Lectures (46). Evolution, origin of life, cell membrane, biochemistry and cell biology. The nucleus, genes and control of gene expression, ploidy, structure of the nucleus, the nuclear envelope. The endoplasmic reticulum and the golgi network, intracellular trafficking. Peroxisomes, lysosomes and mitochondria. The cytoskeleton and motorproteins. Signal transduction, cell division, cell interactions and the extracellular matrix. Cellular development and differentiation. Biochemistry of the cell, uptake of nutrients. Metabolism. Discussions: Cell culture and cells under the microscope and students make a video recording discussing the subject.

General introduction to chemical foundations, atoms, molecules and ions. Stoichiometry and chemical reactions. Properties of gases, solids and liquides, and properties af solutions. Atomic structure and the periodic table. Atomic bonding (ionic, covalent and metal) using VB theory. Chemical kinetics and chemical equilibrium. Acids and bases and the properties and application of aqueous solutions (buffers and solubility products). Thermochemistry (enhalpy, entropy, sponaneity and the Gibbs free energy). Electrochemistry (galvanic and electrolyic sells) and application of electrochemistry. Nuclear chemistry.

Molar volume of gases, thermochemistry, reaction enthalpies and Hesse's law, Rate of chemical reactions, decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, reaction reversibility and Le Chatelier's principle, determination of acid ionization constant with potentiometric titration, determination of equilibrium constant with absorbtion measurements.

Students will be familiar with laboratory safety such as chemical safety, how to handle chemical spills and chemical accidents and first aid. Practical training will occur in one of the laboratories and it will end with a fire extinguishing training. 

The course is always in the beginning of the semester, before other courses start.

This course is a prerequisite for all laboratory work, so it is important to participate in this course. 

The aim of the course is to introduce general tools in the toolbox of students that are useful for studies and work in food and nutrition. During the course, students will be taught to apply through projects in food and nutrition:

Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams etc.)

The study supervision systems Ugla, Canvas and Inspera

General data and source search (National Library, search engines, databases)

Reading and evaluation of academic articles

Utilization of source management programs, e.g. Endnote, Mendeley etc.

General ethics in education and work, including the plagiarism program Turnitin

Basic principles of science communication in speech and writing, the importance of word choice and academic language.

Food and nutrition related programs (nutrient databases (ÍSGEM, menu design, dietary surveys)

The activities of food-related regulators, e.g. MAST, WHO, FAO, EFSA, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals presented along with their core competencies.

The aim of the course is to examine the connection between food production and food-related recommendations of the Office of the Medical Director of Health with the aim of preventing chronic diseases while reducing the environmental impact of food production and food choices.

Basic principles of organic chemistry with special reference to the medical disciplines. All main classes of organic compounds from alkanes to amines are covered together with their major reaction mechanisms. Structure and chemistry of biological compounds such as carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids and proteins with special reference to biochemistry, enzyme catalysed reaction and medicine in general.

Students will be trained in the laboratory work needed in the organic lab. Organic compounds will be synthesized with addition, alkylation and aldol condensation. The identification of organic compounds will be performed with the help of derivatives and TLC.

The course is especially aimed at students on their first year of studies in disciplines within the field of health sciences. The joint Health science day is for incoming students of all faculties at the School of Health Sciences in January each year. The main topic is interdisciplinary cooperation and its importance. All basic factors of cooperation will be covered such as the common view on the right to good health, communication and ethics. Furthermore, the role and responsibility of health sciences.

The aim of the course is to get to know the numerous factors that influence food choices. The course discusses the biological motivation of food choices and how diet is formed and changed over the course of a lifetime. It discusses outer factors that influence consumption behavior based on the individual himself (such as attitudes and values, nutritional literacy and skills) and the environment to which he belongs. The effects of the social environment, the design of the built environment (including access to different foods from producers, shops, in schools, workplaces and at home). The course will also discuss the effects of government and policy making, the economy, advertising, the media and social media. Insights are given into the subject of psychology and behavior and the basis on which individuals make decisions, such as memory and learning, perception, motivation, drive, goal setting, emotions and habits.

A detailed introduction will be presented on the structure, function and characteristics of the various nutrients and other constituents of foods. These involve water, ice, water activity as well as the chemical- and physical behavior of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in foods. Browning reactions, oxidation, the kinetics of food enzymes and their effects in foods are discussed in addition to food additives, toxic substances and pollutants. We discuss the effects of nutrient structure on their uptake and bioavailability in the human body. Also, how the cross-reactivity of nutrients with other components in foods may affect their adsorption from the digestive system and breakdown. The means by which the knowledge in food- and nutritional chemistry can be used to benefit food production to preserve the quality and shelf life of foods will be mentioned. The methodology used for food and nutrient analysis as well as studies on the bioavailability of food components will be discussed. In order to ensure knowledge transfer between food components and nutrition, specialists in food chemistry and nutrition will teach the class. Teaching will be in the form of lectures as well as discussions of textbook material and information on the Internet with active participation by students.

Practical training and student research projects: Review, summary and presentations of scientific articles from peer-reviewed journals on subjects connected to the lecture material.

At the beginning of the course some main statistical concepts are introduced, such as population, sample, variable and randomness. Various descriptive statistics are introduced, as well as basic graphical representations. Fundamentals of probability theory are introduced, as well as the most common probability distributions. The rest of the course deals with inferential statistics where hypotheses tests and confidence intervals for means, variance and proportions are covered as well a analysis of variance (ANOVA) and simple linear regression. Students will learn how to apply the above mentioned methods in the statistical software R.

This is a course for pharmacy-, nursing- and dentistry students. The course covers topics, concepts and methods in genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology. Introductory seminars will give an overview of these different disciplines and their integration. The course will discuss: genetic material, genome, chromosomes, genes, mitosis and meiosis. Mendelian-, mitochondrial- and complex inheritance. DNA metabolism and recombinant DNA technology. RNA molecules, gene expression, transcription, amino acids, peptide bonds, protein translation and protein degradation. Protein structure, protein drugs, enzymes and enzyme kinetics. Transgenic animals and bioinformatics. Molecular biology of viruses and gene therapy. The importance of these disciplines in the health services will be emphasized.

