Outline

Overview

In this ever-changing and dynamic world, possessing knowledge and skills to work across multiple disciplines is essential. The ability to identify and explore interdisciplinary connections is a vital skill for both emerging professionals and researchers. This unit offers an opportunity to integrate the concepts and skills acquired in Physiology and apply them to real-world problems. You will work with students from Chemistry (CHEM3888) to identify novel targets for drug development with the aim to improve treatment for diseases such as cancer, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular conditions, and autoimmune diseases. You will deepen your disciplinary knowledge while engaging in project-based learning, collaborating with Chemistry students as part of an interdisciplinary team. This involves identifying and solving problems, collecting and analyzing data, and communicating your findings to a diverse audience. All of these skills are highly valued by employers, and are crucial for both professional and research careers in the future.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Department of Medical Sciences
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points from (PHSI2X05 or PHSI2X06 or PHSI2X07 or MEDS2001 or PHSI2X08)
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	PHSI3007 or PHSI3008 or PHSI3907 or PHSI3908
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Craig Campbell, c.campbell@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 1 September 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Written work	self assessment Reflection on your own ability to work in a team	0%	Week 05 Due date: 07 Sep 2025 at 23:59 Closing date: 07 Sep 2025	500 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Pitch Outline your group project	5%	Week 05	5 minutes	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Evaluation	peer assessment peer assessment	0%	Week 05 Due date: 07 Sep 2025 at 23:59 Closing date: 07 Sep 2025	500 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
In-class quiz	quiz multiple choice questions	15%	Week 06	1 hour	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Reflection on meeting with mentor Written reflection	5%	Week 07 Due date: 19 Sep 2025 at 23:59 Closing date: 19 Sep 2025	500 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	self assessment Reflection on your own ability to work in a team	2.5%	Week 08 Due date: 28 Sep 2025 at 23:59 Closing date: 28 Sep 2025	500 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Evaluation	peer assessment Peer assessment	2.5%	Week 08 Due date: 28 Sep 2025 at 23:59 Closing date: 28 Sep 2025	500 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Creative work	News and Views Discussion about the findings of a scientific article.	15%	Week 09 Due date: 06 Oct 2025 at 23:59	1000 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Oral presentation Presentation of the project to a lay audience	15%	Week 11 Due date: 20 Oct 2025 at 09:00 Closing date: 20 Oct 2025	5 minutes + 5 minutes of questions	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	self assessment Reflection on your own ability to work in a team	2.5%	Week 13 Due date: 09 Nov 2025 at 23:59 Closing date: 08 Jul 2025	500 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Final report Grant application	30%	Week 13 Due date: 07 Nov 2025 at 23:59 Closing date: 07 Nov 2025	3000 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Evaluation	peer assessment peer assessment	2.5%	Week 13 Due date: 09 Nov 2025 at 23:59 Closing date: 09 Nov 2025	500 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Minutes Weekly submission of meeting minutes	5%	Weekly	1000 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Contribution	Participation participation	0%	Weekly	tutorial participation	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

The Role of Groups

You will be allocated to a group to work together for your Capstone Project. You are expected to meet weekly with your group to progress your Capstone Project. These meetings may be on Zoom if you cannot meet face-2-face. Activities of the Group will be led by a Group Leader who will be responsible for organising and running group meetings, keeping and submitting meeting minutes and oversee the Group’s progress during the week. The Group Leadership will rotate around the group from week to week to give you all an opportunity to engage with this important role.

Final Report and Presentation

Your Capstone project will involve a collaborative activity with CHEM3888 students in which you will propose a drug therapy for a disease. Your final report for this project will be in the form of a funding application in which you will justify the experimental procedures that you would undertake to assess the drug that you have proposed.

This will be accompanied by a short presentation of your project.

There will also be an opportunity to present a proposal of your project (Week 5) and get feedback.

Peer-and-Self Assessment

Each student will be expected to complete an assessment of their own and their peers’ contributions to group activities.

Disciplinary Content Assessment

The lectures will be assessed by a multiple-choice quiz.

News-and-Views style short summary articles of a paper are increasingly common in the academic literature. You will be creating an article in this style to summarise a paper that will be provided.

More detail about these assessments will be available on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

All assignments must be submitted by the due date and quizzes and exams attended when they are scheduled. Students are expected to manage their time and to prioritise tasks to meet deadlines. Assessment items submitted after the due date without an approved extension using a special consideration or special arrangement form or request will incur penalties. All due dates for assessments refer to Sydney time. Failure to meet assessment deadlines will incur mark deductions of 5% of the maximum awardable mark available for every day past the due date (for electronic submissions, days late includes Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays). These deductions will continue for 10 calendar days, until the solutions for the assignment are released, or marked assignments are returned to other students. At that point the mark awarded will be zero. For example, on an assignment given a mark of 70/100, the penalty would be 5 marks if submitted up to 24 hours late, resulting in a final mark of 65/100. If the assignment is submitted 6 days late, the penalty would be 30 marks and the final mark would be 40/100. If the assignment is more than 10 days late, submitted after the solutions for the assignment are released, or marked assignments are returned to other students, the final mark will be 0/100.

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Cancer metabolism	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 01	Type 2 Diabetes: Disease Progression and Treatment	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	Breast Cancer	Lecture (1 hr)
	Cardiovascular diseases and devices	Lecture (1 hr)
	Glycine Transport Inhibitors for the Treatment of Chronic Pain	Lecture (1 hr)
	Groupwork and collective decision-making	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 03	Cultural competency	Workshop (2 hr)
	Multiple sclerosis	Lecture (1 hr)
	Epithelial transport	Lecture (1 hr)
	Pancreatic cancer	Lecture (1 hr)
	Cardiovascular disease management	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 04	Nanomaterials	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 04	Alzheimers' Disease	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 05	Drug development	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 07	Scientific writing	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 10	Scientific communication	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 12	Project oral presentation	Presentation (4 hr)
Weekly	Project framework discussion	Workshop (13 hr)
Weekly	Project consultations	Workshop (26 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Monday morning project meetings are compulsory

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be found on Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Apply disciplinary knowledge to solve problems in an interdisciplinary context.
LO2. Create an investigation strategy, explore solutions, discuss approaches and predict outcomes.
LO3. Find, define and delimit authentic problems in order to address them.
LO4. Analyse data using modern information technology and digital skills.
LO5. Demonstrate integrity, confidence, personal resilience and the capacity to manage challenges, both individually and in teams.
LO6. Collaborate with diverse groups and across cultural and disciplinary boundaries to develop solution(s) to the project problems.
LO7. Communicate project outcomes effectively to a broad audience.
LO8. Accept, act on and deliver constructive criticism.
LO9. Collaboratively develop and adhere to appropriate rules for group conduct of collaborations and assignments.
LO10. Demonstrate an understanding of the limitations of experimental measurements.
LO11. Demonstrate effective time management to achieve learning outcomes.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

We have added and modified the lecture content in response to feedback.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

The Role of Groups

Final Report and Presentation

Peer-and-Self Assessment

Disciplinary Content Assessment

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

PHSI3888: Physiology Interdisciplinary Project

Semester 2, 2025 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

The Role of Groups

Final Report and Presentation

Peer-and-Self Assessment

Disciplinary Content Assessment

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links