Joan Lau

Joan Lau
  • Lecturer

Contact Information

Teaching

Past Courses

  • BIOL480 - ADVANCED CELL BIOLOGY

    This course is designed for beginning graduate students and advanced undergraduates with a particular enthusiasm for cell biology. Biology 480 does not attempt to cover all aspects of cell biology, and is therefore not appropriate for students seeking a lecture course which provides a comprehensive survey of the field. Rather, the primary objective of this course is to teach those students considering a career in the biomedical sciences how to read, discuss, and question original research papers effectively. Intensive classroom discussions focus on the experimental methods used, results obtained, interpretation of these results in the context of cell structure and function, and implications for further studies. There is no assigned text; students learn to critically evaluate current literature by reading original papers on selected topics in modern cell biology. Accordingly, class participation/discussion is essential and the grade will be determined significantly by that. In addition, there will be two exams including answering short questions and an essay critiquing an original paper that is selected on a topic in Cell Biology.

Knowledge@Wharton

Investing in ‘Rockstars’: How One Fund Is Building Businesses with Women of Color

Wharton’s Katherine Klein speaks with Gayle Jennings-O’Byrne and Pialy Aditya, who are using their early-stage investment fund to boost tech startups owned by women of color.

Knowledge @ Wharton - 2020/07/28
Leading Diversity: Why Listening and Learning Come Before Strategy

As part of a new series called “Leading Diversity at Work,” Wharton’s Stephanie Creary and global diversity expert Rohini Anand discuss what it takes to create an inclusive culture.

Knowledge @ Wharton - 2020/07/28
Taiwan’s Tech-savvy Citizens Helped Flatten Its COVID-19 Curve

Taiwan’s government cannot take sole credit for flattening the curve during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. A case study by Wharton’s Steven O. Kimbrough and Christine Chou of National Dong Hwa University explains how citizens banded together to help.

Knowledge @ Wharton - 2020/07/27