LÆK212G is the first half of a course on human physiology, the latter part is contained in LÆK213G. Students of dentistry, food sciences and nutrition are taught together. A prerequisite for LÆK212G is a course in cell biology such as LÆK112G or MON204G. 

The course is made of lectures, discussion, team based learning, practical exercises, mid-term short exams and a final exam. The following subjects are covered in LÆK212G: Homeostatic control, cell membranes, membrane potentials, neural physiology, peripheral nerves, skeletal and smooth muscles, the central nervous system, control of body movement, the sensory system (somatic, gustatory and olfactory senses, pain, vision, hearing, equilibrium), the heart, the circulation and the blood. Three practicals are executed: Senes, Muscles, and Circulation. There is an obligatory attendance to each practical.

Course topics

The aim of the course is that students knowledge on

• the role of energy-giving nutrients, vitamins, minerals, trace elements and other bioactive substances in the body,
• their bioavailability,
• their effects on metabolism,
• interaction with other food ingredients,
• the relationship between diet, nutrients and health,
• malnutrition and overnutrition,
• the symptoms of nutrient deficiencies and
• consequences of overnutrition.

The course also discusses the use of dietary supplements and their effects on health as compared to dietary nutrients derived from food.

We also use and discuss methods for assessing body composition, nutritional status, ie. parameters related to the role of the nutrients in the body by measurements of biological samples (e.g., blood, urine, fat, hair or other biological samples).

Icelandic studies related to teaching topics are also presented to students.

Teaching methods

The course is composed of lectures, practical exercises, student presentations and discussions.

There are organized five workshops on vitamins and minerals, where students acquire advanced knowledge of two nutrients, report to teachers and present to students and teachers at the end of the course. Emphasis is placed on increasing students' understanding of methods for controlling the consumption of vitamins and minerals.

In teaching hours, PubMed (or similar websites) will be regularly used to get the latest knowledge about nutrients and their relationships with health, and to increase students' understanding of scientific articles, methodology and statistics. Emphasis is also placed on teaching students to use a scientific methods to answer nutritional questions.

Previously taught as part of NÆR503M.

The course provides a general overview of food composition databases. These databases are defined and the main international data collections are reviewed. Special attention is given to the Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and U.S. nutrient databases.

Methods for data collection, their reliability, and their limitations are discussed. The Icelandic food composition databases are also covered, including their history and their importance in research on diet, disease, and public health.

Particular emphasis is placed on ÍSGEM, and students are given the opportunity to work with the database and become familiar with its practical use.

Lectures: Students will increase their knowledge of food composition databases, with emphasis on the Icelandic ISGEM databank, which contains data on the composition of foods on the Icelandic market. Students get acquainted with European standards on the management of food databanks (EuroFir project) in addition to the quality of references used to assemble databases. Softwares used to calculate nutritional composition will be introduced. Students also get to learn methods used in the chemical analysis of food. Teaching is in the form of lectures, projects, discussion and practical training. Food from all food groups will be analyzed.

The course focuses on scientific literacy, bases and methods for document searches and the necessary skills to evaluate quality, interpret and communicate scientific research effectively. Students will learn to identify credible sources, analyze the different parts of a scientific article, evaluate their quality, and develop a deeper understanding of what constitutes robust and effective scientific research. Students then learn the basics of what it means to be a professional within the dicipline. The course integrates practical elements such as "journal clubs", discussions on current issues related to food and nutrition, peer review exercises, peer assessment and presentations, for example in secondary schools. We will look to the future and artificial intelligence and predict its effect on scientific work. By combining academic knowledge with practical experience, students will develop critical thinking, collaboration and communication skills that will prepare them for the academic and professional tasks of the future.

During this course, students will be introduced to organisms and acellular entities too small to be seen by the unaided eye.  They can acquire knowledge on the characteristics of bacteria, archaea, viruses and eukaryotic microorganisms.  The course will explain the importance of microorganisms, how they live in diverse and dynamic ecosystems and how some affect humans, for example by being valuable for the food industry or by causing disease.  The students will gain laboratory experience and practice aseptic techniques. 

LÆK213G is the second half of a course on human physiology. A prerequisite is LÆK212G, which contains the former part.  Students of dentistry, nutrition and food science are tought together.

The course is made of lectures, practicals, discussion sessions, question practicals and mid-term short exams. The following subjects are covered in LÆK213G: The respiratory system, the urinary system, fluid and acid-base balance, control of food intake, the digestive system, hypothalamus and pituitary, circadian rythms, energy balance and temperature regulation, control of metabolism and growth (function of pancreas, thyroid and adrenals), reproductive physiology. There is one practical: Exercise physiology. There is an obligatory attendance to the practical and the accompanying discussion session. There are three short exams during the semester and two of them form part of the final grade.

This is a course for pharmacy-, nursing- and dentistry students. The course will focus on metabolism, specifically metabolism important for these disciplines. The course will also cover plasma proteins and hemostasis, bioenergetics, anaerobic and oxidative metabolism, carbohydrate, lipid, amino acid and nucleotide metabolism, fuel metabolism, iron, heme, liver, hormones and nutrition. The last part of the course is only intended for pharmacy and dentistry students with seminars on digestion, adsorption and nutrition highlighting the effects on human health.

The aim of this course is to enable student to conduct their own data analyses. This includes familiarizing them with practical aspects of data cleaning/processing and statistical methods used within nutritional epidemiology. 

Short lectures will be given covering selected subjects followed by practical assignments. Assignments will contribute 100% to the final grade. 

Some experience with SPSS, SAS or related softwere in addition to having taken basic course in statistics is desierable, but not required.

The course (2 ECTS) is especially aimed at students who have completed at least three years of undergraduate studies in clinical disciplines within the field of health sciences. It is a prerequisite for the clinical course Interdisciplinary clinical cooperation: The HealthSquare (2 ECTS) (health care service for university students). The course is based on the theories of interprofessional education and various teaching strategies will be used in order to encourage active participation of students. Students will work together in interdisciplinary groups. The course is mainly focused on interdisciplinary theories, professionalism, interdisciplinary cooperation, team work and ethical decisions in health care.

