ISCI 490 : Student Directed Seminars

Course Description

IntSci students can propose to create and lead a course currently not offered at UBC. To apply students must find a faculty sponsor for their proposed seminar, develop a course outline and submit it as well as an application to UBC's SDS Advisory Committee for approval. ISCI 490 counts as elective credit and will not count towards the discipline requirement for Integrated Sciences students.

The Student Directed Seminars (SDS) program is a student-driven experience that allows undergraduate students to create, organize and lead their own course. The SDS program provides upper-year undergraduate students with the opportunity to participate in an enriched educational experience by initiating, coordinating, and leading small, collaborative, group learning experiences for their peers on a topic of their choosing. SDS courses are particularly relevant to IntSci students who have their own unique programs. A course, for example, could be designed around the theme of an IntSci student's integration.

Applications open in late 2025 for 2025/2026 course offerings. Please visit the SDS Application website for more details. Please also feel free to contact the IntSci main office with questions relating to SDS courses.

Students can only take ISCI 490 once.

Current ISCI 490 course offering:

ISCI 490-201
Topic: Knowledge Translation in Scientific Research

This seminar course offers an in-depth exploration of Knowledge Translation (KT), focusing on its critical role in bridging the gap between research and practical application within healthcare and policy contexts. Students will engage with various KT theories, models, and frameworks, learning to strategically design research that prioritizes real-world impact. Through collaborative projects, case studies, and guest lectures, participants will explore barriers to effective knowledge translation and develop strategies to overcome these challenges. The course is particularly suited for students interested in careers that integrate clinical practice with academic research, such as clinician-scientists and health policymakers. To register, please email seeritb@student.ubc.ca and hayalm@student.ubc.ca with a short (max 500 word) statement of intention about their interest in knowledge translation and this seminar, your full name, and student number. 

ISCI 490-202
Topic: Your Position in the Life Sciences

This course will explore the concepts of equity, diversity, inclusion, and Indigeneity as they apply to the life sciences. We will cycle through past, present, and future as we explore historical injustices and unethical experiments; the current landscape of progress and need for reform in science; and pragmatic practices that you can incorporate into your future education and/or career to promote equity in your spaces of influence. Particular emphasis will be placed on positionality and it's role in shaping science, through reflection and discussion. Please direct questions about the course to: acholj@student.ubc.ca or mahalcharanpreet@gmail.com.

• The History of Chemical Thought and Theory in the Context of Drug Development (2022W Coordinator  Ava Aminbakhsh, Faculty Sponsor: Andrew Horne)
• Intersectional and Multidimensional Analysis of Disordered Eating and Diet Culture (2021W Coordinator Robyn Armstrong, Faculty Sponsor: Sheila Woody)
• Intermittent Fasting and Human Metabolic Health (2020W Coordinator Kevin Ren)
• Making Smart Choices Post-COVID-19: Implications for Future Careers in Science and Medicine (2020W Coordinator Saman Fouladirad)
• Placental Origins of Human Health and Disease (Coordinator; Elizabeth Wong, Faculty Sponsor: Wendy Robinson)
• Human Bio-Psycho-Social Development (Coordinator: Saman Fouladirad Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Catherine Ann Cameron)
• Biological Embedding: How Epigenetics, Neurodevelopment + Sociocultural Context Intersect to Shape Lifetime Health + Development (Coordinator: Sunny Chen Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Steven Barnes)
• Modern Methods in Neuroscience (Coordinator: Jasmyne Kassam Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Jason Snyder)
• Addiction: A Comprehensive View of Substance and Behavioural Dependency (Coordinators: Farah Kassam and Richard Rigby; Faculty Sponsor:  Dr. Michael Souza)
• The Politicization of Science (Coordinator:Elizabeth Hendren, Faculty Sponsor:Dr. Sunita Chowrira)
• Science and Civilization in Islam (Coordinators: Aalia Sachedina and Raheem Noormohammed, Faculty Sponsor:Dr. Shafik Dharamsi)
• Globalization and the Environment (Coordinators: Ashley Good and Shelby Tay, Faculty Sponsor: Dr. George Spiegelman)
• A Scientific and Experiential Exploration of Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (Coordinator: Muneera Hussain, Faculty Sponsor:Dr. Lyren Chiu)
• Community Ecology & Communicable Diseases (Coordinators: Rehana Nanjijuma and Shazia Karmali, Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Shafiq Dharamsi)
• Medical Innovation and Healthcare Politics (Coordinator: Pouya Rezazadeh-Azar, Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Ian Scott)
• An Interdisciplinary Evaluation of Marine Protected Areas (Coordinator: Becky Freedman, Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Lee Gass)