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Course Descriptions


| Courses | Course Descriptions | Current Courses |

Most Courses are offered as half course (3 credits).    Not all courses are offered each year, so be sure to check the current course offerings  (hyperlink)  for the current year.

| Core Courses | Integrative Physiology of Exercise | Neuroscience and Biomechanics | Health and Fitness Behaviours |

CORE COURSES

KAHS 5400, 5410 6.0: ATC/Fitness Practicum, Part I and Part II
Restricted to Non-thesis students in the Fitness Specialization and Athletic Therapy Certificate programs only. 

KAHS 5400, 5410 3.0: Master's Practicum, Part I and Part II
Masters students enroll in a practicum under the supervision of their thesis supervisor.  The practicum involves 10 hours per week for 1 term.  Practicum work is limited to the training necessary for students to carry out their thesis research successfully, and may involve such activities as library research, conducting and assisting in experiments, data analysis and the preparation of written reports.  The practicum is taken in the first year of study. 

KAHS 6010 3.0: Univariate Analysis and Design
The goal is for graduate students to learn a common base of standard statistical techniques. Topics covered include: Logic of experimental design, General Linear Model (One-way, Two-way Between subject and Repeated measure ANOVAs), and Regression.

 KAHS 6020 3.0: Multivariate Analysis and Design
Epidemiological and analytical methods are introduced and applied to a database. This course covers basic issues of database design, and guidelines for confidentiality and privacy. Particular attention is paid to the principles and application of multivariate statistical methods for data analysis. Students will be encouraged to apply these techniques to a database of their choice.

KAHS 6210 3.0: Master’s Graduate Seminar
Masters students enroll in this course in their first year of study. The content includes visiting speakers, faculty and student presentations.  Masters thesis students shall give a research presentation at this seminar during their second year of study.  The Graduate seminar is graded as pass/fail based on attendance taken by the faculty member responsible for the seminar series.  Attendance is expected during both years of study.

KAHS 7200, 7210 3.0: Ph.D. Graduate Seminar, Part I and Part II
PhD students enroll in these courses in their first 2 years of study. The content shall include visiting speakers, faculty and student presentations.  PhD students shall give a presentation on their research at least twice during their tenure in the program, once during the proposal stage of their research and once at a later stage. The Graduate seminar is graded as pass/fail based on attendance taken by the faculty member responsible for the seminar series.

INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY OF EXERCISE

KAHS 6300 3.0: Cardiovascular Systems in Health and Exercise
The topics covered in this course are devoted to both the central (heart) and peripheral (blood flow) circulation, with an emphasis on health, disease, and adaptation. The course emphasizes the cellular and molecular basis of cardiovascular physiology in these areas. The purpose is to further an understanding of selected current and advanced topics in cardiovascular exercise physiology.
Same as BIOL 5130 3.0.   

KAHS 6301 3.0: Vascular Biology in Health and Disease
Understanding the cellular composition and function of the vascular system provides the basis for studying the processes of angiogenesis, atherosclerosis, inflammation, hypertension and ischemia-reperfusion injury.  Discussion focuses on understanding the cellular mechanisms underlying these events and investigating some of the associated current and novel pharmacological and genetic therapeutic strategies.
Same as BIOL 5134 3.0.   

KAHS 6310 3.0: Advanced Respiratory Physiology in Health and Exercise
This course examines in depth the function of the respiratory system, with an emphasis on whole body and systems level control of function.
Same as BIOL 5132 3.0.   

KAHS 6320 3.0: Stem Cells and Tissue Regeneration
This course takes an in-depth look at a variety of tissue-specific stem cell populations and the molecular regulation governing their capacity for proliferation, differentiation and self-renewal. This course will then discuss the role of the muscle stem cell population following exercise-induced trauma and during disease states where stem cell populations become exhausted/dysfunctional. Current therapeutic strategies being utilized for the treatment of these disease states will also be examined.
Same as BIOL 5133 3.0.   

KAHS 6330 3.0: Molecular and Therapeutic Aspects of Cancer
This course focuses on some of the mechanisms that underlie the cellular transformation from a normal to a malignant phenotype. This begins with an examination of the cell cycle. Discussion topics include: genetic abnormalities and specific genes that are thought to be responsible for cancer progression; current therapies and their associated success rates and potential shortcomings; in-depth analysis of how to potentially improve existing therapies and even develop novel treatment strategies.

