Search result: Catalogue data in Spring Semester 2021
MAS in Nutrition and Health  | ||||||
 Disciplinary Subjects | ||||||
| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 752-6102-00L | The Role of Food and Nutrition for Disease Prevention | W+ | 3 credits | 2V | J. Baumgartner, M. Andersson | |
| Abstract | In this course, different lecturers (responsible and invited) with background in nutrition and/or medicine will teach students about the role of food and nutrition in the etiology and progression of chronic diseases. | |||||
| Learning objective | In this course, students will develop an understanding for the role of food and nutrition in the: - maintenance of health, - prevention of chronic disease, - progression of chronic diseases... ...at different life-stages. | |||||
| Lecture notes | Presentations of the lecturers and relevant literature will be available on Moodle. | |||||
| Literature | Obligatory course literature will be provided by the individual lecturers. | |||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | No compulsory prerequisites, but prior completion of Introduction to Nutritional Science (752-6001-00L) and Advanced Topics in Nutritional Science (752-6002-00L) is strongly adviced. | |||||
| 752-6104-00L | Nutrition for Health and Development | W+ | 2 credits | 2V | M. B. Zimmermann | |
| Abstract | The course presents nutrition and health issues with a special focus on developing countries. Micronutrient deficiencies including assessment and prevalence and food fortification with micronutrients. | |||||
| Learning objective | Knowing commonly used nutrition and health indicators to evaluate the nutritional status of populations. Knowing and evaluating nutritional problems in developing countries. Understanding the problem of micronutrient deficiencies and the principles of food fortification with micronutrients. | |||||
| Content | The course presents regional and global aspects and status of food security and commonly used nutrition and health indicators. Child growth, childhood malnutrition and the interaction of nutrition and infectious diseases in developing countries. Specific nutritional problems in emergencies. The assessment methods and the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies at regional and global level. The principles of food fortification with micronutrients and examples fortification programs. | |||||
| Lecture notes | The lecture details are available. | |||||
| Literature | Leathers and Foster, The world food problem, Tackling the causes of undernutrition in the third world. 3rd ed., 2004. Semba and Bloem, Nutrition and health in developing countries, 2nd edition, Humana Press, 2008. WHO, FAO, Guidelines on food fortification with micronutrients, WHO, 2006. | |||||
| 752-6202-00L | Nutrition Case Studies | W+ | 3 credits | 2G | J. Baumgartner | |
| Abstract | In groups, students address real-world case studies focusing on the links between nutrition and health. Each case is being introduced by the lecturer and presented to the class by the respective group, followed by a class discussion facilitated by the group and the lecturer. | |||||
| Learning objective | The aim of the course is to improve the students’: - Understanding of the relationships between nutrition/diets and several major diseases/health outcomes. - Ability to integrate knowledge on diet/nutrition, health/disease and methodologies in nutrition sciences. - Ability to make evidence-based decisions/recommendations by gathering and analyzing scientific information. - Communication and problem solving skills, as well as critical thinking ability. | |||||
| Lecture notes | Presentation slides, case studies, and relevant literature will be shared. | |||||
| Literature | Relevant scientific literature will be provided. | |||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Students are expected to attend and actively participate in the course, which includes the presentation of a case study (in groups), critical reading of the pertinent literature, and participation in class discussions. | |||||
| 752-6201-00L | Research Methodology in Nutrition | W+ | 3 credits | 2V | I. Herter-Aeberli | |
| Abstract | The lectures cover different methodologies applied in the field of nutrition research including methods to assess mineral/vitamin status, body composition, immunochemical techniques, animal studies, and food sensory science and with a speical focus on theoretical and practical knowledge of dietary assessment studies. The challenge of ethical issues in human studies is illustrated and discussed. | |||||
| Learning objective | The following aims should be achieved during this course: 1) Students get insights into different methodologies applied in nutritional research and get an idea of when to use them. 2) Students get to know different dietary assessment methods and learn to use them and analyzed the collected information. 3) Students are able to create their own research question and choose the most appropriate methodology. | |||||