Assessment (pass / fail) is based on  project work, activity in project work and exams that take place in electronic form in the teaching cycle. 

Teaching arrangements:
Students are divided into interdisciplinary study groups at the beginning of the semester that plan and execute their own meeting times and hand in their final assignments before the end of October. 

The immune system, organs and cells. Innate immunity, phagocytes, complement, inflammation. Adaptive immunity, development and differentiation of lymphocytes. Specificity and antigen recognition, function of B- and T-cells. Immune responses, immunological memory, mucosal immunity. Immunological tolerance and immune regulation. Immune deficiency, hypersensitivity, autoimmunity and transplantation.  Treatment and intervention of autoimmune and allergic diseases.  Vaccination and protection from infections. Immunological methods and diagnostics. Students presentations and discussions of scientific articles under the teachers supervision.

The content of the course is diet, food system and related environmental effects

Examples of diets that will be discussed are vegan / keto / special diets / super diets

The connections between the national dietary survey and the nutrition database and how they are used to calculate environmental impact will be presented.

Different food systems, they are analyzed and their level of complexity will be addressed. The life cycle of food will be discussed, from the procurement of raw materials, production, consumption and disposal. Parts of food systems are packaging, shelf life Environmental impact calculations.

Calculations based on the mass and energy accounting of food systems will be discussed.

Differences between calculation pages / databases

The aim of the course is for students to deepen their understanding of the multifaceted roles of nutrients in the body and external conditions that can affect metabolism. Special emphasis will be placed on the metabolism of fatty acids, sugars, and amino acids. Particular attention will be paid to hormones that control appetite, which are related to another topic of the course, which is sleep and sleep problems. Students become acquainted with the methodology of experimental sciences related to nutrition and gain insight into new research areas in the field of nutrition.

The aim of the course is for students to gain a deep understanding of the importance of diet and nutrition during important life stages: during pregnancy, infancy, childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, menopause, and in aging.

In the course, students will learn to present scientific information to the public in plain language by creating and hosting MoN podcast. Students will interview experts in food and nutrition (scientists, teachers, doctoral students, industry experts, innovators, etc.) and thus become acquainted with a variety of jobs and research topics in food and nutrition.

Students will then learn to communicate scientific information to a wide audience in a clear way. Students will learn how to prepare for an interview, create a script, how to present it, learn how to apply basic techniques when using recording equipment, and how to ask open-ended questions that lead to lively discussion.

Evaluation of nutritional needs. Nutritional treatment of heart diseases, diabetes (type I and II), cancer, obesity and eating disorders. Close collaboration with the Unit of Clinical Nutrition at the University Hospital.

Practical work: Treatment and evaluation of results from a nutritional study. Clinical experiments on test meals or diets of varying nutritional composition.

Course description:

The course introduces the main topics and challenges of public health nutrition, but also methods and approaches in the field of health promotion. Emphasis will be placed on health promotion projects in the field of nutrition in the West but also in developing countries. Nutrition is placed in the context of other health-related behaviors, people's situations and lifestyles. The main theories about health-related behaviors will be introduced, which factors control consumption behavior and what can be important if changes are made to health-related behaviors. The main nutrition-related prevention and health promotion projects in Iceland as well as foreign projects will be presented. Students gain skills in organizing public health projects in the field of nutrition and how research results can be used for prevention and measures aimed at improving health. All the main steps in shaping and preparing a project, its implementation and evaluation of results will be discussed.

We try to answer following questions as well as others:

Do we really control what we eat - or do we have limited choices?

Is public health determined solely by politics?

Is nutrition literacy an important concept?

Is your diet ruining Mother Earth's health?

Do you get something to eat if there is a war abroad?

What is your responsibility for starving children in the world?

What really governs the world?

Do you want to be involved in changing the world?

Create health promotion projects of your choice.

Lectures (46). Evolution, origin of life, cell membrane, biochemistry and cell biology. The nucleus, genes and control of gene expression, ploidy, structure of the nucleus, the nuclear envelope. The endoplasmic reticulum and the golgi network, intracellular trafficking. Peroxisomes, lysosomes and mitochondria. The cytoskeleton and motorproteins. Signal transduction, cell division, cell interactions and the extracellular matrix. Cellular development and differentiation. Biochemistry of the cell, uptake of nutrients. Metabolism. Discussions: Cell culture and cells under the microscope and students make a video recording discussing the subject.

General introduction to chemical foundations, atoms, molecules and ions. Stoichiometry and chemical reactions. Properties of gases, solids and liquides, and properties af solutions. Atomic structure and the periodic table. Atomic bonding (ionic, covalent and metal) using VB theory. Chemical kinetics and chemical equilibrium. Acids and bases and the properties and application of aqueous solutions (buffers and solubility products). Thermochemistry (enhalpy, entropy, sponaneity and the Gibbs free energy). Electrochemistry (galvanic and electrolyic sells) and application of electrochemistry. Nuclear chemistry.

Molar volume of gases, thermochemistry, reaction enthalpies and Hesse's law, Rate of chemical reactions, decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, reaction reversibility and Le Chatelier's principle, determination of acid ionization constant with potentiometric titration, determination of equilibrium constant with absorbtion measurements.

Students will be familiar with laboratory safety such as chemical safety, how to handle chemical spills and chemical accidents and first aid. Practical training will occur in one of the laboratories and it will end with a fire extinguishing training. 

The course is always in the beginning of the semester, before other courses start.

This course is a prerequisite for all laboratory work, so it is important to participate in this course. 

The aim of the course is to introduce general tools in the toolbox of students that are useful for studies and work in food and nutrition. During the course, students will be taught to apply through projects in food and nutrition:

Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams etc.)

The study supervision systems Ugla, Canvas and Inspera

General data and source search (National Library, search engines, databases)

Reading and evaluation of academic articles

Utilization of source management programs, e.g. Endnote, Mendeley etc.