KAHS 6340 3.0: Physiological, Molecular, and Nutritional Aspects of Obesity
Alterations in the energy balance equation, either by diet, exercise, or both, are sensed by this complex and interactive system, that acts to regulate body weight and energy homeostasis. Under conditions of increased energy expenditure (exercise) and energy restriction or surplus (diet) “protective mechanisms” are activated and metabolic adjustments take place in order to preserve body weight. Physiological, molecular and nutritional aspects implicated in these metabolic adjustments, in normal and obese subjects, is the focus of this course.

KAHS 6360 3.0: Advanced Human Physiology: Endocrinology
This course provides an overview of human endocrinology as it relates to health and disease, as well as adaptations during exercise, considering physiological, biochemical and molecular perspectives. Topics include: mechanisms of action of peptide, steroid and thyroid hormones, effects of growth factors and the hypothalamus and pituitary hormones, glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids, the renin-angiotensin system, thyroid hormones, hormones involved in glucose and calcium homeostasis,  and male and female reproductive physiology.

KAHS 6370 3.0: Advanced Exercise Physiology I: Muscle
This course will cover advanced topics in exercise physiology and biochemistry of muscle, including energy metabolism, fatigue, cell signaling and the molecular adaptations to exercise and disease states. Discussion of original research articles in exercise physiology.
Same as BIOL 5139 3.0.   

KAHS 6391 3.0: Advanced Exercise Physiology/Therapy for Chronic Diseases
This course will provide an in-depth analysis of the theoretical basis and empirical evidence supporting, or refuting, chronic exercise therapy for common cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic and immunological diseases. The physiological adaptations to the cardiorespiratory, neuroendocrine and musculoskeletal systems in a variety of pathological conditions will be the focus of this course.

KAHS 6392 3.0: Nutrition, Health and Exercise Performance
This course provides a link and a deeper understanding of the processes, relationships, associations and causal effects between nutrition, health, disease and sports performance.
Prerequisites: KINE 4010 3.0 & KINE 4020 3.0 orpermission from course director.

KAHS 6393 3.0: Advanced Protein and Amino Acid Nutrition and Metabolism
This course will examine topics in amino acid nutrition, metabolism and requirement; inter-and intra-organ amino acid metabolism; amino acids as therapies in cachexia and other muscle-wasting conditions; molecular pathways of protein synthesis and breakdown and their regulation by nutrition, physical activity and diseases; amino acids in metabolomics and nutritional genomics; current questions and methodologies employed in studying protein and amino acid metabolism.
Prerequisites: Permission from course director.

KAHS 6500 3.0: Human Thermal Physiology
Human performance and survival is dependent on finely tuned and integrated physiological responses which must regulate body temperature within a relatively narrow range, regardless of the temperature extremes to which we are exposed. This course is an in-depth examination of those physiological mechanisms that regulate body temperature, including acute stress leading to lethal hyperthermia or hypothermia.

NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOMECHANICS

KAHS 6145 3.0: Vision Health and Visual Disability
This course will examine vision health from a lifespan perspective, combining epidemiological data from both developed and developing countries with visual physiology and psychophysics to develop a view of the importance of vision health and the costs of visual disability from a psychological as well as an economic perspective.  Particular emphasis will be placed on the significance of vision health to the process of healthy aging, and the increasing burden of cataract, diabetes, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration.
Same as PSYCH 6276 3.0.   
Prerequisites: Permission from course director.

KAHS 6150 3.0: Brain Mechanisms of Movement in Health and Disease
This course will survey the role of different cerebral cortical and sub-cortical areas in controlling voluntary movements. Following a review of the fundamental concepts in motor control and basic neuroanatomy, students will give presentations about the motor function of different brain regions. Data from theoretical, experimental, and patient studies will be used to illustrate how areas such as primary motor, premotor, parietal, and cerebellar cortices are involved in the planning and execution of sensory-guided voluntary motor behaviour.
Same as PSYCH 6235 3.0 and BIOL 5137 3.0.

KAHS 6152 3.0: Shaping Action: The Role of Sensory Information in Motor Learning
The emphasis of the course will be on basic principles as revealed by studies of learning in motor systems that steer the eyes, head or limbs, such as the vestibulo-ocular reflex, saccadic eye movements, reaching and throwing. Topics include behavioural principles of motor learning; synaptic changes that underlie learning; time course of motor learning and adaptive capabilities of motor control systems; neural correlates of motor learning; computational principles of learning in neural networks; and concepts of optimization in sensorimotor systems.
Same as PSYCH 6277 3.0.

