Course Information
Description
Human health is dependent on chemistry, and human disease can often be traced to molecular dysfunction. Many existing treatments for diseases, from gout to diabetes, from hypertension to cancer, have been developed based on a solid understanding of biochemistry, and the future design of new drugs and therapies will be driven by deeper understanding of the molecular basis of disease. Understanding biochemistry is an excellent foundation for learning all of biology, but it can be difficult to make sense of the complexity of biochemical systems, or to understand biochemistry in context. In this course, we will start with foundational principles governing the interactions of individual molecules, and we’ll show you how those same principles apply at the scale of cells and organisms. Along the way, you’ll see how biochemistry intersects with human disease and clinical care.
This is a fully online course. Students registering for this course will be automatically enrolled by HMX and will receive a confirmation email from onlinelearning@hms.harvard.edu three days prior to the HMX course start date. All course-related activities will happen through the HMX online platform. Students who complete the course will receive a Certificate of Completion. For more information please see the FAQ on the HMX website
https://learn.hms.harvard.edu/frequently-asked-questions and then click on the HMX ONLINE LEARNING link; register via my.harvard, do not use the “apply now” buttons on the HMX website.
Class Notes
Students must enroll in this course no later than September 8, 2026.
This course is intended for master's students only. Students must complete this course between September 8 and November 20, 2026.
Not Available for Cross Registration