General ethics in education and work, including the plagiarism program Turnitin

Basic principles of science communication in speech and writing, the importance of word choice and academic language.

Food and nutrition related programs (nutrient databases (ÍSGEM, menu design, dietary surveys)

The activities of food-related regulators, e.g. MAST, WHO, FAO, EFSA, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals presented along with their core competencies.

The aim of the course is to examine the connection between food production and food-related recommendations of the Office of the Medical Director of Health with the aim of preventing chronic diseases while reducing the environmental impact of food production and food choices.

Basic principles of organic chemistry with special reference to the medical disciplines. All main classes of organic compounds from alkanes to amines are covered together with their major reaction mechanisms. Structure and chemistry of biological compounds such as carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids and proteins with special reference to biochemistry, enzyme catalysed reaction and medicine in general.

Students will be trained in the laboratory work needed in the organic lab. Organic compounds will be synthesized with addition, alkylation and aldol condensation. The identification of organic compounds will be performed with the help of derivatives and TLC.

The course is especially aimed at students on their first year of studies in disciplines within the field of health sciences. The joint Health science day is for incoming students of all faculties at the School of Health Sciences in January each year. The main topic is interdisciplinary cooperation and its importance. All basic factors of cooperation will be covered such as the common view on the right to good health, communication and ethics. Furthermore, the role and responsibility of health sciences.

The aim of the course is to get to know the numerous factors that influence food choices. The course discusses the biological motivation of food choices and how diet is formed and changed over the course of a lifetime. It discusses outer factors that influence consumption behavior based on the individual himself (such as attitudes and values, nutritional literacy and skills) and the environment to which he belongs. The effects of the social environment, the design of the built environment (including access to different foods from producers, shops, in schools, workplaces and at home). The course will also discuss the effects of government and policy making, the economy, advertising, the media and social media. Insights are given into the subject of psychology and behavior and the basis on which individuals make decisions, such as memory and learning, perception, motivation, drive, goal setting, emotions and habits.

A detailed introduction will be presented on the structure, function and characteristics of the various nutrients and other constituents of foods. These involve water, ice, water activity as well as the chemical- and physical behavior of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in foods. Browning reactions, oxidation, the kinetics of food enzymes and their effects in foods are discussed in addition to food additives, toxic substances and pollutants. We discuss the effects of nutrient structure on their uptake and bioavailability in the human body. Also, how the cross-reactivity of nutrients with other components in foods may affect their adsorption from the digestive system and breakdown. The means by which the knowledge in food- and nutritional chemistry can be used to benefit food production to preserve the quality and shelf life of foods will be mentioned. The methodology used for food and nutrient analysis as well as studies on the bioavailability of food components will be discussed. In order to ensure knowledge transfer between food components and nutrition, specialists in food chemistry and nutrition will teach the class. Teaching will be in the form of lectures as well as discussions of textbook material and information on the Internet with active participation by students.

Practical training and student research projects: Review, summary and presentations of scientific articles from peer-reviewed journals on subjects connected to the lecture material.

At the beginning of the course some main statistical concepts are introduced, such as population, sample, variable and randomness. Various descriptive statistics are introduced, as well as basic graphical representations. Fundamentals of probability theory are introduced, as well as the most common probability distributions. The rest of the course deals with inferential statistics where hypotheses tests and confidence intervals for means, variance and proportions are covered as well a analysis of variance (ANOVA) and simple linear regression. Students will learn how to apply the above mentioned methods in the statistical software R.

This is a course for pharmacy-, nursing- and dentistry students. The course covers topics, concepts and methods in genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology. Introductory seminars will give an overview of these different disciplines and their integration. The course will discuss: genetic material, genome, chromosomes, genes, mitosis and meiosis. Mendelian-, mitochondrial- and complex inheritance. DNA metabolism and recombinant DNA technology. RNA molecules, gene expression, transcription, amino acids, peptide bonds, protein translation and protein degradation. Protein structure, protein drugs, enzymes and enzyme kinetics. Transgenic animals and bioinformatics. Molecular biology of viruses and gene therapy. The importance of these disciplines in the health services will be emphasized.

LÆK212G is the first half of a course on human physiology, the latter part is contained in LÆK213G. Students of dentistry, food sciences and nutrition are taught together. A prerequisite for LÆK212G is a course in cell biology such as LÆK112G or MON204G. 

The course is made of lectures, discussion, team based learning, practical exercises, mid-term short exams and a final exam. The following subjects are covered in LÆK212G: Homeostatic control, cell membranes, membrane potentials, neural physiology, peripheral nerves, skeletal and smooth muscles, the central nervous system, control of body movement, the sensory system (somatic, gustatory and olfactory senses, pain, vision, hearing, equilibrium), the heart, the circulation and the blood. Three practicals are executed: Senes, Muscles, and Circulation. There is an obligatory attendance to each practical.

Course topics

The aim of the course is that students knowledge on

• the role of energy-giving nutrients, vitamins, minerals, trace elements and other bioactive substances in the body,
• their bioavailability,
• their effects on metabolism,
• interaction with other food ingredients,
• the relationship between diet, nutrients and health,
• malnutrition and overnutrition,
• the symptoms of nutrient deficiencies and
• consequences of overnutrition.

The course also discusses the use of dietary supplements and their effects on health as compared to dietary nutrients derived from food.

We also use and discuss methods for assessing body composition, nutritional status, ie. parameters related to the role of the nutrients in the body by measurements of biological samples (e.g., blood, urine, fat, hair or other biological samples).

Icelandic studies related to teaching topics are also presented to students.

Teaching methods

The course is composed of lectures, practical exercises, student presentations and discussions.

There are organized five workshops on vitamins and minerals, where students acquire advanced knowledge of two nutrients, report to teachers and present to students and teachers at the end of the course. Emphasis is placed on increasing students' understanding of methods for controlling the consumption of vitamins and minerals.

