Biochemistry
BIOL-40357
Learn Biochemistry Online: Unlock the Molecular Secrets of Life
Dive deep into the fascinating world of biochemistry from anywhere, on your schedule. This comprehensive online biochemistry course takes you on an extraordinary journey through life's fundamental building blocks. You'll master the intricate dance of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids – the four molecular pillars that make life possible. Discover how organisms harness energy from food, and unravel the elegant mysteries of DNA as you explore how genetic information powers every living cell. Whether you're encountering biochemistry for the first time or seeking to reignite your passion for the field, this course welcomes curious minds with a basic foundation in biology and chemistry.
Learning Objectives
- Analyze and evaluate situations and problems using critical thinking skills.
- Integrate and relate scientific concepts to personal experiences and the broader world.
- Understand the iterative nature of science, recognizing current knowledge as a base for future research and scientific innovations.
- Identify and appreciate the contributions of scientists from minoritized groups to the advancement of the field.
- Comprehend the intricacy of life's chemical processes, and synthesize the roles biomolecules play within these processes.
- Formulate judgments on how to contribute to the society by assessing and disseminating credible scientific information.
- Explain the biological significance of biomolecules, distinguish their foundational components, and apply their chemical traits to elucidate their functions.
- Analyze the structure/function relationship of biomolecules, and correlate these attributes with other biomolecular entities.
- Describe the central dogma of molecular biology, understanding its essentiality for human life and its implications in health and disease.
- Apply foundational equations to calculate and interpret energetics, buffering, and enzyme kinetics and inhibition.
- Critique and reflect on the practical application of course concepts in laboratory settings and health professions.
Course Topics
- Atoms; Life; Water
- Protein Composition and Structure
- Concepts and Kinetics of Enzymes
- Hemoglobin, Carbohydrates, and Lipids
- Membranes, Signal Transduction, and Digestion
- Metabolism, Glycolysis, and Acetate
- The Citric Acid Cycle and Oxidative Phosphorylation
- Nucleic Acid Structure and DNA Replication
- RNA synthesis, processing and regulation
- Protein synthesis
Prerequisites
There are no required prerequisites. This course assumes knowledge of basic biology and chemistry.
Format
Biochemistry is offered in an online asynchronous format. There are no set meeting times, however, students follow a weekly schedule and there will be deadlines to meet in terms of course requirements. This course cannot be completed at an accelerated rate.
Transferring for College Credit
Many courses at UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies may be eligible for college credit at UC San Diego or other institutions. Credit transfer is determined by the receiving institution. We recommend consulting with the registrar's office at your intended institution before enrolling to confirm how your courses will transfer.
Please Note: While enrollment will remain open until the course begins, we strongly encourage early registration if you’re working with a specific deadline. Many sections tend to fill up before the class starts.
Course Information
Course sessions
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Biochemistry: A Short Course 4th
by Tymoczko, John L. & Berg, Jeremy M
ISBN / ASIN: 9781319114633
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Menghan Mei, Ph.D.
Passionate about teaching and mentorship, Dr. Mei tailors training to the needs of each student, helping them build the skills and mindset to think like a biochemist. Through this personalized approach, he has guided many students and trainees toward achieving their career goals in biochemistry.
Beyond academics, he enjoys playing sports, guitar, and traveling. A dedicated foodie, he once ran a boba truck during his college years.
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Biochemistry: A Short Course 4th
by Tymoczko, John L. & Berg, Jeremy M
ISBN / ASIN: 9781319114633
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 11/10/2025
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Samantha Zepeda, Ph.D.
Samantha Zepeda is a biochemist and structural biologist with a background in protein biochemistry, biophysics, and virology. She earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of Washington, studying the structure of bat viral glycoproteins through cryo-electron microscopy to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of bat borne sarbecovirus spillover. She steered a number of collaborative projects including exploring the evolutionary history of ACE2 receptor usage in coronaviruses, assessing the role of conformational dynamics in spike glycoproteins receptor tropism, and understanding the stability, and immunogenicity of antigens derived from bat viral glycoproteins. In addition to this work, Dr. Zepeda contributed to a number of pandemic response and pandemic preparedness projects focused on characterizing monoclonal antibodies and developing next generation vaccines.
