Anth 197 MS: Introduction to Biomarkers, Behavior, and Lab Techniques for the Social Sciences
UCSB Winter 2022
Mondays 3 - 5:50 pm, BioEngineering, Bldg 512
------ Zoom link for hybrid meeting: https://bit.ly/3JuG2Zl
------ Zoom link for office hours Weds 2 - 3 pm https://bit.ly/3tL9Z1K
Discussion: rm 1209
Labwork: rm 0202
Instructor: Prof. Nicole Thompson González, natg @ ucsb.edu
Welcome!
Biomarkers are increasingly used in the social sciences because they are windows into physiological processes. They give us clues about individual condition and the impact of social and physical environments on health and Darwinian fitness. Biomarkers also play a strong role in our behavior, as behavior is an emergent aspect of our phenotype. This course spans a broad range of theory and methods involved in using biomarkers in the social sciences. Theory comes from areas of behavioral research that center on or make use of biomarker data, e.g. behavioral endocrinology, behavioral ecology, evolutionary medicine, and public health. Methods focus on but are not limited to non-invasive sampling (saliva, urine, feces), quality concerns for their timing, storage, and processing, and the principles of immunoassays used to measure biomarker concentrations.
By the end of this course, you will be able to
In this class, respect for one another is our highest priority. We will actively listen to one another's interests, thoughts, and perspectives and maintain respectful curiosity for perspectives that we do not understand. These perspectives include, but are not limited to religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and racial identity. Disagreement and debate is good, do not shy away from it. Try though to use "I" statements during disagreements and make reference to your understanding of specific readings and your personal experience. Avoid making over-generalized statements, e.g. "everyone knows" or "it is a fact that". We will also prioritize impact over intention, i.e. if someone perceives harm in either an act or statement and wishes to address it, then the speaker/actor will acknowledge harm done and apologize. Please write or speak to me in private if you would like help to address or moderate any issue.
Biomarkers are increasingly used in the social sciences because they are windows into physiological processes. They give us clues about individual condition and the impact of social and physical environments on health and Darwinian fitness. Biomarkers also play a strong role in our behavior, as behavior is an emergent aspect of our phenotype. This course spans a broad range of theory and methods involved in using biomarkers in the social sciences. Theory comes from areas of behavioral research that center on or make use of biomarker data, e.g. behavioral endocrinology, behavioral ecology, evolutionary medicine, and public health. Methods focus on but are not limited to non-invasive sampling (saliva, urine, feces), quality concerns for their timing, storage, and processing, and the principles of immunoassays used to measure biomarker concentrations.
By the end of this course, you will be able to
- differentiate several physiological processes important for health and fitness
- describe these processes as pathways by which the environment impacts health and fitness
- identify biomarkers that are representative of these processes
- design a study to evaluate the role of a given pathway and biomarker(s) in linking physiology, behavior, and health
In this class, respect for one another is our highest priority. We will actively listen to one another's interests, thoughts, and perspectives and maintain respectful curiosity for perspectives that we do not understand. These perspectives include, but are not limited to religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and racial identity. Disagreement and debate is good, do not shy away from it. Try though to use "I" statements during disagreements and make reference to your understanding of specific readings and your personal experience. Avoid making over-generalized statements, e.g. "everyone knows" or "it is a fact that". We will also prioritize impact over intention, i.e. if someone perceives harm in either an act or statement and wishes to address it, then the speaker/actor will acknowledge harm done and apologize. Please write or speak to me in private if you would like help to address or moderate any issue.
Jan 3 : Introductions
Time to introduce the themes of the course, the lab, and ourselves to one another.
Readings for day of class: Discussion in class:
Due: Brainstorm topics of interest for research proposal.
Jan 10: Social determinants of health & Non-invasive markers
Today's class presents two important perspectives with which you'll want to approach the rest of the quarter and your research proposal. Those two perspectives are 1) what aspects of physiology are important to measure and how do we measure them non-invasively (Behringer & Deschner) and 2) how do our environments relate to our physiology, health, and biological fitness. The latter topic covers a lot of ground. It includes a comparative lens on health, which examines the relationship of the social environment, health, and fitness across animals. It also includes the idea of "embodiment" (Gravlee), which emphasizes that our physiology develops in dynamic interaction with our environment . Approach the readings in whatever order you choose.
Readings for day of class:
Due: 3 candidate topics for research proposal (1 paragraph each, 2 pages max), negative COVID test, and Lab Safety Fundamental certificate.
Jan 17: (MLK Jr. Day no class) Principles of immunoassays
Required viewing: Video lecture on principles of immunoassays.