| Content | The methodologies include stable isotope techniques, balance studies, body composition assessment, immunochemical techniques, animal studies and food sensory science. The challenge of ethical issues in human studies will be illustrated and discussed. The theoretical and practical knowledge of dietary assessment methods will be imparted including a practical assessment of nutrient intake. The dietary assessments will be evaluated using a nutrient software. Students design their own study by defining a study question as well as the most appropriate study design/methods. The studies must consist of a dietary assessment part as well as at least two of the other methodologies introduced during the course. | |||||
| 752-6302-00L | Physiology of Eating | W+ | 3 credits | 2V | W. Langhans | |
| Abstract | Introduction to the basic knowledge necessary for an understanding of the physiology and pathology of hunger, satiety, and body weight control, how this knowledge is generated, and how it helps improve nutritional advice for healthy people as well as nutritional guidelines for patients. | |||||
| Learning objective | This course requires basic knowledge in physiology and is designed to build on course HE03 “Selected Topics in Physiology Related to Nutrition.” The course covers psychological and physiological determinants of food selection and amount eaten. The aim is to introduce the students to (a) the basic knowledge necessary for an understanding of the physiology and pathology of hunger, satiety, and body weight control, (b) how new scientific knowledge in this area is generated, (c) how this basic knowledge helps improve nutritional advice for healthy people as well as nutritional guidelines for patients. Major topics are: Basic scientific concepts for the physiological study of eating in animals and humans; the psychopharmacology of reward; endocrine and metabolic controls of eating; the neural control of eating; psychological aspects of eating; eating behavior and energy balance; exercise, eating and body weight; popular diets and their evaluation; epidemiology, clinical features and the treatment of psychiatric eating disorders; epidemiology, clinical features and the treatment of obesity, including related aspects of non-insulin dependent diabetes; mechanisms of cachexia and anorexia during illness; exogenous factors that influence eating, including pharmaceutical drugs, alcohol, coffee, etc. | |||||
| Lecture notes | Handouts will be provided | |||||
| Literature | Literature will be discussed in class | |||||
| 752-6002-00L | Advanced Topics in Nutritional Science | W+ | 3 credits | 2V | J. Rigutto, J. Baumgartner, J. M. Sych, F. von Meyenn | |
| Abstract | The course gives an introduction to selected topics relevant to human nutrition science. Topics covered include dietary recommendations and nutrient requirements for adults, under- and overnutrition, special dietary patterns including throughout the life stages, the microbiome, fatty acids in nutrition, and nutri-(epi)genomics. | |||||
| Learning objective | The course gives a brief introduction into different specialities within human nutrition. The learning objectives of this course are to improve student understanding of: 1) dietary recommendations and nutrient requirements at different stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy and lactation, childhood and adolescence, adults and elderly, and for sports persons; 2) the influence of undernutrition and overnutrition, as well as specific dietary patterns (e.g. vegetarianism, veganism, fasting, weight loss diets) on health; 3) the metabolism of specific nutrients (e.g. vitamins, minerals and fatty acids) and their effect on health; 4) nutri-(epi)genomics and the interactions between genes and the environment with respect to nutrition and health; 5) the microbiome and its modulation by nutritional factors. | |||||
| Lecture notes | The teaching slides used in the lectures will be made available each week on Moodle. | |||||
| Literature | Any reading recommendations will be given per lecture. | |||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | None. This course builds upon the knowledge gained in the module Introduction to Nutritional Science, given in the Autumn Semester (752-6001-00 L), however, prior attendance of Introduction to Nutritional Science is not a prerequisite for this module. | |||||
| 766-6300-00L | Fundamentals of Food Toxicology  Only for MAS in Nutrition and Health. | W+ | 2 credits | 1V | S. J. Sturla | |
| Abstract | The goals of the course will be for the student to be aware of chemical toxicants relevant to food and to know aspects of basic science regarding identities and origins, human exposures, and modes of toxicity. | |||||
| Learning objective | Learning objectives are to connect structures and physical properties of chemicals from food with biochemical transformation processes; classify food toxicants on the basis of their relevant biochemical pathways of toxicity; describe the influence of food on the disposition of toxicants and quantify human exposures to toxicants from food; and evaluate toxicological risk assesments of chemicals from food and judge the toxicological basis of regulatory measures for food safety. | |||||
| Content | Bi-weekly lectures on topics such as mycotoxins, food packaging, food processing and additives, marine toxins, heavy metals, pesticide residues. Students are provided with resources for independent learning of Toxicology basics, participate in active learning sequences and presentations, and perform an independent, written evaluation of a food-related toxin. | |||||