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Biochemistry: A Short Course 4th
by Tymoczko, John L. & Berg, Jeremy M
ISBN / ASIN: 9781319114633
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 11/17/2025
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Mihai Azimioara
Mihai D. Azimioara has more than 25 years of experience in drug discovery as a medicinal chemist.
He received his BSc in Chemistry from California Institute of Technology in 1989 and MA in Organic Chemistry from Harvard University in 1996. After spending a number of years in expanding his drug discovery expertise at Biogen, ARIAD Pharmaceuticals (currently Takeda Oncology), Tanabe Research Labs, Arena Pharmaceuticals and Ambit Biosciences, he spent almost 15 years at Novartis (GNF) in San Diego helping to bring to preclinical stage a number of projects for treatment of diabetes, cancer, auto-immune diseases, and cystic fibrosis. Since leaving Novartis, Mihai has worked with Plexium and 1859, Inc. in developing technology platforms that could speed up and expand the drug-discovery process, including efforts to modulate the activity of biological targets that have been proven difficult to address. He also briefly worked at Ferring Pharmaceuticals and ADARx in San Diego.
Mihai is a co-author of over 25 patents and 20 peer-reviewed articles. He has worked in education, both in-class and online as an instructor and lecturer, in mathematics (calculus, algebra, group theory, statistics) and various subjects in chemistry (organic, analytical, clinical, nuclear, and drug discovery).
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
All course materials are included unless otherwise stated.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 11/24/2025
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Agape Awad
Agape Awad received her Ph.D. and completed her Postdoctoral Fellowship work at the University of California, Los Angeles, in the field of Biochemistry, Molecular, and Structural Biology, with a research emphasis in medicine. Subsequently, Dr. Awad joined the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCLA as an Instructional Faculty member, where she spent several years teaching Biochemistry and conducting research in the field of respiratory metabolism and diseases.
After many years at UCLA as both a student and Faculty member, Dr. Awad transitioned into the medical device industry in Cardiovascular Medical Technology at Edwards Lifesciences, the global leader in medical innovations for structural heart disease, as well as critical care, and surgical monitoring. Dr. Awad served as a Senior Scientist in the Quality division, working in biocompatibility and FDA-compliance for cardiology medical devices. Most recently, Dr. Awad transitioned in the biotechnology space, accepting a new role in biotechnology disease-state therapy at Amgen Inc., where she now serves as a Medical Communications Manager in the Oncology Therapeutic Area.In her free time, Dr. Awad enjoys spending time with her family and friends, playing sports, and teaching children's Sunday School at her home church. Her most favorite activity is going to Disneyland and going on as many rides as possible in one day.
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Biochemistry: A Short Course 4th
by Tymoczko, John L. & Berg, Jeremy M
ISBN / ASIN: 9781319114633
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 1/12/2026
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Jake LeVieux
Jake LeVieux is a biochemist with an enzymology, assay development, and multi-omics background. He earned his PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Texas at Austin, studying the structure and mechanism of bacterial enzymes that degrade toxic components of crude oil. He then began working in the biotech industry at Element Biosciences, where he co-invented and developed DNA sequencing chemistry. He currently works at Element on a spatial biology platform as a Senior Scientist. Jake enjoys surfing, running, and playing guitar in his free time.
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Biochemistry: A Short Course 4th
by Tymoczko, John L. & Berg, Jeremy M
ISBN / ASIN: 9781319114633
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 1/12/2026
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Jake LeVieux
Jake LeVieux is a biochemist with an enzymology, assay development, and multi-omics background. He earned his PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Texas at Austin, studying the structure and mechanism of bacterial enzymes that degrade toxic components of crude oil. He then began working in the biotech industry at Element Biosciences, where he co-invented and developed DNA sequencing chemistry. He currently works at Element on a spatial biology platform as a Senior Scientist. Jake enjoys surfing, running, and playing guitar in his free time.
