The Pre-Vet: Marine Animal Health and Veterinary Science course will be hosted at Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, CT where students will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the marine world. Throughout this course students will be interacting with aquarium research scientists, veterinarians, animal trainers and animal rescue professionals to understand the science behind their work. Students will gain knowledge and experience through labs and activities focused on animals at Mystic Aquarium including penguins, seals, reptiles and fishes.

Through this course students will participate in labs, tours and activities that will increase their scientific literacy in genetics, hematology, microbiology, anatomy and physiology. Students will learn about careers and education/career pathways directly from working professionals to understand if animal health and veterinary science is a desirable education and career path. Journal discussions will develop students’ skills in reading and analysis of primary scientific literature.

The course involves off-site visits to Mystic Aquarium and the UConn, Avery Point Campus. Supervised transportation is provided by the program and is included in the course cost and fees. Parents/guardians and students will be required to submit Mystic Aquarium participation forms prior to attending this course.

• Learn about a wide variety of careers in animal health and veterinary science, from professionals in all stages of their careers.
• Participate in lab programs focused on hematology, microbiology, molecular biology, anatomy and physiology, and learn how each is utilized to analyze an animal’s health.
• Observe feeding and training sessions with beluga whales, penguins and sea lions, and have the opportunity to learn from and ask questions of their animal care teams.
  • Please note: students will not have direct encounters with marine mammals.
• Visit behind-the-scenes areas to view animal care, research and veterinary staff at work. This will include a visit to the animal rescue clinic to understand the veterinary care of both animals at the aquarium temporarily for rehabilitation as well as animals permanently in our care.
• Explore current topics in marine mammal research during journal article discussions.

Prerequisites: High School Chemistry with a grade of C or higher

This course will provide students with an overview of the entire drug development process. We will start with how pharmaceutical companies determine what disease they want to target and work our way through the entire discovery process over the one-week course, ending with post-approval monitoring by the FDA. Along the way, we will answer a variety of specific topics including the following: what is a lead compound, what are drug-drug and drug-food interactions, and how do clinical trials work. Much of our discussion on these topics will revolve around the development of currently used drugs such as Lipitor (high cholesterol), Januvia (type II diabetes), and Harvoni (hepatitis C).

By the end of their week in this course, students will be able to describe the general steps taken by a pharmaceutical company to produce a drug. Students will also gain hands on experience in both chemistry and biochemistry-based science experiments. Finally, students will be introduced to several career options associated with drug discovery, research, and pharmacy.

• Students will learn key steps of the drug discovery process.
• Students will learn about the interdisciplinary nature of drug research.
• Students will perform several chemistry-based experiments in the lab.
• Students will perform an experiment to test the anti-bacterial properties of several compounds.
• Students will tour several research labs at UConn.

Prerequisites: High School Biology, Chemistry, and Physics helpful but NOT required

Biomedical engineering combines engineering, computer science, and life science to discover solutions to health problems, create medical devices and prosthetics, and treat diseases. Being such a broad field, the typical college freshman can be overwhelmed with the intricacies of the different sub-fields, how they relate, and most importantly, how to pursue a professional career in the field. This course is therefore designed to focus on these issues; it is an introductory, hands-on course that acquaints students with an overview of biomedical engineering, its principles, and real-life applications. These applications are found in medical device design, disease diagnosis and treatment, prosthetics, and the restoration of the functions of injured organs and tissues. Topics to be explored include electro-physiological measurement devices, human motion measurement devices, ultrasonic sensors, and 3-dimensional designing and printing.

After completion of the course, students will be able to:
• Demonstrate an understanding of biomedical engineering and its role in the delivery of healthcare.
• Relate the broad biomedical engineering field to their interests and career aspirations.
• Demonstrate an ability to apply biomedical engineering principles to solve a real-life problem.
• Develop technical communication, teamwork, and critical thinking and analysis skills.

• Learn about the state-of-the-art biomedical engineering research activities and how they improve our lives.
• Learn about the prerequisite skills and knowledge needed to be competent in the biomedical engineering sub-disciplines
• Work in a team to design and build simple yet functional medical device prototypes.
• Use a computer-aided design (CAD) software to create physical structures for biomedical applications.
• Communicate your technical results and data through an oral presentation and written report.