IMPA3888: Immunopathology Interdisciplinary Project

This unit expands on your disciplinary knowledge in Immunology and Pathology by viewing it in the context of real-world health problems. The major aim of the unit is to work with students from other areas of the University to understand that a disease is not purely a host versus pathogen paradigm but integrates human behaviour, culture, economics, and geography. Depending on the disease, these factors may be as important as the pathogen itself in defining our approach to treatments. These interactions have been vividly demonstrated with the current COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, in chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes or complex disorders such as depression, societal factors can the major or sole aetiological agent. Solving these non-communicable diseases are 'wicked' problems that require biomedical scientists to look outside their usual armamentarium. This unit will introduce to you, using a double diamond structure and a series of expert panel discussions and workshops, to other perspectives of disease management including science, policy, and commercial considerations. Once empowered with this wider understanding of the disease landscape we will challenge you individually, and as part of your interdisciplinary team to define and solve a complex health problem important to Australia. Your group will produce a consultancy report that directs policy and investment towards the area(s) that you consider most likely to reduce the burden of this disease. Additional assessment tasks will include reflective statements considering the relative strengths of biomedical science versus other disciplinary approaches and oral presentations to expert panels.