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Biochemistry: A Short Course 4th
by Tymoczko, John L. & Berg, Jeremy M
ISBN / ASIN: 9781319114633
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 1/12/2026
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Agape Awad
Agape Awad received her Ph.D. and completed her Postdoctoral Fellowship work at the University of California, Los Angeles, in the field of Biochemistry, Molecular, and Structural Biology, with a research emphasis in medicine. Subsequently, Dr. Awad joined the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCLA as an Instructional Faculty member, where she spent several years teaching Biochemistry and conducting research in the field of respiratory metabolism and diseases.
After many years at UCLA as both a student and Faculty member, Dr. Awad transitioned into the medical device industry in Cardiovascular Medical Technology at Edwards Lifesciences, the global leader in medical innovations for structural heart disease, as well as critical care, and surgical monitoring. Dr. Awad served as a Senior Scientist in the Quality division, working in biocompatibility and FDA-compliance for cardiology medical devices. Most recently, Dr. Awad transitioned in the biotechnology space, accepting a new role in biotechnology disease-state therapy at Amgen Inc., where she now serves as a Medical Communications Manager in the Oncology Therapeutic Area.In her free time, Dr. Awad enjoys spending time with her family and friends, playing sports, and teaching children's Sunday School at her home church. Her most favorite activity is going to Disneyland and going on as many rides as possible in one day.
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Biochemistry: A Short Course 4th
by Tymoczko, John L. & Berg, Jeremy M
ISBN / ASIN: 9781319114633
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 1/19/2026
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Ace George Santiago
Ace Santiago obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry and Chemical Biology from Cornell University and a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biochemistry and Microbiology from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Santiago taught Biochemistry and General Chemistry courses during his graduate studies at Cornell. He has specialized skills in protein sciences, molecular biology, microbiology, fluorescence microscopy, genomics, and computing. His notable discoveries include 1) how transcription factor unbinding can be regulated, 2) how metal ion transporters assemble in living cells, and 3) the identification of the first protein regulator of a serine-threonine kinase in a bacterial pathogen, which gave insights into cell wall biosynthesis and antimicrobial resistance in gram-positive bacteria. Previously, Dr. Santiago worked as a Biochemist and Molecular Biologist at Siemens Healthineers and 10x Genomics, respectively, where he helped create state-of-the-art technologies for clinical diagnostic or genomics discovery applications. Ace enjoys drawing, reading, exploring cities or nature, and spending time with family and friends.
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Biochemistry: A Short Course 4th
by Tymoczko, John L. & Berg, Jeremy M
ISBN / ASIN: 9781319114633
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 1/19/2026
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Carla Uranga
Carla Uranga, Ph.D., is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the J. Craig Venter Institute, where she is actively working on studying the metabolomics of microorganisms. With a specialty in purification method development, her current focus is on purifying small molecules produced by bacteria from the human oral microbiome and studying their physiological effects on the host immune system and on other bacteria.
Prior to joining JCVI, she worked in industry in a variety of capacities, including purification, especially as applied to virus and virus-like particles (VLPs) for oncolytics and vaccine purposes at PaxVax (now Emergent Biosolutions) and in plant molecular biology at Syngenta. She and her husband started a business in Baja California during her doctorate and they currently make natural lotions and soaps for the Guadalupe Valley wine country in Baja California.
She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry from the University of California, San Diego, and her doctorate in Life Sciences/Biochemistry from CICESE in Ensenada, Mexico.
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Biochemistry: A Short Course 4th
by Tymoczko, John L. & Berg, Jeremy M
ISBN / ASIN: 9781319114633
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 1/19/2026
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Brett Barbaro, Ph.D.
Consultant, Scripps Research Institute
Brett Barbaro, Ph,D, is a fellow at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, where he is currently working on integrating proteomics and cryo electron microscopy approaches in atomic-resolution computer models of biological systems. He has over 15 years of laboratory experience, and has published numerous articles and several book chapters. He majored in biochemistry at Harvard University, and received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Irvine, where he studied the molecular mechanisms of Huntington’s Disease.