This video does a good job at explaining and visualizing the principles of immunoassays, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) in particular.
There are several different strategies that researchers (and manufacturers) use to design ELISAs. The narrator goes over the 4 common strategies:
Note: The narrator refers to the analyte (or antigen) of interest consistently as a "protein"... we are not always looking for proteins with immunoassays. Sometimes, yes, we want to detect a protein or peptide (e.g. insulin, oxytocin, immunoglobulins, thyroid hormones), other times we want to detect a steroid (e.g. cortisol, estradiol, testosterone). Here is optional information that highlights the different structures of different hormones. Immunoassays work the same way to detect any analyte - specific antibodies are developed for the analyte/antigen and are used to capture and detect it. Of course, there are lots of other methods to detect other things... flow cytometry and differential centrifugation for cell types, liquid chromotography - mass spectrometry (LC-MS) for almost any type of molecule, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in part to detect particular regions of genetic code. With the exception of differential centrifugation, we will not be covering them in this class.
Readings:
Jan 24: Energetics, life history, and reproduction
Today is the first class that we get into one of our major physiological domains - energy allocation. This topic is central and foundational to an evolutionary perspective of human biology and behavior, including life history theory. We tie in female menstrual cycles, reproduction, and the logistics of their measurements, because it is so closely tied to energetic status and is a major area of energetic investment.
Readings for day of class:
Due: Outline of background for research proposal. 2 urine samples, after waking and before sleep.
Jan 31: The stress response and glucocorticoids
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis plays a powerful and fundamental role in regulating homeostasis and governs a large part of our physiological stress response. The end products of HPA activity are glucocorticoids, which mobilize energy and have a multitude of effects across different physiological systems. These effects vary by the intensity and duration of glucocorticoid exposure. Short-term exposure is typically adaptive. However, long-term exposure can lead to deleterious consequences for digestion, reproduction, cognition, and immunity.
Readings for day of class:
Due: NA.
Feb 7: Cortisol immunoassay
Readings for day of class: Cortisol ELISA protocol pages 3-5, review explainer on cortisol ELISA, review slides on principles of ELISA.
Discussion in class:
Due: Outline of methods for research proposal.
Feb 14: Inflammation and immunity
Readings for day of class:
Lab work: N/A
Due: N/A
Feb 21: (Presidents' Day no class) focus on proposal writing
Discussion for week: Scheduled 1-on-1 meeting times for support on proposal writing.
Due Weds Feb 23: Cortisol lab report
Feb 28: Emergent social behavior
Readings for day of class:
Lab work: Blood differentials with QBC star, QBC protocol, Slides: Intro to immunity, GCs and Immunity, & QBC Star analysis overview
Due: N/A
March 7: Student presentations
Due: QBC star lab report
Full research proposals due Friday March 11th, emailed to natg@ucsb.edu by 5 pm PST.
Time to introduce the themes of the course, the lab, and ourselves to one another.
Readings for day of class: Discussion in class:
- Introduction to course and syllabus
- Self introductions, backgrounds, and interests
- Mini lecture - introduction to using biomarkers
- Discuss introductory readings
- Assign discussion leaders
- Introduction to dilutions
Due: Brainstorm topics of interest for research proposal.
Jan 10: Social determinants of health & Non-invasive markers
Today's class presents two important perspectives with which you'll want to approach the rest of the quarter and your research proposal. Those two perspectives are 1) what aspects of physiology are important to measure and how do we measure them non-invasively (Behringer & Deschner) and 2) how do our environments relate to our physiology, health, and biological fitness. The latter topic covers a lot of ground. It includes a comparative lens on health, which examines the relationship of the social environment, health, and fitness across animals. It also includes the idea of "embodiment" (Gravlee), which emphasizes that our physiology develops in dynamic interaction with our environment . Approach the readings in whatever order you choose.
Readings for day of class:
- Behringer & Deschner 2017: Non-invasive monitoring of physiological markers in primates
- Snyder Mackler et al. 2020: Social determinants of health and survival in humans and other animals
- Gravlee 2009: How race becomes biology
- Précis for extra credit - Braveman 2011: The Social determinants of health: Coming of age
- NTG Lecture on key physiological functions to be measured, logistical considerations of different sampling media and regimes
- Sociality and health in humans and other animals
- Embodiment theory
Due: 3 candidate topics for research proposal (1 paragraph each, 2 pages max), negative COVID test, and Lab Safety Fundamental certificate.