| Literature | Reading from the primary literature will be referenced in class and posted to the course website. | |||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The course is restricted to MAS/CAS Nutrition Students. | |||||
| 752-6402-00L | Nutrigenomics | W+ | 3 credits | 2V | G. Vergères | |
| Abstract | Nutrigenomics - 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. | |||||
| Learning 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 presentations of the students (in group) of material related to the lecture. | |||||
| Lecture notes | The script is composed of circa 400 slides (ca 15 slides/lecture) organized in 8 modules Module A From biochemical nutrition research to nutrigenomics Module B Nutrigenetics Module C Nutri-epigenomics Module D Transcriptomics in nutrition research Module E Proteomics in nutrition research Module F Metabolomics in nutrition research Module G Nutritional systems biology Module H Personalized nutrition - opportunities and challenges | |||||
| Literature | No extra reading requested. Most slides in the lecture are referenced with web adresses. | |||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Basic 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. | |||||
| Electives | ||||||
| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |
| 752-1202-00L | Food Safety and Quality Management | W | 3 credits | 2G | T. Gude | |
| Abstract | The course procures the general rules of a quality management system and its application in the food chain to guarantee food safety. Therefore the HACCP concept will be touched in relation to risk management and risk assessment. Furthermore the origin of limits as well as the analytical proof will be highlighted. Finally general principles of laboratory testing will be discussed. | |||||
| Learning objective | Comprehensive knowledge to take over the responsibility for and organisation of quality assurance in a food processing environment. | |||||
| Content | The following lists in note form the relevant topics: Definition of (Food) Quality TQM/quality management Q.A in the food chain (manufacturer/retail) Food Quality, -Safety (also give by examples) Food Limits - origin of and how to get them HACCP introduction, risk management, -assessment Self control concepts GFSI/Standards BRC, IFS, ISO Statistical Process Control Raw material/product control: sampling plans Q.A. in laboratories, sampling Sampling plans, Qs in an analytical lab | |||||
| 752-4010-00L | Problems and Solutions in Food Microbiology Number of participants limited to 28. Prerequisites: It is essential to have a basic knowledge in General Microbiology and Food Microbiology. If students have not taken appropriate courses, it is strongly recommended to consult with the lecturer before attending this seminar. | W | 3 credits | 1G | M. Loessner, J. Klumpp, M. Schmelcher | |
| Abstract | A journal-club style seminar, in which preselected recent scientific articles are analyzed, presented and discussed by students. The relevant topics are selected from the wider area of food microbiology, including fundamental and applied disciplines. Students learn how state-of -the-art research is designed, conducted, appropriately analyzed, and presented. | |||||
| Learning objective | Students will learn how state-of -the-art research is designed, conducted, appropriately analyzed, and presented. | |||||
| Content | Several pre-selected, recently published papers will be up for selection by the students. All papers were selected from recent literature and reflect the wider area of food microbiology, including fundamental research (molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry) and applied disciplines (diagnostics, control, epidemiology). Groups of 2 students each will pick a paper for in-depth analysis (mostly work done at home and/or library) and presentation to the other students. | |||||
| Lecture notes | No script needed. Pre-selected papers will be assigned to student groups in the kick-off meeting (first lecture); PDF copies will be available to all students. | |||||
| Literature | No specific books needed. Access to a library and web-based literature search is required. | |||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Teamwork in small groups of 2 students | |||||
| 752-5002-00L | Fermented Milk Products | W | 3 credits | 2V | C. Lacroix | |
| Abstract | This integration course addresses the production processes for important fermented milk foods. The production and application of food cultures (starter and secondary cultures) in fermented milk products will be examined. The ecology and central role of microorganisms forming the cheese ecosystems and the effects of important process parameters for high product quality and safety will be explained. | |||||
| Learning objective | To understand the principles for utilization and the important roles of microorganisms and ecosystems in the production, quality and safety of fermented milk foods, by integrating basic knowledge in food microbiology, microbial physiology, biochemistry, technology and engineering. | |||||
