Introducing evolutionary thinking in the health professions

This diploma is aimed at all professionals in human and animal health and life sciences, as well as students (validated 4th year) and, by extension, all enthusiasts of evolutionary sciences. Full information is here. See the detailed program here.

The discovery of the importance of microbiota, antibiotic resistance, new obstetric practices, the increase in the prevalence of psychiatric illnesses, the obesity epidemic, emerging viral diseases, new demographic and environmental pressures, and many others current topics, make it necessary to introduce evolutionary thinking in clinical practice.

Based on the observation that evolutionary sciences are not yet taught in the faculty of medicine, the University Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL1) and the laboratory of excellence (Labex) ECOFECT have decided to jointly ensure the high patronage of this diploma which is the first of its kind in Europe.

A word from the ECOFECT labex

“Evolutionary biology and medicine”: a unique DU in Europe  at the initiative of Ecofect
Discussions within the Ecofect LabEx and the bringing together of researchers from different disciplines naturally led to a reflection on the place of biology developments in medical training. This reflection led to the proposal for a University Diploma entitled “Biology of evolution and medicine” within the Faculty of Medicine of Lyon. This proposal was very well received by the evaluation commission of the faculty of medicine which underlined its innovative character .

This is the first time that a course in evolutionary biology has been integrated into the medical studies curriculum. It illustrates the pioneering work of LabEx Ecofect. The objective is to place the various medical disciplines in the larger framework of ecology and evolution. Integrating evolutionary reasoning into the initial and continuing training of physicians, researchers, practitioners and clinicians in human or animal health should lead to the opening up of new avenues of prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

About thirty high-level French – speaking speakers participate in this teaching: researchers and practitioners, doctors, evolutionary biologists, philosophers, epistemologists, methodologists. This DU is under the responsibility of Gérard Lina (PU-PH at UCBL1 and CIRI), Luc Perino (Doctor, essayist) and Dominique Pontier (PU – UCBL1, CNRS – UMR 5558, co-director Ecofect), all three members of Ecofect .

Discover more from The Evolution and Medicine Review

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading