Human Toxicology What makes a substance toxic? This human physiology course integrates perspectives from biology, chemistry, and public health to explore how toxicants cause harm. Students will examine foundational concepts in toxicology at the level of the organism, including absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of toxicants. We will carefully consider dose-response relationships and key mechanisms of toxicity. The impact of toxic exposure on selected target organ systems will then be covered, with particular emphasis on the liver, kidney, lungs, nervous system, immune system, and endocrine systems. For each organ system, a representative toxicant will be studied in depth; students will identify and present information on additional toxicants. Finally, the course will critically examine how the science of toxicology aligns with current regulatory structures to influence public health outcomes. (BIOL 145) 3hrs lecture

Principles of Epidemiology This course will introduce students to the theory and practice of epidemiology.  Students will learn major concepts including study design, measures of effect, and causal inference. We will explore the causes of modern diseases with a focus on how epidemiology can be used to understand causation of disease. We will also explore the historical and current contributions of epidemiology within the field of public health. The course will introduce areas of specialization including infectious and non-infectious diseases, environmental epidemiology, and social and community epidemiology. Students will learn data analysis skills applicable to research in public health and other quantitative sciences. Students will utilize skills from class to investigate an epidemiological issue using real world data. Students will also lead discussions on how epidemiology is used to investigate the determinants of disease. Students will leave the course with understanding of key epidemiological concepts, and the ability to convey those ideas to a lay audience in written and oral formats.

Ecology and Evolution In this introduction to ecology and evolutionary biology we will cover the topics of interspecific interactions (competition, predation, mutualism), demography and life-history patterns, succession and disturbance in natural communities, species diversity, stability and complexity, causes of evolutionary change, speciation, phylogenetic reconstruction, and population genetics.   The laboratory component will examine lecture topics in detail (such as measuring the evolutionary response of bacteria, adaptations of stream invertebrates to life in moving water, invasive species and their patterns of spread).  We will emphasize experimental design, data collection in the field and in the laboratory, data analysis, and writing skills. This course is not open to seniors and second semester juniors in the Fall.

Global Health This course provides an introductory survey of the basic issues and initiatives in contemporary global public health, demonstrating the inextricability of public health problems from the social, cultural, economic, political, and environmental issues that exist in an era of globalization.  Examining these connections will enable us to critically evaluate the goals and strategies of public health interventions, and discuss factors impacting their success or failure.  To do this, we must also examine the lens through which the West views public health problems as they relate to our cultural beliefs, biomedical views of health, sense of justice, and strategic interests.  (Not open to students who have taken INTD 0257 or SOAN 0267)

Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis Experimental design is one of the most important parts of doing science, but it is difficult to do well. How do you randomize mice? How many replicate petri plates should be inoculated? If I am measuring temperature in a forest, where do I put the thermometer? In this course students will design experiments across the sub-areas of biology. We will run student designed experiments, and then learn ways to analyze the data, and communicate the results. Students planning to do independent research are encouraged to take this course. (BIOL 0140 or BIOL 0145).

Planetary Health Human health depends on planetary conditions and resources, as well as functioning ecosystems. Climate change, biodiversity loss, scarcity of land and freshwater, pollution and other threats are degrading these systems with profound implications for human health and wellbeing. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we will investigate the driving forces of human health and wellness in the Anthropocene with an eye on the role of ecology, evolution, planetary change, and the interconnected systems of our planet. Beyond assessing the fundamental biophysical forces acting on human health, we will additionally consider the societal values and ethical frameworks that are inherent to these issues.

Sam Byrne

Reviews and ratings for Sam Byrne at Middlebury College.Sam Byrne teaches Human Toxicology, Principles of Epidemiology, Ecology and Evolution and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Sam Byrne good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

I found that this course was boring and just a review of AP Biology. That being said you have to take it for any bio major and pre-med so I would recommend taking it with Byrne. The grading was completely fair and there was not many assignments outside of the weekly discussion questions. I found that the structure of the class was annoying as there was only one true lecture a week, but that is the same structure across all of the professors. 

This class emphasized discussion over formal instruction, with minimal use of slides or structured theory presentation. As a result, the organization and key takeaways were sometimes unclear. Students who thrive in highly structured learning environments may need to take additional initiative to synthesize the material independently.

The Ecology biology course was solid overall. The material was presented clearly, and the workload felt manageable. While nothing about the class stood out as exceptional, it consistently covered the essentials and gave me a decent understanding of the subject. The instructor was supportive, and the structure of the course made it easy to keep up. It wasn’t the most exciting class I’ve taken, but it was reliable and worthwhile.