| Content | This course will present complex production processes for important fermented milk foods (cheese, yoghurt and fermented milks), with focus on the important roles of microbes and ecosystems and processing factors on the quality and safety of the products. The production of food cultures used to initiate and control fermentations will be explained as well as recent developments in this area. A special emphasis will be devoted to processing of milk into cheese, for which basic and applied knowledge is most advanced. Emphasis will be placed on complex processing, effects of important raw material and process parameters for high product quality and safety, and central role of microorganisms and microbial metabolites in the elaboration, quality and preservation of fermented milk products. | |||||
| Lecture notes | A complete course document and/or copy of the power point slides from lectures will be provided, depending on the topic. | |||||
| Literature | A list of references will be given at the beginning of the course for the different topics presented during this course. | |||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | A prerequisite to this course is a) previously taken the course 'Food Biotechnology I (752-5001-00) and/or (b) previous courses supporting equivalent knowledge. | |||||
| 752-1300-00L | Introduction to Toxicology | W | 3 credits | 2V | R. Eggen, S. J. Sturla | |
| Abstract | Introduction to how chemical properties and biological interactions govern the disposition and influences of toxicants. | |||||
| Learning objective | The objectives are for the student to establish a framework for examining adverse effects resulting from exposures to toxicants by understanding key mechanisms that give rise to toxic responses and disease processes. | |||||
| Content | This course will introduce mechanisms governing the chemical disposition and biological influences of toxicants. The course is geared toward advanced bachelors students in food science, environmental science, and related disciplines, such as chemistry, biology and pharmaceutical sciences. Examples of topics include: dose-response relationships and risk assessment, absorption, transport, and biotransformation of xenobiotic chemicals; Carcinogenesis; DNA damage, repair, and mutation; Immunotoxicity; Neurotoxicity; and modern toxicity testing strategies. These fundamental concepts in Mechanistic Toxicology will be integrated with examples of toxicants relevant to food, drugs and the environment. | |||||
| Literature | Casarett & Doull's Toxicology, The Basic Science of Poisons. Seventh Edition. Editor: Curtis D. Klaassen, 2008, McGraw-Hill. (available on-line) | |||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Basic knowledge of organic chemistry and biochemistry is required. | |||||
| 363-1130-00L | Digital Health | W | 3 credits | 2V | T. Kowatsch | |
| Abstract | Today, we face the challenge of chronic conditions. Personal coaching approaches are neither scalable nor financially sustainable. The question arises therefore to which degree Digital Health applications are appropriate to address this challenge. In this lecture, students will learn about the need, design and assessment of digital health interventions. | |||||
| Learning objective | The promise of more personalized, patient-centered, and outcomes-based healthcare is real, worthy, and within reach (Harvard Business Review, October 2019), NHS teams up with Amazon to bring Alexa to patients (The Guardian, July 2019), Apple Heart Study demonstrates the ability of wearable technology to detect atrial fibrillation (Stanford Medicine News, March 2019). In the midst of a global pandemic and a US recession, US digital health companies raised $5.4B in venture funding across the first six months of 2020. The sector is on track to have its largest funding year ever. (Rocket Health, 2020) What are the rationale and implications behind the recent developments in the field of digital health? Digital Health is the use of information and communication technology for the prevention and treatment of diseases in the everyday life of individuals. It is thus linked to topics such as digital health interventions, digital biomarker, digital coaches and healthcare chatbots, telemedicine, mobile and wearable computing, self-tracking, personalized medicine, connected health, smart homes or smart cars. In the 20th century, healthcare systems specialized in acute care. In the 21st century, we now face the challenge of dealing with the specific characteristics of chronic conditions. These are now responsible for around 70% of all deaths worldwide and 85% of all deaths in Europe and are associated with an estimated economic loss of $7 trillion between 2011 and 2025. Chronic diseases are characterized in particular by the fact that they require an intervention paradigm that focuses on prevention and lifestyle change. Lifestyle (e.g., diet, physical activity, tobacco or alcohol consumption) can reduce the risk of suffering from a chronic condition or, if already present, can reduce its burden. A corresponding change in lifestyle is, however, only implemented by a fraction of those affected, partly because of missing or inadequate interventions or health literacy, partly due to socio-cultural influences. Individual personal coaching of these individuals is neither scalable nor financially sustainable. Against this background, the question arises on how to develop evidence-based digital health interventions (DHIs) that allow medical doctors and other caregivers to scale and tailor long-term treatments to individuals in need at sustainable costs. At the intersection of health economics, information systems research, computer science, and behavioural medicine, this lecture has the objective to help students and upcoming healthcare executives interested in the multi-disciplinary field of digital health to better understand the need, design and assessment of DHIs. After the course, students will be able to... 1. understand the importance of DHIs for the management of chronic conditions 2. understand the anatomy of DHIs 3. know frameworks for the design of DHIs 4. know evaluation criteria for DHIs 5. know technologies for DHIs 6. assess DHIs 7. discuss the advantages and disadvantages of DHIs | |||||