In teaching hours, PubMed (or similar websites) will be regularly used to get the latest knowledge about nutrients and their relationships with health, and to increase students' understanding of scientific articles, methodology and statistics. Emphasis is also placed on teaching students to use a scientific methods to answer nutritional questions.

Previously taught as part of NÆR503M.

The course provides a general overview of food composition databases. These databases are defined and the main international data collections are reviewed. Special attention is given to the Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and U.S. nutrient databases.

Methods for data collection, their reliability, and their limitations are discussed. The Icelandic food composition databases are also covered, including their history and their importance in research on diet, disease, and public health.

Particular emphasis is placed on ÍSGEM, and students are given the opportunity to work with the database and become familiar with its practical use.

Lectures: Students will increase their knowledge of food composition databases, with emphasis on the Icelandic ISGEM databank, which contains data on the composition of foods on the Icelandic market. Students get acquainted with European standards on the management of food databanks (EuroFir project) in addition to the quality of references used to assemble databases. Softwares used to calculate nutritional composition will be introduced. Students also get to learn methods used in the chemical analysis of food. Teaching is in the form of lectures, projects, discussion and practical training. Food from all food groups will be analyzed.

The course focuses on scientific literacy, bases and methods for document searches and the necessary skills to evaluate quality, interpret and communicate scientific research effectively. Students will learn to identify credible sources, analyze the different parts of a scientific article, evaluate their quality, and develop a deeper understanding of what constitutes robust and effective scientific research. Students then learn the basics of what it means to be a professional within the dicipline. The course integrates practical elements such as "journal clubs", discussions on current issues related to food and nutrition, peer review exercises, peer assessment and presentations, for example in secondary schools. We will look to the future and artificial intelligence and predict its effect on scientific work. By combining academic knowledge with practical experience, students will develop critical thinking, collaboration and communication skills that will prepare them for the academic and professional tasks of the future.

During this course, students will be introduced to organisms and acellular entities too small to be seen by the unaided eye.  They can acquire knowledge on the characteristics of bacteria, archaea, viruses and eukaryotic microorganisms.  The course will explain the importance of microorganisms, how they live in diverse and dynamic ecosystems and how some affect humans, for example by being valuable for the food industry or by causing disease.  The students will gain laboratory experience and practice aseptic techniques. 

LÆK213G is the second half of a course on human physiology. A prerequisite is LÆK212G, which contains the former part.  Students of dentistry, nutrition and food science are tought together.

The course is made of lectures, practicals, discussion sessions, question practicals and mid-term short exams. The following subjects are covered in LÆK213G: The respiratory system, the urinary system, fluid and acid-base balance, control of food intake, the digestive system, hypothalamus and pituitary, circadian rythms, energy balance and temperature regulation, control of metabolism and growth (function of pancreas, thyroid and adrenals), reproductive physiology. There is one practical: Exercise physiology. There is an obligatory attendance to the practical and the accompanying discussion session. There are three short exams during the semester and two of them form part of the final grade.

This is a course for pharmacy-, nursing- and dentistry students. The course will focus on metabolism, specifically metabolism important for these disciplines. The course will also cover plasma proteins and hemostasis, bioenergetics, anaerobic and oxidative metabolism, carbohydrate, lipid, amino acid and nucleotide metabolism, fuel metabolism, iron, heme, liver, hormones and nutrition. The last part of the course is only intended for pharmacy and dentistry students with seminars on digestion, adsorption and nutrition highlighting the effects on human health.

The aim of this course is to enable student to conduct their own data analyses. This includes familiarizing them with practical aspects of data cleaning/processing and statistical methods used within nutritional epidemiology. 

Short lectures will be given covering selected subjects followed by practical assignments. Assignments will contribute 100% to the final grade. 

Some experience with SPSS, SAS or related softwere in addition to having taken basic course in statistics is desierable, but not required.

The course (2 ECTS) is especially aimed at students who have completed at least three years of undergraduate studies in clinical disciplines within the field of health sciences. It is a prerequisite for the clinical course Interdisciplinary clinical cooperation: The HealthSquare (2 ECTS) (health care service for university students). The course is based on the theories of interprofessional education and various teaching strategies will be used in order to encourage active participation of students. Students will work together in interdisciplinary groups. The course is mainly focused on interdisciplinary theories, professionalism, interdisciplinary cooperation, team work and ethical decisions in health care.

Assessment (pass / fail) is based on  project work, activity in project work and exams that take place in electronic form in the teaching cycle. 

Teaching arrangements:
Students are divided into interdisciplinary study groups at the beginning of the semester that plan and execute their own meeting times and hand in their final assignments before the end of October. 

The immune system, organs and cells. Innate immunity, phagocytes, complement, inflammation. Adaptive immunity, development and differentiation of lymphocytes. Specificity and antigen recognition, function of B- and T-cells. Immune responses, immunological memory, mucosal immunity. Immunological tolerance and immune regulation. Immune deficiency, hypersensitivity, autoimmunity and transplantation.  Treatment and intervention of autoimmune and allergic diseases.  Vaccination and protection from infections. Immunological methods and diagnostics. Students presentations and discussions of scientific articles under the teachers supervision.

The content of the course is diet, food system and related environmental effects

Examples of diets that will be discussed are vegan / keto / special diets / super diets

The connections between the national dietary survey and the nutrition database and how they are used to calculate environmental impact will be presented.

Different food systems, they are analyzed and their level of complexity will be addressed. The life cycle of food will be discussed, from the procurement of raw materials, production, consumption and disposal. Parts of food systems are packaging, shelf life Environmental impact calculations.

Calculations based on the mass and energy accounting of food systems will be discussed.

Differences between calculation pages / databases

The aim of the course is for students to deepen their understanding of the multifaceted roles of nutrients in the body and external conditions that can affect metabolism. Special emphasis will be placed on the metabolism of fatty acids, sugars, and amino acids. Particular attention will be paid to hormones that control appetite, which are related to another topic of the course, which is sleep and sleep problems. Students become acquainted with the methodology of experimental sciences related to nutrition and gain insight into new research areas in the field of nutrition.

