• Lecture
• Reading Sources
• Associate Professor
• Examinations and Final Procedure
• Grading Scale
• Missed Exams
• Return to Home Page.

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Textbooks:
None required

1. Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine.  Barry Halliwell, John M.C. Gutteridge / Paperback / Published 1999
    Price: $59.50  Paperback 3rd edition (May 1999) Clarendon Press; ISBN: 0198500440.1.
2. Handbook of Oxidants and Antioxidants in Exercise. C.K. Sen, L. Packer and O. HÌnninen, editors. 1999 Elsevier Science.
Chapter 30: Michael Pollack and Christiaan Leeuwenburgh. Molecular Mechanisms of Oxidative Stress and Aging: Free radicals, aging, antioxidants, and disease. (chapter available on the internet).
3. Alberts, B, D Bray, J. Lewis, M. Raff, K. Roberts. Molecular Biology of The Cell. Third edition, Garland, 1994.

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Associate Professor:
Christiaan Leeuwenburgh, Ph.D
University of Florida
Director, Biochemistry of Aging Laboratory

Monday 11-E2 (6:15pm-9:10pm) FLG Room 1
email: cleeuwen@ufl.edu

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Examinations:
You will be academically evaluated on the basis of two major examinations (one regular exam and a final), one or two presentations (pending on class size), and a grant proposal (including a brief literature review) centered on a related topic in free radical biology.  Exams consist out of a 12-15 page multiple choice, true/false, and  short answer discussion format questions. There are a total of 100 regular questions and 10-15 bonus questions for both the midterm and final exam. The grant proposal (includes a literature review) and should use a general format assigned by the granting agency, i.e. NIH, AHA, AFAR, etc.  Please follow the exact NIH,  AHA, etc.,  guidelines if you plan to submit. If you do not plan to submit the grant please follow the NIH guidelines for the grant format.  See the UF home page for forms and guidelines for the grant http://rgp.ufl.edu//  or http://www.med.ufl.edu/.  The topic -centered on a related topic in free radical biology- does not require prior approval, but see me if it is unclear as to whether your topic will be acceptable. The literature review should represent a brief up to date review on a specific topic germane to free radical biology, aging, antioxidants, dietary intervention, and/or a disease of aging.
 

General Guidelines for Grant Proposal:
The objective of this assignment is to improve the student's ability to identify an important scientific problem
and to devise an experimental solution to the problem.
The body of the grant proposal should contain the following sections,
but see guidelines for the specific agencies. I strongly recommend that you contact your individual mentor and identify a grant application
in your field of study and submit this to the appropriate grant agency.
Identify a grant (i.e. pre doctoral, NIH, AFAR, AHA, etc.) and follow the guidelines for the specific agencies proposal

Four key points to remember about scientific/grant writing:
1. Good organization of ideas is essential.
2. The writing style should be clear and concise.
3. Use headings to subdivide major sections. Use sub-headings when appropriate to further divide ideas.
4. End major sections with a summary or conclusion.

Abstract: a brief (~200 words) summary of the importance of the work to be done, the general methods to be used and the significance of the findings.  The abstract is a key portion of the grant proposal.  Clarity of expression is critical.

Specific aims:  This section (~1/2- 1 page) should briefly list the questions to be addressed in the experiments and the hypotheses to be tested.

Rationale for experiments: (~2 pages) The rationale should provide the reader with a brief literature review of the topic and provide a sound rationale for the proposed experiments.

Design of the study: (~150 words): This section should briefly outline the study.

Methods: (~1-1.5  pages): The methods should briefly outline the experimental design and the general techniques to be employed.  An explanation of the statistical procedures for data analysis should be included and a  brief interpretation of the expected findings.

References: use any consistent reference style.

* If you have had limited (or no) experience in grant writing, please consult the library for texts on the subject (many exist) or the NIH web site.  An excellent example is the following: Ogen, T. Research Proposals: a guide to success. Raven Press, New York, 1991. Wagner, P. On writing a grant application: a personal view. Physiologist. 34: 29-31, 1991.

Additional guidelines for Literature Review.  The objective of this assignment is to allow the student to select a topic of interest.  The literature review should be clearly written using an accepted style for scientific reviews (i.e. see Physiological Reviews for examples). The review should contain the following components:
1. Introduction: Brief (150-200 words) introduction of the topic to be reviewed.
2. Body of review: ( variable page length, i.e. 3-10): The body of of the review should address key issues that are germane to the topic.  Sub-headings should be used when appropriate to improve readability.  A concise and clear writing style is important for reader understanding. Summaries or conclusions at the end of major section may be appropriate. Use of tables or figures are often useful for illustration or summary of data.
3. Summary or conclusions: (~1 page): The summary or conclusion section should clearly summarize the major points of interest contained in the review.  Suggestions for additional research may be included here.
4. List of references: use any consistent reference style.

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Grading Scale:
Midterm Exam                             30 pts (+10 bonus)
Final Exam                                   30 pts (+10 bonus)
Presentation                                 10 pts
Grant proposal                             30 pts
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                                                     Total pts 120 pts

______________________________________________
A+ = 97.5 - 120       B = 80.0 - 87.4        D+ = 67.5 - 69.9

A = 90.0 - 97.4       C+= 77.5 - 79.9       D = 60.0 - 67.4

B+ = 87.5 - 89.9      C = 70.0 - 77.4        E < 59.9
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You will have one week from the time grades are posted (See internet) to appeal the grade.
The grade must be appealed in writing (email is fine).  After one week, the grade will not be changed.

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MISSED EXAMS and HONOR CODE:
There will be no make-up exams for the scheduled midterm and final exam.
The midterm and final exam must be taken at the scheduled time period unless documentation (physician, court official etc.)
is provided to the departmental petitions committee (100 FLG). The committee will rule according to the following:
There is a change of circumstances which was beyond the student's control that causes a conflict and occurred after the beginning of the semester.
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NOTE: Please keep in mind that the Student Body Statutes now includes a student Honor Code which states, "We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity." It is expected that all students will abide by this oath.