| Content | To reach these learning objectives, the following topics are covered in the lecture and will be discussed based on concrete national and international examples including DHIs from the Center for Digital Health Interventions (www.c4dhi.org), a joint initiative of the Department of Management, Technology and Economics at ETH Zurich and the Institute of Technology Management at the University of St.Gallen: 1. Motivation for Digital Health - The rise of chronic diseases in developed countries - The discrepancy of acute care and care of chronic diseases - Lifestyle as medicine and prevention - From excellence of care in healthcare institutions to excellence of care in everyday life 2. Anatomy of Digital Health Interventions - Just-in-time adaptive interventions - Digital biomarker for predicting states of vulnerability - Digital biomarker for predicting states of receptivity - Digital coaching and healthcare chatbots 3. Design & Evaluation of Digital Health Interventions - Overview of design frameworks - Preparation of DHIs - Optimization of DHIs - Evaluation of DHIs - Implementation of DHIs 4. Digital Health Technologies - Technologies for telemedicine - Mobile medical devices - Virtual, augmented and mixed reality applications incl. live demonstrations - Privacy and regulatory considerations The Digital Health lecture is structured in two parts and follows the concept of a hybrid therapy consisting of live sessions and complementary online lessons. In the first part, students will learn and discuss the topics of the four learning modules in weekly online sessions. Complementary learning material (e.g., video and audio clips), multiple-choice questions and exercises are provided online. In the second part, students work in teams and will use their knowledge from the first part of the lecture to critically assess DHIs. Each team will then present and discuss the findings of the assessment with their fellow students who will provide peer-reviews. Additional online coaching sessions are offered to support the teams with the preparation of their presentations. | |||||
| Literature | 1. Cohen, A.B., Dorsey, E.R., Mathews, S.C. et al. (2020) A digital health industry cohort across the health continuum Nature Digital Medicine 3(68) 2. Collins, LM (2018) Optimization of Behavioral, Biobehavioral, and Biomedical Interventions: The Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) New York: Springer. 3. Corneta, VP, and Holden, RJ (2018) Systematic Review of Smartphone-Based Passive Sensing for Health and Wellbeing Journal of Biomedical Informatics (77:January), 120-132. 4. Coravos, A., Khozin, S., and K. D. Mandl (2019) Developing and Adopting Safe and Effective Digital Biomarkers to Improve Patient Outcomes Nature Digital Medicine 2 Paper 14. 5. Katz, D. L., E. P. Frates, J. P. Bonnet, S. K. Gupta, E. Vartiainen and R. H. Carmona (2018) Lifestyle as Medicine: The Case for a True Health Initiative American Journal of Health Promotion 32(6), 1452-1458. 6. Kvedar, JC, Fogel AL, Elenko E and Zohar D (2016) Digital medicine’s march on chronic disease Nature Biotechnology 34(3), 239-246 7. Kowatsch, T., L. Otto, S. Harperink, A. Cotti and H. Schlieter (2019) A Design and Evaluation Framework for Digital Health Interventions it ‐ Information Technology 61(5‐6), 253‐263. 8. Mathews, SC, McShea, MJ, Hanley, CL et al. (2019) Digital health: a path to validation. npj Digital Medicine 2(38) 9. Nahum-Shani, I, Smith SN, Spring BJ, Collins LM, Witkiewitz K, Tewari A and Murphy SA (2018) Just-in-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs) in Mobile Health: Key Components and Design Principles for Ongoing Health Behavior Support Annals of Behavioral Medicine 52 (6), 446-462. 10. Powell AC, Torous JB, Firth J, Kaufman KR (2020) Generating value with mental health apps BJPsych Open 6(2):e16. Published 2020 Feb 5. doi:10.1192/bjo.2019.98 11. Safavi K, Mathews SC, Bates DW, Dorsey ER, Cohen AB (2019) Top-Funded Digital Health Companies And Their Impact On High-Burden, High-Cost Conditions Health Affairs 38(1):115-12 | |||||
| Master's Thesis | ||||||
| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |
| 766-6500-00L | MAS Master's Thesis Only for MAS in Nutrition and Health. | O | 20 credits | 43D | Lecturers | |
| Abstract | The Master thesis is an independent scientific work. | |||||
| Learning objective | The Master Thesis must demonstrate the student's ability to independent, structured and scientific working. | |||||
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