content- Introduction and historical background
- Innate and adaptive immunity, Cells and organs of the immune system
- B cells and antibodies
- Generation of diversity
- Antigen presentation and Major Histoincompatibility (MHC) antigens
- Thymus and T cell selection
- Autoimmunity
- Cytotoxic T cells and NK cells
- Th1 and Th2 cells, regulatory T cells
- Allergies
- Hypersensitivities
- Vaccines, immune-therapeutic interventions
Lecture notesElectronic access to the documentation will be provided. The link can be found at "Lernmaterialien"
Literature- Kuby, Immunology, 7th edition, Freemen + Co., New York, 2009
Prerequisites / NoticeImmunology I (WS) and Immunology II (SS) will be examined as one learning entity in a "Sessionsprüfung".
551-0319-00LCellular Biochemistry (Part I) Information W3 credits2VU. Kutay, R. I. Enchev, B. Kornmann, M. Peter, I. Zemp, further lecturers
AbstractConcepts and molecular mechanisms underlying the biochemistry of the cell, providing advanced insights into structure, function and regulation of individual cell components. Particular emphasis will be put on the spatial and temporal integration of different molecules and signaling pathways into global cellular processes such as intracellular transport, cell division & growth, and cell migration.
ObjectiveThe full-year course (551-0319-00 & 551-0320-00) focuses on the molecular mechanisms and concepts underlying the biochemistry of cellular physiology, investigating how these processes are integrated to carry out highly coordinated cellular functions. The molecular characterisation of complex cellular functions requires a combination of approaches such as biochemistry, but also cell biology and genetics. This course is therefore the occasion to discuss these techniques and their integration in modern cellular biochemistry.
The students will be able to describe the structural and functional details of individual cell components, and the spatial and temporal regulation of their interactions. In particular, they will learn to explain the integration of different molecules and signaling pathways into complex and highly dynamic cellular processes such as intracellular transport, cytoskeletal rearrangements, cell motility, cell division and cell growth. In addition, they will be able to illustrate the relevance of particular signaling pathways for cellular pathologies such as cancer.
ContentStructural and functional details of individual cell components, regulation of their interactions, and various aspects of the regulation and compartmentalisation of biochemical processes.
Topics include: biophysical and electrical properties of membranes; viral membranes; structural and functional insights into intracellular transport and targeting; vesicular trafficking and phagocytosis; post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression.
Lecture notesScripts and additional material will be provided during the semester. Please contact Dr. Alicia Smith for assistance with the learning materials. (Link)
LiteratureRecommended supplementary literature (review articles and selected primary literature) will be provided during the course.
Prerequisites / NoticeTo attend this course the students must have a solid basic knowledge in chemistry, biochemistry and general biology. The course will be taught in English.
551-1145-00LViral and non-Viral Vectors for Human Gene-Therapy - from Pathogens to Safe Medical Applications
No enrolment to this course at ETH Zurich. Book the corresponding module directly at UZH.
UZH Module Code: BIO708

Mind the enrolment deadlines at UZH:
Link
W2 credits3VUniversity lecturers
AbstractBasic aspects of virology, the viral mechanisms for transfer of genetic material into cells, different vector-systems and target cells, animal models, specific applications for inborn diseases of the immune system and of metabolism, adverse effects, and new developments of vector systems will be taught.
ObjectiveKnowledge of important viral and non-viral vector systems.
Knowledge of application in human diseases.
Knowledge of limiting factors.
752-4009-00LMolecular Biology of Foodborne PathogensW3 credits2VM. Loessner, M. Schuppler
AbstractThe course offers detailed information on selected foodborne pathogens and toxin producing organisms; the focus lies on relevant molecular biological aspects of pathogenicity and virulence, as well as on the occurrence and survival of these organisms in foods.
ObjectiveDetailed and current status of research and insights into the molecular basis of foodborne diseases, with focus on interactions of the microorganism or the toxins they produce with the human system. Understanding the relationship between specific types of food and the associated pathogens and microbial risks. Another focus lies on the currently available methods and techniques useful for the various purposes, i.e., detection, differentiation (typing), and antimicrobial agents.
ContentMolecular biology of infectious foodborne pathogens (Listeria, Vibrio, E. coli, Campylobacter, etc) and toxin-producing organisms (Bacillus, Clostridium, Staphylococcus). How and under which conditions will toxins and virulence factors be produced, and how do they work? How is the interaction between the human host and the microbial pathogen? What are the roles of food and the environment ? What can be done to interfere with the potential risks? Which methods are best suited for what approach? Last, but not least, the role of bacteriophages in microbial pathogenicity will be highlighted, in addition to various applications of bacteriophage for both diagnsotics and antimicrobial intervention.
Lecture notesElectronic copies of the presentation slides (PDF) and additional material will be made available for download to registered students.
LiteratureRecommendations will be given in the first lecture
Prerequisites / NoticeLectures (2 hours) will be held as a single session of approximately 60+ minutes (10:15 until approx. 11:15 h), with no break !
752-6403-00LNutrition and PerformanceW2 credits2VS. Mettler, M. B. Zimmermann
AbstractThe course introduces basic concepts of the interaction between nutrition and exercise and cognitive performance.
ObjectiveTo understand the potential effects of nutrition on exercise performance, with a focus on concepts and principles of nutrition before, during and after exercise.
ContentThe course will cover elementary aspects of sports nutrition physiology, including carbohydrate, glycogen, fat, protein and energy metabolism. A main focus will be to understand nutritional aspects before exercise to be prepared for intensive exercise bouts, how exercise performance can be supported by nutrition during exercise and how recovery can be assisted by nutrition after exercise.
Although this is a scientific course, it is a goal of the course to translate basic sports nutrition science into practical sports nutrition examples.
Lecture notesLecture slides and required handouts will be available on the ETH website.
LiteratureInformation on further reading will be announced during the lecture. There will be some mandatory as well as voluntary readings.
Prerequisites / NoticeGeneral knowledge about nutrition, human biology, physiology and biochemistry is a prerequisite for this course. The course builds on basic nutrition and biochemistry knowledge to address exercise and performance related aspects of nutrition.