KAHS 6153 3.0: Brain and Behaviour: Cognitive Systems
This course provides an in depth examination of the cognitive systems that guide our awareness, behaviour and mental capacity. This is done through classic and recent research papers. The two areas of major emphasis are attentional systems (ie. spatial attention, feature-based attention, and object-based attention) and the study of consciousness (ie. conscious awareness, blindsight, false memories/reality monitoring).
Same as PSYCH 6278 3.0 and BIOL 5141 3.0.

KAHS 6154 3.0: Neurobiology of Disease
This course will focus on molecular and cellular mechanisms that give rise to disease in the developing and mature nervous system. The contribution of genetic, developmental and environmental factors in the causation of human diseases will be specifically addressed.
Same as BIO 5143 3.0.

KAHS 6155 3.0: Fundamentals of Neuroscience I: Structures, Neurons and Synapses
The course will provide graduate students with an in depth analysis of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the structure and function of the developing and mature nervous system. This is an advanced course that will focus on current research topics in selected areas of Neuroscience. The course includes three modules, (1) molecular and cellular neuroscience, (2) functional neuroanatomy and (3) muscle and spinal cord neurophysiology.
Enrollment priority given to students in the Neuroscience Diploma Program.
Same as BIOL 5146 3.0 and PSYCH 6257 3.0.
Prerequisite: Undergraduate course in Neuorscience or permission from course director.

KAHS 6156 3.0: Fundamentals of Neuroscience II: Circuits, Systems and Behaviour
The course will provide graduate students with an in depth analysis of the circuits within the nervous system that underlying the structure and function of the developing and mature nervous system. This is an advanced course that will focus on current research topics in selected areas of Neuroscience, which is the study of the biology of the nervous system and its relationship to behavior and disease.
Enrollment priority given to students in the Neuroscience Diploma Program.
Same as BIOL 5147 3.0 and PSYCH 6253 3.0.
Prerequisite: KAHS 6155 3.0 or permission from course director.

KAHS 6160 3.0: Spatially Coordinated Behaviour
This course deals with the spatial aspects of perception, cognition, and motor control. Behavioural computational, and physiological models will be used to understand internal representations of space, and the transformations between these representations.  Specific topics will include spatial vision and proprioception; eye, head, and arm movements; sensory consequences of movement, spatial updating, and eye-hand coordination; spatial working memory, and the integration of visual perceptions across eye movements.
Same as PSYCH 6260A 3.0 and BIOL 5135 3.0.

KAHS 6161 3.0: Perception and Action
This course will look at some of the biological and neurophysiological principles that underlie the representation of the spatial world and the sensory and motor processes with which we interact with the world. Specific examples of the realization of general principles will be drawn from how we know about and control our own movements, including the control of eye and head movements, reaching and pointing and locomotion and navigation. We will consider how various senses are transduced, coded, centrally represented and eventually converted into action.
Same as PSYCH 6265 3.0 and BIOL 5136 3.0.

KAHS 6381 3.0: Biomechanics of Human Movement in Health and Disease
This course will provide the theoretical framework for the fundamental issues in estimating moments and forces. These include measurement and analysis techniques, muscle modeling, link segment modeling and analysis, optimization modeling, energy and power analysis. The strengths and limitations of current models will be stressed such that a critical review of current research and notable past literature can take place.

KAHS 6382 3.0: Biomechanics and Motor Control of Posture, Balance, and Gait
For most, mobility is characterized by the ability to walk. But how do human beings stand upright? How do we walk or climb stairs? In this context, how do we control the muscles to move the skeletal system? How does this control change with the aging process, with injury, with disease? These are some of the questions and problems addressed in this course. Topics will include: neurophysiological control of movement; biomechanical principles and measurement; healthy aging; and neurological and musculoskeletal disorders.

HEALTH AND FITNESS BEHAVIOURS

KAHS 5340 6.0: Advanced Fitness/Lifestyle Assessment and Counseling
Theoretical and practical experience in designing, administering and interpreting fitness assessments along with the follow-up exercise counseling and personal training for high performance athletes and the general public.
Restricted to Non-thesis students in the Fitness Specialization
Integrated with the undergraduate course KINE 4400 6.0.
Prerequisite: KINE 4010 3.0 or permission from course director.