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Biochemistry: A Short Course 4th
by Tymoczko, John L. & Berg, Jeremy M
ISBN / ASIN: 9781319114633
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 1/26/2026
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
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Kirthi Reddy
Kirthi Reddy received her Ph.D. from Stanford University, where she studied effects of chromatin modification on DNA double-strand break formation. She completed her postdoctoral training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, researching how interactions with microbes influence neuronal signaling and behavior. She then spent over ten years as a research scientist at UCSD and the Salk Institute where she worked in a broad range of fields including pathogen resistance, the genetics of autism, and cancer biology. She has published numerous journal articles and has mentored many students in the lab. In her free time, Dr. Reddy enjoys spending time with her kids, playing ping-pong, and solving puzzles.
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Biochemistry: A Short Course 4th
by Tymoczko, John L. & Berg, Jeremy M
ISBN / ASIN: 9781319114633
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 1/26/2026
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Jose Saborio
Teaching Experience
During his scientific career, Dr. Saborio has taught in-person full or part of courses in Biochemistry and in Molecular Biology to graduate students, and a Biology course in two community colleges: Irvine Valley College, at Irvine, CA, and Saddleback College, at Mission Viejo, CA. Dr. Saborio has been an instructor in eight Biochemistry courses offered by UC San Diego Extended Studies.
Research Experience
At the Department of Molecular Biology of Beckman Instruments, Inc., Fullerton, CA, Dr. Saborio developed procedures for bulk production of recombinant proteins and antibodies used for diagnostic tests, and later on became Quality Assurance Manager for the company's Molecular Biology product line.
The following link [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sort=date&term=Saborio+JL&cauthor_id=7806347] opens a list of articles Dr. Saborio has published in peer-reviewed Journals during his scientific career. The articles are listed in no especial order but can be grouped as follows: 1) Studies on Poliovirus that describe work done at the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology, Nutley, NJ. USA, 2) Studies on Adenovirus that describe work done at the Wallenberg Laboratory, University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden; 3) Articles on Cytoskeletal and Muscle proteins, done at the Institute of Advanced Studies, National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City, Mexico; and 4) Articles on T. cruzi flagellar proteins, done at the Polytechnic Institute in Mexico City, the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, and at several sites in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil. This site allows people to read the summary of the articles, and to assess the impact of those articles on the community working in those particular fields.
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Biochemistry: A Short Course 4th
by Tymoczko, John L. & Berg, Jeremy M
ISBN / ASIN: 9781319114633
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 1/26/2026
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Benjamin Cooperman, Ph.D.
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Biochemistry: A Short Course 4th
by Tymoczko, John L. & Berg, Jeremy M
ISBN / ASIN: 9781319114633
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 2/2/2026
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Heather Grandin, Ph.D.
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Biochemistry: A Short Course 4th
by Tymoczko, John L. & Berg, Jeremy M
ISBN / ASIN: 9781319114633
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 2/2/2026
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Praveen Kumar
Dr. Praveen Kumar brings his strong interdisciplinary interest and outstanding training in the fields of Microbiology, Biochemistry, Molecular Cell Biology, and pathophysiology to his course on human physiology. Dr. Kumar has been working for the Biotechnology/ Pharmaceutical industry for the last 9 years where he has been involved in cutting-edge research to understand the molecular basis of disease and to support drug discovery programs. He has 10 years of research experience from UCSF in basic science and has published his work in peer-reviewed journals and has presented it at leading national and international conferences. In his spare time, Dr. Kumar enjoys hiking and biking.
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Biochemistry: A Short Course 4th
by Tymoczko, John L. & Berg, Jeremy M
ISBN / ASIN: 9781319114633
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 2/2/2026
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Harry Rapoport
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Biochemistry: A Short Course 4th
by Tymoczko, John L. & Berg, Jeremy M
ISBN / ASIN: 9781319114633
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 2/9/2026
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Katrina Yamazaki
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Biochemistry: A Short Course 4th
by Tymoczko, John L. & Berg, Jeremy M
ISBN / ASIN: 9781319114633
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 2/9/2026
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Anila Madiraju
Anila Venable Madiraju, Ph.D. is a senior research associate at the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences where she currently researches the role of mitochondrial signaling in regulating metabolism, inflammatory pathways, and aging. Her major focus is to elucidate how nutrition, diet and exercise impact the human body at the molecular and cellular level, and answer fundamental questions on how to prevent aging-related diseases such as diabetes and cancer by targeting mitochondrial function.
