Many of the decisions we make as a society rely on advances in scientific knowledge. In this course, we will discuss a number of contemporary medical topics that involve complex scientific discoveries about health, the human body, disease, and infection. We will consider genes and study the medical implications of our growing understanding of the human genome. We will study a number of recent cases in order to explore how scientific findings influence decision-making in hospitals and the selection of social policies. We will also discuss the background forces that shape medical research and how this affects the kinds of health problems that are prioritized. The objective of this course is to develop a solid understanding of biological concepts related to human health and consider them in their wider social and ethical contexts. Restricted to first-year students admitted to the Trinity One Program. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.