KAHS 6030 3.0: Qualitative Research Methods
This course provides a basic and critical survey of qualitative research methodology.  It explores various qualitative strategies of inquiry and the implications of different stages of inquiry including data collection, analysis, representation and assessment. This course is designed to familiarize students with qualitative research approaches and methodologies used in health- and sport-related research, and to teach skills for developing, implementing, analyzing and articulating/disseminating research projects based on qualitative data.

KAHS 6140 3.0: Personality, Motivation and Stress: Relationships to Exercise and Health
This course will cover a number of topics in the areas of personality and personality disorders, addictive behaviours, and the eating disorders. The format of the class will be interactive seminar discussions.

KAHS 6141 3.0: Chronic Pain and Health: A Critical Multidisciplinary Analysis
This course will provide an indepth analysis of chronic pain, pain management and the impact of pain on health and quality of life. Topics to be covered include pain theories, mechanisms of pain, assessment, coping, and treatment. Several controversial topics, such as psychogenesis of pain and fibromyalgia, will be explored in detail.

KAHS 6142 3.0: Cognition, Emotion and Behaviour Change in Health and Disease
This course examines the independent/interactive influence of different behaviours on health status.  Emphasis is on empirical findings related to the prevention, treatment and adaptation of cancer, cardiovascular, infectious and neurological disease.  Topics will include cognitive and emotional effects on immuno-competence, organ deterioration and disease risk responses; and behavioural interventions that prevent disease and promote healthy behaviour change.

KAHS 6143 3.0: Current Issues in Health Psychology
The goal of this course is to present an overview of selected current theoretical and practical topics in health psychology.
 
Same as PSYCH 6455 3.0.

KAHS 6144 3.0: Behavioural Cardiology and Cardiac Rehabilitation
This course provides an in depth examination of the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease from a behavioural, psychosocial, and health services lens. It involves an analysis of the primary topics in cardiac psychology, and emphasizes both psychological research approaches and application of behavioural medicine.
Same as PSYCH 6425 3.0.

KAHS 6390 3.0: Aging, Body Composition and Chronic Disease: Lifestyle Therapeutic Interventions
This course examines how body composition (fat and lean tissue mass) changes across the adult lifespan. The course will also focus on how these changes influence an individual's risk for development of metabolic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and liver disease, and other conditions such as aged-related lipodystrophy, osteoporosis and sarcopenia..

KAHS 6400 3.0: Epidemiology of Physical Activity, Fitness and Health
This course examines interrelationships among physical activity, fitness and health from an epidemiological perspective. A main objective is to provide students with the ability to critically examine empirical information regarding these relationships and to develop an understanding of the methods used in this research.

KAHS 6410 3.0: Research Design in Public Health
The course provides an overview of the principles of research design in the health related field.
Topics include formulation of research questions, rationale, literature review, study design, sampling issues, approaches of data collection and analyses. Issues relating to confounding, selection bias, misclassification bias, and effect modification will be emphasized. Ethical issues in research will be considered.
Prerequisite: KAHS 6450 3.0.

KAHS 6420 3.0: Social and Behavioural Issues in Physical Activity Epidemiology
Specific topics examined in this course include physical activity as a preventive health behaviour and treatment modality, specific social/behavioural issues during youth/adolescence, mid- and older life and understanding the process of behaviour change.  This course introduces students to physical inactivity as a social problem and examines the various psychosocial and behavioural factors underpinning physical activity involvement.

KAHS 6440 3.0: Current Issues in the Psychology of Skilled Performance
This course provides an in-depth examination of research on human expertise, particularly in sport. Students will be exposed to critical studies from the fields of cognitive psychology, motor learning, developmental psychology and sport performance that inform our understanding of the acquisition of expert-level performance.

KAHS 6450 3.0: Introduction to Epidemiology and Public Health
Specific topics examined in this course include study design and an overview of epidemiologic approaches. Popular health status measures will be explained, including incidence, prevalence, standardized mortality ratios, odds ratios, and relative risks. This course will also introduce students to the application of the public health approach to prevention, and the relationship between the broad determinants of health and common health conditions. Finally, the course will examine different approaches to program planning and evaluation.

KAHS 6460 3.0: Applied Epidemiology
Specific topics examined in this course include study design (e.g., case studies, case-control designs, surveys) and an overview of epidemiologic approaches. Popular health status measures will be explained, including incidence, prevalence, standardized mortality ratios, odds ratios, and relative risks. Issues relating to confounding, selection bias, misclassification bias, and effect modification will be emphasized. Furthermore, the course will provide an overview of the principles of research design in the health related field.