The course is designed for 3rd year Bachelor students, Master students and postgraduate students (MAS/CAS).

Language: English

It is strongly recommended to attend the lectures. The lecture (including the handouts) is not designed for distance education.
Practical Training and Semester Project
Practical Training and Semesterproject only for majors below-mentioned:
-Human Movement Science and Sport
-Health Technologies
-Molecular Health Sciences
-Neurosciences
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
376-2110-00LInternship 12 Weeks (Research or Job Oriented) Restricted registration - show details W15 credits34PProfessors
AbstractPractical Training Internships are either research-oriented for exercising scientific (laboratory) methods or job-related for giving insight into the future world of work (industry, services, school).
ObjectiveStudents should exercise scientific working and/or get realistic insights into future jobs.
Prerequisites / NoticeThis version of internships lasts for at least 12 weeks full time equivalent.
376-2111-00LInternship 8 Weeks (Research or Job Oriented) Restricted registration - show details W10 credits23PProfessors
AbstractPractical Training Internships are either research-oriented for exercising scientific (laboratory) methods or job-related for giving insight into the future world of work (industry, services, school).
ObjectiveStudents should exercise scientific working and/or get realistic insights into future jobs.
Prerequisites / NoticeThis version of internships lasts for at least 8 weeks full time equivalent.
376-2112-00LInternship 4 Weeks (Research or Job Oriented) Restricted registration - show details W5 credits11PProfessors
AbstractPractical Training Internships are either research-oriented for exercising scientific (laboratory) methods or job-related for giving insight into the future world of work (industry, services, school).
ObjectiveStudents should exercise scientific working and/or get realistic insights into future jobs.
Prerequisites / NoticeThis version of internships lasts for at least 4 weeks full time equivalent.
GESS Science in Perspective
» Recommended Science in Perspective (Type B) for D-HEST.
» see Science in Perspective:Type A: Enhancement of Reflection Capability
» see Science in Perspective: Language Courses ETH/UZH
Research Internship
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
376-2100-00LResearch Internship Restricted registration - show details O15 credits36AProfessors
Abstract12-week internship intended for exercising (independent) scientific working.
ObjectiveStudents shall exercise scientific working as preparation for their master thesis.
Prerequisites / NoticeThe Research Internship lasts for at least 12 weeks full time equivalent. It can be combined with the Master Thesis.
Master's Thesis
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
376-2000-00LMaster's Thesis Restricted registration - show details
Only students fulfilling the following criteria can start with their master thesis:
a. successful completion of the bachelor programme;
b. fulfillment of any additional requirements necessary to gain admission to the master programme.
O30 credits71DSupervisors
Abstract6-months research study with topics from the chosen major within the field of Health Sciences and Technology. In general, it includes the study of existing literature, the specification of the research question, the choice of the methodological approach, the collection, analysis and interpretation of data, and the written and oral reporting of the findings.
ObjectiveThe students shall demonstrate their ability to carry out a structured, scientific piece of work independently.
Prerequisites / NoticeThe Master Thesis can only be started after the Bachelor Degree was obtained and/or master admission requirements have been fulfilled.
Course Units for Additional Admission Requirements
The courses below are only for MSc students with additional admission requirements.
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
406-0253-AALMathematics I & II Information
Enrolment ONLY for MSc students with a decree declaring this course unit as an additional admission requirement.