Jan 17: (MLK Jr. Day no class) Principles of immunoassays
Required viewing: Video lecture on principles of immunoassays.
This video does a good job at explaining and visualizing the principles of immunoassays, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) in particular.
There are several different strategies that researchers (and manufacturers) use to design ELISAs. The narrator goes over the 4 common strategies:
- Direct
- Indirect
- Sandwich
- Competitive
Note: The narrator refers to the analyte (or antigen) of interest consistently as a "protein"... we are not always looking for proteins with immunoassays. Sometimes, yes, we want to detect a protein or peptide (e.g. insulin, oxytocin, immunoglobulins, thyroid hormones), other times we want to detect a steroid (e.g. cortisol, estradiol, testosterone). Here is optional information that highlights the different structures of different hormones. Immunoassays work the same way to detect any analyte - specific antibodies are developed for the analyte/antigen and are used to capture and detect it. Of course, there are lots of other methods to detect other things... flow cytometry and differential centrifugation for cell types, liquid chromotography - mass spectrometry (LC-MS) for almost any type of molecule, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in part to detect particular regions of genetic code. With the exception of differential centrifugation, we will not be covering them in this class.
Readings:
- Highlighted portions from Schultheiss Stanton 2009: Assessment of salivary hormones on principles of radio-immunoassays.
Jan 24: Energetics, life history, and reproduction
Today is the first class that we get into one of our major physiological domains - energy allocation. This topic is central and foundational to an evolutionary perspective of human biology and behavior, including life history theory. We tie in female menstrual cycles, reproduction, and the logistics of their measurements, because it is so closely tied to energetic status and is a major area of energetic investment.
Readings for day of class:
- Ellison 2017: Endocrinology, energetics, and human life history: A synthetic model (pay special attention to Figs. 1 and 2)
- Hampson 2020: A brief guide to the menstrual cycle and oral contraceptive use for researchers in behavioral endocrinology
- Review of a research q vs. hypothesis vs. prediction
- Review of principles of ELISA (slides)
- Embodiment theory
- Life history theory and energy allocation (figures)
- Female reproduction and issues of measurement (figures)
Due: Outline of background for research proposal. 2 urine samples, after waking and before sleep.
Jan 31: The stress response and glucocorticoids
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis plays a powerful and fundamental role in regulating homeostasis and governs a large part of our physiological stress response. The end products of HPA activity are glucocorticoids, which mobilize energy and have a multitude of effects across different physiological systems. These effects vary by the intensity and duration of glucocorticoid exposure. Short-term exposure is typically adaptive. However, long-term exposure can lead to deleterious consequences for digestion, reproduction, cognition, and immunity.
Readings for day of class:
- Sapolsky Chapter 11: Endocrinology of the stress response (pp. 409 - 425, 436 - 448) Pace yourself by seeing subsections of reading for discussion,
- Homeostasis, HPA axis, and the logic of the stress response (pp. 409-418)
- System-specific stress effects and related disease - good girl gone bad (pp. 418 - 425, 435
- Psychosocial stress (pp. 436 - 448)
- What to expect for next week.
Due: NA.
Feb 7: Cortisol immunoassay
Readings for day of class: Cortisol ELISA protocol pages 3-5, review explainer on cortisol ELISA, review slides on principles of ELISA.
Discussion in class:
- ELISA equipment
- The standard curve
- Sharing research questions with the class
Due: Outline of methods for research proposal.
Feb 14: Inflammation and immunity
Readings for day of class:
- Sapolsky Chapter 11: The immune system and its response to stress (pp. 427- 434)
- Blackwell et al. 2016: Immune function in Amazonian horticulturalists
- Fischer 2015: Sex differences in immune responses to infectious diseases
Lab work: N/A
Due: N/A
Feb 21: (Presidents' Day no class) focus on proposal writing
Discussion for week: Scheduled 1-on-1 meeting times for support on proposal writing.
Due Weds Feb 23: Cortisol lab report
Feb 28: Emergent social behavior
Readings for day of class:
- Carter 2014: Oxytocin pathways and the evolution of human behavior.
- Dreher et al. 2016: Testosterone causes both prosocial and antisocial status-enhancing behaviors in human males.
- Précis for extra credit - Sapolsky The trouble with testosterone (a classic)
Lab work: Blood differentials with QBC star, QBC protocol, Slides: Intro to immunity, GCs and Immunity, & QBC Star analysis overview
Due: N/A
March 7: Student presentations
Due: QBC star lab report
Full research proposals due Friday March 11th, emailed to natg@ucsb.edu by 5 pm PST.