Sources for new drugs. Biochemistry of diseases. Target validation techniques. Mechanism of action of enzymes and receptors. Enzyme inhibition and receptor binding studies. Structure base drug design: conformational analysis, docking and binding affinity calculations. Course also teaches proposal writing skills.
3
UnitsOptional
Grading1, 2, 3
PasstimeNone
Level LimitLetters and science
CollegeA beautiful series on drug design. Entertaining lectures, laid back classroom setting, chill homework assignments, crucial feedback. Kahn does everything that other professors try to do. Most professors suck, but Kahn is an exception. It is clear that he has been in academia his whole life because he has perfected teaching. Very enjoyable.
The coursework is manageable, but be ready to put in the time on assignments. Attending lectures is crucial - you'll get a lot more out of the class that way. For study prep, Unstuck study and the free textbook were super helpful.
Prof Kahn was a great first impression of UCSB for me as a transfer; always asking the class for ways he could improve our quality of learning and he implemented them. Grading was fair and there were lots of ways to earn easy points, like vocab pop quizzes or extra credit. He also likes to recycle questions sometimes on exams/homeworks.
Truly one of the best teachers I've had at UCSB. I was worried about taking this class because I've heard he's very tough, but he's literally so sweet. He cares so much about his students individually. He stayed late in his office to help me with homework, slowed the course down, and asked us what he could do to improve his tests and listened 10/10
The contents aren't too difficult, but you should expect devoting a lot of time in homework assignments, which is like a small project each. Attend lectures definitely saves your time.
Dr. Kahn's classes are VERY HARD but his material is always interesting and he constantly pushes students towards harder concepts. If you really try and work hard you will succeed. Please go to his office hours if you need help. He is very kind and supportive, even if he may seem intimidating. DO NOT CHEAT OR SLACK OFF IN HIS CLASS