Epigenetics in Health and Disease is an elective course conducted in the 3rd year of the Integrated undergraduate and graduate university study of Medicine in English. It consists of 5 hours of lectures and 20 hours of seminars.

The aim of the course is to describe and explain the fundamental principles of epigenetics (the mechanisms of epigenetic regulation and the role of the epigenome in the development of various diseases and disorders) through the critical evaluation and discussion of current scientific articles in the form of Journal Club meetings.

Course content: 
To achieve the planned learning outcomes, course classes are organized into lectures and seminars:
LECTURES: 
L1 Introduction to epigenetics: basic concept and historical development. The relationship between the genome and the epigenome.
L2 Mechanisms of epigenetic modifications: DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, non-coding RNA molecules.
L3 Inheritance of epigenetic information: inheritance of DNA methylation pattern, inheritance of histone tags, chromatin replication.
L4 Epigenetic control of gene expression. Experimental approaches to epigenome research.
L5 Genomic imprinting disorders. Epigenome changes in health and disease.
SEMINARS:
S1 Introductory seminar: Instructions for using academic research databases. Selection of the scientific research for presentation. Topics assignment.
S2  Journal Club topic 1: The impact of aging on the epigenome
S3  Journal Club topic 2: The impact of environmental factors on the epigenome
S4  Journal Club topic 3: Epigenetics and the development of diseases and disorders
S5  Journal Club topic 4: Epigenetics and disease prevention and treatment

Course learning outcomes:
The approach to teaching is based on learning outcomes that determine what students will be able to do after they have completed all study work and requirements for the course. 
I. COGNITIVE DOMAIN – KNOWLEDGE
1. Describe and explain the structure of epigenome, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodelling, and noncoding RNA molecules
2. Describe and explain the function of the epigenome, including the regulation of gene transcription and its connection to the genome
3. Describe the basic epigenetic principles and the role of epigenetic variations in health and disease
4. Give examples of medical conditions and diseases caused by changes in the epigenome
5. Assess the applicability of epigenomics to the diagnosis, treatment, or follow-up of disease
6. Compare different methods of epigenome research in the context of human health and disease
7. Connect previously acquired knowledge from cell biology, genetics and molecular biology and apply it to the level of the genome of the whole organism.
II. PSYCHOMOTORIC DOMAIN - SKILLS
1. Independently search available literature databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect)
2. Present the results of the conducted epigenetic research in written and oral form according to structured questions
3. Critically assess the impact of aging and environmental factors on epigenome variability
4. Critically evaluate the role of epigenome in the prevention and/or treatment of diseases and disorders
5. Actively discuss and critically comment on conducted research of the epigenome role in the context of human health and disease
6. Argue the advantages and disadvantages of existing epigenome research in the context of human health and disease

Teaching:
Teaching is conducted in the form of lectures and seminars according to the "flipped classroom" principle, in which students learn new content independently by going through and solving prepared materials asynchronously in an online environment in order to then apply the acquired knowledge in more active forms of on-site teaching.
All lectures are prepared in the form of interactive video materials or lessons that are uploaded to the Merlin e-learning system for students to access at a time that suits them.
All seminars, with the exception of the introductory seminar, are conducted in the form of Journal Club. Each seminar includes an asynchronous online preparation and an on-site session.
In the introductory seminar, students will be divided into 4 teams, each focusing on one of the Journal Club topics (The impact of aging on the epigenome, The impact of environmental factors on the epigenome, Epigenetics and the development of diseases and disorders, and Epigenetics and disease prevention and treatment). The students within the team work together to choose a specific issue to be addressed at the Journal Club seminar (e.g. DNA methylation changes in breast cancer), which they then present to the rest of the group. The other students then each ask a question about the stated issue, which the team will try to answer when presenting their work in the Journal Club seminars (S2-S5).
In the S2-S5 seminars, each student presents an independently selected scientific article that deals with the seminar topic and the chosen issue and on the basis of which they can provide answers to some of the questions. All students actively participate in the discussion of the research presented.
The conduction of the S2-S5 seminar includes:
1. Independent search for available scientific articles on a given topic and reasoned selection of the article.
2. Preparation of a PowerPoint presentation of the selected research with a clear presentation of the aims, results and conclusions.
3. Oral presentation of the selected research.
4. Peer review of colleagues' oral presentations.
4. Group discussion on the topic presented.