Anila has dedicated nearly two decades to scientific research. As a young scientist at the age of 19, Anila won the Intel Foundation Award of a 50K scholarship to any university, and was selected to attend the Nobel Ceremonies where she presented her research. She holds a B.Sc. and a Ph.D. from Yale University, and was honored as the Jonas Salk Fellow in 2016-17. She recently was awarded a research sponsorship grant by Gilead Life Sciences Inc. as the Life Sciences Research Foundation Gilead Fellow.
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Biochemistry: A Short Course 4th
by Tymoczko, John L. & Berg, Jeremy M
ISBN / ASIN: 9781319114633
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 2/16/2026
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Angela Blum, Ph.D.
Angela Blum, Ph.D., is a physical organic chemist working at the intersection of chemistry and biology. She earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the California Institute of Technology. As a faculty member at Hamilton College, Dr. Blum taught courses in organic chemistry and biochemistry while leading a research laboratory focused on developing material-based solutions to antibiotic resistance. After several years in academia, Dr. Blum transitioned into the biotechnology industry, beginning with a role at a startup. This experience fostered an appreciation for the dynamic and fast-paced nature of the industry. Over the years, Dr. Blum has embraced the idea that multiple aspirations can be pursued throughout a lifetime and that adapting to change is both rewarding and fulfilling.
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Biochemistry: A Short Course 4th
by Tymoczko, John L. & Berg, Jeremy M
ISBN / ASIN: 9781319114633
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 2/23/2026
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Kirthi Reddy
Kirthi Reddy received her Ph.D. from Stanford University, where she studied effects of chromatin modification on DNA double-strand break formation. She completed her postdoctoral training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, researching how interactions with microbes influence neuronal signaling and behavior. She then spent over ten years as a research scientist at UCSD and the Salk Institute where she worked in a broad range of fields including pathogen resistance, the genetics of autism, and cancer biology. She has published numerous journal articles and has mentored many students in the lab. In her free time, Dr. Reddy enjoys spending time with her kids, playing ping-pong, and solving puzzles.
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Biochemistry: A Short Course 4th
by Tymoczko, John L. & Berg, Jeremy M
ISBN / ASIN: 9781319114633
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 3/2/2026
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor: Alexandra Moyzis
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Biochemistry: A Short Course 4th
by Tymoczko, John L. & Berg, Jeremy M
ISBN / ASIN: 9781319114633
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 3/2/2026
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Agape Awad
Agape Awad received her Ph.D. and completed her Postdoctoral Fellowship work at the University of California, Los Angeles, in the field of Biochemistry, Molecular, and Structural Biology, with a research emphasis in medicine. Subsequently, Dr. Awad joined the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCLA as an Instructional Faculty member, where she spent several years teaching Biochemistry and conducting research in the field of respiratory metabolism and diseases.
After many years at UCLA as both a student and Faculty member, Dr. Awad transitioned into the medical device industry in Cardiovascular Medical Technology at Edwards Lifesciences, the global leader in medical innovations for structural heart disease, as well as critical care, and surgical monitoring. Dr. Awad served as a Senior Scientist in the Quality division, working in biocompatibility and FDA-compliance for cardiology medical devices. Most recently, Dr. Awad transitioned in the biotechnology space, accepting a new role in biotechnology disease-state therapy at Amgen Inc., where she now serves as a Medical Communications Manager in the Oncology Therapeutic Area.In her free time, Dr. Awad enjoys spending time with her family and friends, playing sports, and teaching children's Sunday School at her home church. Her most favorite activity is going to Disneyland and going on as many rides as possible in one day.
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Biochemistry: A Short Course 4th
by Tymoczko, John L. & Berg, Jeremy M
ISBN / ASIN: 9781319114633
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 3/16/2026
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Katrina Yamazaki
FAQs
Many UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies courses can be transferred to other UC’s and/or other colleges or universities. The transfer of credit is determined solely by the receiving institution. It is recommended you discuss how your individual courses will transfer with the registrar's office at the receiving institution before you enroll. A syllabus can be requested from the department.