John Russell is looking forward to a spring semester filled with discussions about stem cells.

‘I’m hoping that we have students that have strongly-held opinions,’ said Russell, chair of the biology department. ‘It makes it more interesting.’

Syracuse University’s first course on stem cells began Jan. 18. BIO 300/PHI 300/REL 300: ‘Stem Cells and Society’ is a three-credit course focusing on the scientific, ethical, legal, religious and social issues of the research and use of stem cells.

There are approximately 31 students currently enrolled in the class, but others are also expressing a great deal of interest, Russell said.

Faculty members did not expect and have not noticed any dissent about offering a course regarding the controversial topic, Russell said. He attributed this to the general open-mindedness of a university campus.

‘The course isn’t one to persuade people that stem cell research is good or bad,’ Russell said. ‘It is designed to discuss the various issues behind stem cells and their use.’

Russell has noticed the majors of students taking the class vary greatly, such as science, humanities, social studies, and visual and performing arts. Though juniors and seniors are given preference to take ‘Stem Cells and Society,’ there are no prerequisites to enroll in the course, Russell said.

‘I’d say three-quarters of the students taking the course have had no more biology than the university requires,’ Russell said.

The faculty-intensive course features three primary lecturers, including philosophy professor Ben Bradley, biomedical professor Jay Henderson and Gustav Niebuhr, associate professor and director of the Carnegie Religion and Media Program, Russell said.

Amy Campbell, a bioethics and humanities professor from the Upstate Medical University Hospital, Meera Adya of SU’s Burton Blatt Institute and law professor Leslie Bender also collaborated for the course.

So far, the class is off to a good start, Bradley said.

‘We’ve only had three classes,’ Bradley said. ‘But it seems to be going very well.’

The length of time each topic is covered varies. About three to four weeks will be spent on the science behind stem cells, about five weeks on ethics and philosophy, and a few weeks on religion and media, Bradley said.

The class will also feature five or six guest speakers focusing more on the ethical side of stem cell research, Bradley said.

The course is funded by a two-year grant from the New York State Stem Cell Science board and will be offered again in the spring 2012 semester, Bradley said.

SU is one of five New York schools to receive funding for a course on stem cells and was awarded $324,000 in November 2009, according to a Nov. 11 article in The Daily Orange.

The ethics behind using human cells for research or treatment are often questioned and debated. President Barack Obama lifted the ban on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research in early 2009, but Russell said he thought the reason for the openness for the course was because of the mindset of the university campus.

‘There are the ethical issues,’ said Emily Herbst, a freshman civil engineering major who may consider taking the course. ‘But on a college campus, many young adults haven’t decided what they want to believe in yet.’

Russell expressed hope that there will someday be a number of classes regarding popular issues, including stem cell research and global warming. He said the combination of the different aspects of stem cell research prove for an important educational experience.

‘Scientists are guilty of not always considering the consequences of science, and the public doesn’t always understand science,’ Russell said. ‘So you need to bring the two together to fully understand.’

brvannos@syr.edu

Published on January 26, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Breanne: brvannos@syr.edu | @bre_vann