The aim of the course is for students to gain a deep understanding of the importance of diet and nutrition during important life stages: during pregnancy, infancy, childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, menopause, and in aging.

In the course, students will learn to present scientific information to the public in plain language by creating and hosting MoN podcast. Students will interview experts in food and nutrition (scientists, teachers, doctoral students, industry experts, innovators, etc.) and thus become acquainted with a variety of jobs and research topics in food and nutrition.

Students will then learn to communicate scientific information to a wide audience in a clear way. Students will learn how to prepare for an interview, create a script, how to present it, learn how to apply basic techniques when using recording equipment, and how to ask open-ended questions that lead to lively discussion.

Evaluation of nutritional needs. Nutritional treatment of heart diseases, diabetes (type I and II), cancer, obesity and eating disorders. Close collaboration with the Unit of Clinical Nutrition at the University Hospital.

Practical work: Treatment and evaluation of results from a nutritional study. Clinical experiments on test meals or diets of varying nutritional composition.

Course description:

The course introduces the main topics and challenges of public health nutrition, but also methods and approaches in the field of health promotion. Emphasis will be placed on health promotion projects in the field of nutrition in the West but also in developing countries. Nutrition is placed in the context of other health-related behaviors, people's situations and lifestyles. The main theories about health-related behaviors will be introduced, which factors control consumption behavior and what can be important if changes are made to health-related behaviors. The main nutrition-related prevention and health promotion projects in Iceland as well as foreign projects will be presented. Students gain skills in organizing public health projects in the field of nutrition and how research results can be used for prevention and measures aimed at improving health. All the main steps in shaping and preparing a project, its implementation and evaluation of results will be discussed.

We try to answer following questions as well as others:

Do we really control what we eat - or do we have limited choices?

Is public health determined solely by politics?

Is nutrition literacy an important concept?

Is your diet ruining Mother Earth's health?

Do you get something to eat if there is a war abroad?

What is your responsibility for starving children in the world?

What really governs the world?

Do you want to be involved in changing the world?

Create health promotion projects of your choice.

Lectures (46). Evolution, origin of life, cell membrane, biochemistry and cell biology. The nucleus, genes and control of gene expression, ploidy, structure of the nucleus, the nuclear envelope. The endoplasmic reticulum and the golgi network, intracellular trafficking. Peroxisomes, lysosomes and mitochondria. The cytoskeleton and motorproteins. Signal transduction, cell division, cell interactions and the extracellular matrix. Cellular development and differentiation. Biochemistry of the cell, uptake of nutrients. Metabolism. Discussions: Cell culture and cells under the microscope and students make a video recording discussing the subject.

General introduction to chemical foundations, atoms, molecules and ions. Stoichiometry and chemical reactions. Properties of gases, solids and liquides, and properties af solutions. Atomic structure and the periodic table. Atomic bonding (ionic, covalent and metal) using VB theory. Chemical kinetics and chemical equilibrium. Acids and bases and the properties and application of aqueous solutions (buffers and solubility products). Thermochemistry (enhalpy, entropy, sponaneity and the Gibbs free energy). Electrochemistry (galvanic and electrolyic sells) and application of electrochemistry. Nuclear chemistry.

Molar volume of gases, thermochemistry, reaction enthalpies and Hesse's law, Rate of chemical reactions, decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, reaction reversibility and Le Chatelier's principle, determination of acid ionization constant with potentiometric titration, determination of equilibrium constant with absorbtion measurements.

Students will be familiar with laboratory safety such as chemical safety, how to handle chemical spills and chemical accidents and first aid. Practical training will occur in one of the laboratories and it will end with a fire extinguishing training. 

The course is always in the beginning of the semester, before other courses start.

This course is a prerequisite for all laboratory work, so it is important to participate in this course. 

The aim of the course is to introduce general tools in the toolbox of students that are useful for studies and work in food and nutrition. During the course, students will be taught to apply through projects in food and nutrition:

Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams etc.)

The study supervision systems Ugla, Canvas and Inspera

General data and source search (National Library, search engines, databases)

Reading and evaluation of academic articles

Utilization of source management programs, e.g. Endnote, Mendeley etc.

General ethics in education and work, including the plagiarism program Turnitin

Basic principles of science communication in speech and writing, the importance of word choice and academic language.

Food and nutrition related programs (nutrient databases (ÍSGEM, menu design, dietary surveys)

The activities of food-related regulators, e.g. MAST, WHO, FAO, EFSA, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals presented along with their core competencies.

The aim of the course is to examine the connection between food production and food-related recommendations of the Office of the Medical Director of Health with the aim of preventing chronic diseases while reducing the environmental impact of food production and food choices.

Basic principles of organic chemistry with special reference to the medical disciplines. All main classes of organic compounds from alkanes to amines are covered together with their major reaction mechanisms. Structure and chemistry of biological compounds such as carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids and proteins with special reference to biochemistry, enzyme catalysed reaction and medicine in general.

Students will be trained in the laboratory work needed in the organic lab. Organic compounds will be synthesized with addition, alkylation and aldol condensation. The identification of organic compounds will be performed with the help of derivatives and TLC.

The course is especially aimed at students on their first year of studies in disciplines within the field of health sciences. The joint Health science day is for incoming students of all faculties at the School of Health Sciences in January each year. The main topic is interdisciplinary cooperation and its importance. All basic factors of cooperation will be covered such as the common view on the right to good health, communication and ethics. Furthermore, the role and responsibility of health sciences.

The aim of the course is to get to know the numerous factors that influence food choices. The course discusses the biological motivation of food choices and how diet is formed and changed over the course of a lifetime. It discusses outer factors that influence consumption behavior based on the individual himself (such as attitudes and values, nutritional literacy and skills) and the environment to which he belongs. The effects of the social environment, the design of the built environment (including access to different foods from producers, shops, in schools, workplaces and at home). The course will also discuss the effects of government and policy making, the economy, advertising, the media and social media. Insights are given into the subject of psychology and behavior and the basis on which individuals make decisions, such as memory and learning, perception, motivation, drive, goal setting, emotions and habits.

