BSc Minor Healthy Aging in Humans and Model Species (WUHAH) / BSc

Profile

Research into healthy life and aging of humans and animals has strongly increased over the past few years. Significant progress has been made towards understanding what happens at the molecular level during a healthy life. Next to this, factors such as lifestyle, physical exercise, nutrition and care have a profound impact on a healthy life, not only for humans but also pet animals. This minor provides an integrated educational package which provides comprehensive insights into the concept of Healthy Aging. The focus will be on the role of nutrition and physical exercise for healthy aging in humans and pet animals. It will cover the full breadth from molecule to individual and population, through to societal and ethical issues.
This minor is a new and innovative combination of different disciplines crosscutting basic biological and social sciences. It is essential for life science students who want to address the challenges of the aging society in all its aspects (including aging pet animals) by making a significant contribution toward understanding the mechanisms of aging and the way this can beneficially be modulated through nutrition and lifestyle.This BSc minor is a thematic minor.

Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of this minor students are expected to be able to:
- Summarize the main theories of biological aging and to explain the way the underlying mechanisms are conserved across species;
- Integrate the influence of nutrition, lifestyle, physical exercise and environmental factors to the aging process and how these factors can be used to improve healthy aging;
- Perform experimental analyses of aging in model species and human tissue and write a research report based on experimental and genetic manipulations of model species and human tissue

Language of Instruction

English with restricted optional course HNE-23306, Dutch and English with the other restricted optional courses.

BSc Minor Coordinator

Prof. dr. ir. J.E. Kammenga
Phone: 0317-(4)82998
Email: jan.kammenga@wur.nl

Target Group

This minor is interesting for WU-students of the BSc programmes in Life Sciences, like BVG, BML, BBT, BPW, BBI and BDW. Also for other BSc students in Medical Biology, Medicine, Biology, Health Sciences or other related programmes, Dutch or international.