Any other students (e.g. incoming exchange students, doctoral students) CANNOT enrol for this course unit.
E-13 credits28RA. Cannas da Silva
AbstractMathematics I covers mathematical concepts and techniques necessary to model, solve and discuss scientific problems - notably through ordinary differential equations.
Main focus of Mathematics II: multivariable calculus and partial differential equations.
ObjectiveMathematics is of ever increasing importance to the Natural Sciences and Engineering. The key is the so-called mathematical modelling cycle, i.e. the translation of problems from outside of mathematics into mathematics, the study of the mathematical problems (often with the help of high level mathematical software packages) and the interpretation of the results in the original environment.

The goal of Mathematics I and II is to provide the mathematical foundations relevant for this paradigm. Differential equations are by far the most important tool for modelling and are therefore a main focus of both of these courses.
Content1. Linear Algebra and Complex Numbers:
systems of linear equations, Gauss-Jordan elimination, matrices, determinants, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, cartesian and polar forms for complex numbers, complex powers, complex roots, fundamental theorem of algebra.

2. Single-Variable Calculus:
review of differentiation, linearisation, Taylor polynomials, maxima and minima, antiderivative, fundamental theorem of calculus, integration methods, improper integrals.

3. Ordinary Differential Equations:
separable ordinary differential equations (ODEs), integration by substitution, 1st and 2nd order linear ODEs, homogeneous systems of linear ODEs with constant coefficients, introduction to 2-dimensional dynamical systems.

4. Multivariable Differential Calculus:
functions of several variables, partial differentiation, curves and surfaces in space, scalar and vector fields, gradient, curl and divergence.

5. Multivariable Integral Calculus:
multiple integrals, line and surface integrals, work and flow, Green, Gauss and Stokes theorems, applications.

6. Partial Differential Equations:
separation of variables, Fourier series, heat equation, wave equation, Laplace equation, Fourier transform.
Literature- Bretscher, O.: Linear Algebra with Applications (Pearson Prentice Hall).
- Thomas, G. B.: Thomas' Calculus, Part 1 - Early Transcendentals (Pearson Addison-Wesley).
- Thomas, G. B.: Thomas' Calculus, Parts 2 (Pearson Addison-Wesley).
- Kreyszig, E.: Advanced Engineering Mathematics (John Wiley & Sons).
Prerequisites / NoticePrerequisites: familiarity with the basic notions from Calculus, in particular those of function and derivative.

Assistance:
Tuesdays and Wednesdays 17-19h, in Room HG E 41.
376-0203-AALMovement and Sport Biomechanics
Enrolment ONLY for MSc students with a decree declaring this course unit as an additional admission requirement.

Any other students (e.g. incoming exchange students, doctoral students) CANNOT enrol for this course!
E-4 credits3RS. Lorenzetti, W. R. Taylor
AbstractLearning to view the human body as a (bio-) mechanical system. Making the connections between everyday movements and sports activity with injury, discomfort, prevention and rehabilitation.
Objective"Students are able to describe the human body as a mechanical system.
They analyse and describe human movement according to the laws of mechanics."
ContentMovement- and sports biomechanics deals with the attributes of the human body and their link to mechanics. The course includes topics such as functional anatomy, biomechanics of daily activities (gait, running, etc.) and looks at movement in sport from a mechanical point of view. Furthermore, simple reflections on the loading analysis of joints in various situations are discussed. Additionally, questions covering the statics and dynamics of rigid bodies, and inverse dynamics, relevant to biomechanics are investigated.
406-0062-AALPhysics I
Enrolment ONLY for MSc students with a decree declaring this course unit as an additional admission requirement.

Any other students (e.g. incoming exchange students, doctoral students) CANNOT enrol for this course unit.
W5 credits11RA. Vaterlaus
AbstractIntroduction to the concepts and tools in physics: mechanics of point-like and rigid bodies, elasticity theory, elements of hydrostatics and hydrodynamics, periodic motion and mechanical waves.
ObjectiveIntroduction to the scientific methodology. The student should develop his/her capability to turn physical observations into mathematical models, and to solve the latter.
The student should acquire an overview over the basic concepts in mechanics.
ContentBook:
Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Douglas C. Giancoli, Pearson Education (2009), ISBN: 978-0-13-157849-4

Chapters:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (without: 6-5, 6-6, 6-8), 7, 8 (without 8-9), 9, 10 (without 10-10), 11 (without 11-7), 13 (without 13-13, 13-14), 14 (without 14-6), 15 (without 15-3, 15-5)
Literaturesee "Content"

Friedhelm Kuypers
Physik für Ingenieure und Naturwissenschaftler
Band 1: Mechanik und Thermodynamik
Wiley-VCH Verlag, 2002, 544 S, ca.: Fr. 68.-