A detailed introduction will be presented on the structure, function and characteristics of the various nutrients and other constituents of foods. These involve water, ice, water activity as well as the chemical- and physical behavior of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in foods. Browning reactions, oxidation, the kinetics of food enzymes and their effects in foods are discussed in addition to food additives, toxic substances and pollutants. We discuss the effects of nutrient structure on their uptake and bioavailability in the human body. Also, how the cross-reactivity of nutrients with other components in foods may affect their adsorption from the digestive system and breakdown. The means by which the knowledge in food- and nutritional chemistry can be used to benefit food production to preserve the quality and shelf life of foods will be mentioned. The methodology used for food and nutrient analysis as well as studies on the bioavailability of food components will be discussed. In order to ensure knowledge transfer between food components and nutrition, specialists in food chemistry and nutrition will teach the class. Teaching will be in the form of lectures as well as discussions of textbook material and information on the Internet with active participation by students.

Practical training and student research projects: Review, summary and presentations of scientific articles from peer-reviewed journals on subjects connected to the lecture material.

At the beginning of the course some main statistical concepts are introduced, such as population, sample, variable and randomness. Various descriptive statistics are introduced, as well as basic graphical representations. Fundamentals of probability theory are introduced, as well as the most common probability distributions. The rest of the course deals with inferential statistics where hypotheses tests and confidence intervals for means, variance and proportions are covered as well a analysis of variance (ANOVA) and simple linear regression. Students will learn how to apply the above mentioned methods in the statistical software R.

This is a course for pharmacy-, nursing- and dentistry students. The course covers topics, concepts and methods in genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology. Introductory seminars will give an overview of these different disciplines and their integration. The course will discuss: genetic material, genome, chromosomes, genes, mitosis and meiosis. Mendelian-, mitochondrial- and complex inheritance. DNA metabolism and recombinant DNA technology. RNA molecules, gene expression, transcription, amino acids, peptide bonds, protein translation and protein degradation. Protein structure, protein drugs, enzymes and enzyme kinetics. Transgenic animals and bioinformatics. Molecular biology of viruses and gene therapy. The importance of these disciplines in the health services will be emphasized.

LÆK212G is the first half of a course on human physiology, the latter part is contained in LÆK213G. Students of dentistry, food sciences and nutrition are taught together. A prerequisite for LÆK212G is a course in cell biology such as LÆK112G or MON204G. 

The course is made of lectures, discussion, team based learning, practical exercises, mid-term short exams and a final exam. The following subjects are covered in LÆK212G: Homeostatic control, cell membranes, membrane potentials, neural physiology, peripheral nerves, skeletal and smooth muscles, the central nervous system, control of body movement, the sensory system (somatic, gustatory and olfactory senses, pain, vision, hearing, equilibrium), the heart, the circulation and the blood. Three practicals are executed: Senes, Muscles, and Circulation. There is an obligatory attendance to each practical.

Course topics

The aim of the course is that students knowledge on

• the role of energy-giving nutrients, vitamins, minerals, trace elements and other bioactive substances in the body,
• their bioavailability,
• their effects on metabolism,
• interaction with other food ingredients,
• the relationship between diet, nutrients and health,
• malnutrition and overnutrition,
• the symptoms of nutrient deficiencies and
• consequences of overnutrition.

The course also discusses the use of dietary supplements and their effects on health as compared to dietary nutrients derived from food.

We also use and discuss methods for assessing body composition, nutritional status, ie. parameters related to the role of the nutrients in the body by measurements of biological samples (e.g., blood, urine, fat, hair or other biological samples).

Icelandic studies related to teaching topics are also presented to students.

Teaching methods

The course is composed of lectures, practical exercises, student presentations and discussions.

There are organized five workshops on vitamins and minerals, where students acquire advanced knowledge of two nutrients, report to teachers and present to students and teachers at the end of the course. Emphasis is placed on increasing students' understanding of methods for controlling the consumption of vitamins and minerals.

In teaching hours, PubMed (or similar websites) will be regularly used to get the latest knowledge about nutrients and their relationships with health, and to increase students' understanding of scientific articles, methodology and statistics. Emphasis is also placed on teaching students to use a scientific methods to answer nutritional questions.

Previously taught as part of NÆR503M.

The course provides a general overview of food composition databases. These databases are defined and the main international data collections are reviewed. Special attention is given to the Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and U.S. nutrient databases.

Methods for data collection, their reliability, and their limitations are discussed. The Icelandic food composition databases are also covered, including their history and their importance in research on diet, disease, and public health.

Particular emphasis is placed on ÍSGEM, and students are given the opportunity to work with the database and become familiar with its practical use.

Lectures: Students will increase their knowledge of food composition databases, with emphasis on the Icelandic ISGEM databank, which contains data on the composition of foods on the Icelandic market. Students get acquainted with European standards on the management of food databanks (EuroFir project) in addition to the quality of references used to assemble databases. Softwares used to calculate nutritional composition will be introduced. Students also get to learn methods used in the chemical analysis of food. Teaching is in the form of lectures, projects, discussion and practical training. Food from all food groups will be analyzed.

The course focuses on scientific literacy, bases and methods for document searches and the necessary skills to evaluate quality, interpret and communicate scientific research effectively. Students will learn to identify credible sources, analyze the different parts of a scientific article, evaluate their quality, and develop a deeper understanding of what constitutes robust and effective scientific research. Students then learn the basics of what it means to be a professional within the dicipline. The course integrates practical elements such as "journal clubs", discussions on current issues related to food and nutrition, peer review exercises, peer assessment and presentations, for example in secondary schools. We will look to the future and artificial intelligence and predict its effect on scientific work. By combining academic knowledge with practical experience, students will develop critical thinking, collaboration and communication skills that will prepare them for the academic and professional tasks of the future.

During this course, students will be introduced to organisms and acellular entities too small to be seen by the unaided eye.  They can acquire knowledge on the characteristics of bacteria, archaea, viruses and eukaryotic microorganisms.  The course will explain the importance of microorganisms, how they live in diverse and dynamic ecosystems and how some affect humans, for example by being valuable for the food industry or by causing disease.  The students will gain laboratory experience and practice aseptic techniques. 

