Clinical Nutrition

Dear all

I almost gave up on this blog but never is too late..

Now I had chance to sit down. As I remember, I promised you to tell something about my current studies here. Let me start with the course called Clinical Nutrition. 

Clinical Nutrition. What it says to you?

Well, the course objective is to provide understanding about diseases associated with diet and dietetics. After the course students should be able to describe the role of diet in the development and prevention of common chronic diseases. When we are talking about chronic diseases here, it includes diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, renal failure, anorexia and immune deficiency. The course consist of lectures, laboratory practicals, assignments and not to forget to mention the examination. In my point of view the course doesn't differ much from courses in UEF expect we don't have practicals with patients here as we do have in UEF, we have practicals in laboratory. Also I feel like the assignments are more demanding here because the weighting in final course grade is large. And yes, occasionally the professor speaks in Cantonese although she isn't allowed. They have a really strict rule about speaking English while teaching in HKU. 

Laboratory practicals relating course topics makes it very interesting. Surprisingly I really have enjoyed working in the laboratory. I think I like it because the topics are interesting and you really want to understand the background for your assignments. It is not only mixing a compounds and look what happens but it is also to convert the results in a bigger perspective. Practicals consist of four different experiments and those are carried out by group of three or four person so it is a teamwork. I like my group because I really got an ideal group; they are so smart, helpful and hard-working. After approximately two or three weeks when the practical is carried out we need to submit our laboratory reports for out demonstrator. Demonstrator is usually PhD student who demonstrates and helps with the experiments.

The list of our practical topics

1. Nutrients Interaction and Nutrients Deficiency

• Practical 1a: Determination of phytate in food
• Practical 1b: Effect of phytic acid on calcium absorption

2. Nutrition and Liver Disorders

• Effect of Red yeast rice extract on serum Glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT)/Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in rats fed high-cholesterol diets 

3. Nutrition and Kidneys Disorders

• Protective effect of Chinese herbs in dietary adenine-induced chronic renal failure in rats

4. Nutrition and Cancer

• Evaluation of the anticancer mechanism of camptothecin (CPT) on human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells
• Practical 4a: Annexin V/PI apoptosis analysis
• Practical 4b: Cell cycle analysis

Interesting, isn't it?

In the end of the semester we will have our final exams and the exam of Clinical Nutrition is also held then. No need to panic yet! :)

Don't hesitate to ask anything related to my studies in HKU! :)

Now I better rush with my readings..

I have Nutrigenomics midterm  on Monday. It is another story to tell.. I promise, next time I will explain to you what Nutrigenomics exactly is.

I hope you are enjoying the beginning of spring!

Yours

Veera