LÆK213G is the second half of a course on human physiology. A prerequisite is LÆK212G, which contains the former part.  Students of dentistry, nutrition and food science are tought together.

The course is made of lectures, practicals, discussion sessions, question practicals and mid-term short exams. The following subjects are covered in LÆK213G: The respiratory system, the urinary system, fluid and acid-base balance, control of food intake, the digestive system, hypothalamus and pituitary, circadian rythms, energy balance and temperature regulation, control of metabolism and growth (function of pancreas, thyroid and adrenals), reproductive physiology. There is one practical: Exercise physiology. There is an obligatory attendance to the practical and the accompanying discussion session. There are three short exams during the semester and two of them form part of the final grade.

This is a course for pharmacy-, nursing- and dentistry students. The course will focus on metabolism, specifically metabolism important for these disciplines. The course will also cover plasma proteins and hemostasis, bioenergetics, anaerobic and oxidative metabolism, carbohydrate, lipid, amino acid and nucleotide metabolism, fuel metabolism, iron, heme, liver, hormones and nutrition. The last part of the course is only intended for pharmacy and dentistry students with seminars on digestion, adsorption and nutrition highlighting the effects on human health.

The aim of this course is to enable student to conduct their own data analyses. This includes familiarizing them with practical aspects of data cleaning/processing and statistical methods used within nutritional epidemiology. 

Short lectures will be given covering selected subjects followed by practical assignments. Assignments will contribute 100% to the final grade. 

Some experience with SPSS, SAS or related softwere in addition to having taken basic course in statistics is desierable, but not required.

The course (2 ECTS) is especially aimed at students who have completed at least three years of undergraduate studies in clinical disciplines within the field of health sciences. It is a prerequisite for the clinical course Interdisciplinary clinical cooperation: The HealthSquare (2 ECTS) (health care service for university students). The course is based on the theories of interprofessional education and various teaching strategies will be used in order to encourage active participation of students. Students will work together in interdisciplinary groups. The course is mainly focused on interdisciplinary theories, professionalism, interdisciplinary cooperation, team work and ethical decisions in health care.

Assessment (pass / fail) is based on  project work, activity in project work and exams that take place in electronic form in the teaching cycle. 

Teaching arrangements:
Students are divided into interdisciplinary study groups at the beginning of the semester that plan and execute their own meeting times and hand in their final assignments before the end of October. 

The immune system, organs and cells. Innate immunity, phagocytes, complement, inflammation. Adaptive immunity, development and differentiation of lymphocytes. Specificity and antigen recognition, function of B- and T-cells. Immune responses, immunological memory, mucosal immunity. Immunological tolerance and immune regulation. Immune deficiency, hypersensitivity, autoimmunity and transplantation.  Treatment and intervention of autoimmune and allergic diseases.  Vaccination and protection from infections. Immunological methods and diagnostics. Students presentations and discussions of scientific articles under the teachers supervision.

The content of the course is diet, food system and related environmental effects

Examples of diets that will be discussed are vegan / keto / special diets / super diets

The connections between the national dietary survey and the nutrition database and how they are used to calculate environmental impact will be presented.

Different food systems, they are analyzed and their level of complexity will be addressed. The life cycle of food will be discussed, from the procurement of raw materials, production, consumption and disposal. Parts of food systems are packaging, shelf life Environmental impact calculations.

Calculations based on the mass and energy accounting of food systems will be discussed.

Differences between calculation pages / databases

The aim of the course is for students to deepen their understanding of the multifaceted roles of nutrients in the body and external conditions that can affect metabolism. Special emphasis will be placed on the metabolism of fatty acids, sugars, and amino acids. Particular attention will be paid to hormones that control appetite, which are related to another topic of the course, which is sleep and sleep problems. Students become acquainted with the methodology of experimental sciences related to nutrition and gain insight into new research areas in the field of nutrition.

The aim of the course is for students to gain a deep understanding of the importance of diet and nutrition during important life stages: during pregnancy, infancy, childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, menopause, and in aging.

In the course, students will learn to present scientific information to the public in plain language by creating and hosting MoN podcast. Students will interview experts in food and nutrition (scientists, teachers, doctoral students, industry experts, innovators, etc.) and thus become acquainted with a variety of jobs and research topics in food and nutrition.

Students will then learn to communicate scientific information to a wide audience in a clear way. Students will learn how to prepare for an interview, create a script, how to present it, learn how to apply basic techniques when using recording equipment, and how to ask open-ended questions that lead to lively discussion.

Evaluation of nutritional needs. Nutritional treatment of heart diseases, diabetes (type I and II), cancer, obesity and eating disorders. Close collaboration with the Unit of Clinical Nutrition at the University Hospital.

Practical work: Treatment and evaluation of results from a nutritional study. Clinical experiments on test meals or diets of varying nutritional composition.

Course description:

The course introduces the main topics and challenges of public health nutrition, but also methods and approaches in the field of health promotion. Emphasis will be placed on health promotion projects in the field of nutrition in the West but also in developing countries. Nutrition is placed in the context of other health-related behaviors, people's situations and lifestyles. The main theories about health-related behaviors will be introduced, which factors control consumption behavior and what can be important if changes are made to health-related behaviors. The main nutrition-related prevention and health promotion projects in Iceland as well as foreign projects will be presented. Students gain skills in organizing public health projects in the field of nutrition and how research results can be used for prevention and measures aimed at improving health. All the main steps in shaping and preparing a project, its implementation and evaluation of results will be discussed.

We try to answer following questions as well as others:

Do we really control what we eat - or do we have limited choices?

Is public health determined solely by politics?

Is nutrition literacy an important concept?

Is your diet ruining Mother Earth's health?

Do you get something to eat if there is a war abroad?

What is your responsibility for starving children in the world?

What really governs the world?

Do you want to be involved in changing the world?

Create health promotion projects of your choice.