Liver Disease: Looking after Your Liver
Learn about how your liver works, ways to look after it and how liver damage is caused, studied and treated around the world.
Duration
3 weeksWeekly study
3 hours
Liver Disease: Looking after Your Liver
We are currently experiencing an international explosion of liver disease that continues to have enormous impact upon healthcare systems and global health. In the UK we have seen a 20% increase in deaths related to liver disease since 2000 and this pattern reflects the global situation.
Contrary to expectations, this dramatic increase in liver disease is not restricted to patients who drink alcohol, and liver cancer is the third most common cause of cancer related death. Many inherited conditions and acquired infections can also cause liver disease, and liver disease as a consequence of obesity and diet is becoming especially significant.
This course will teach you about the amazing roles the liver fulfils to keep you healthy and will show you how these functions are compromised when the liver is damaged. We will highlight the reasons why liver disease is on the increase and show you some of the amazing new treatment options available to address the global challenge of liver disease. Finally we will also show you some simple steps you can take to look after your liver to prevent liver disease.
You can see what the tutors are up to by following their Twitter feed @BirminghamLiver. You can also find out more in Patricia Lalor’s blog post: “What can you do to look after your liver?”
What topics will you cover?
- Liver anatomy and function
- Regeneration
- Viruses, autoimmunity, alcohol and metabolic disease
- Jaundice
- Fibrosis
- Diet and the liver
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Describe the anatomy and function of the liver, and understand how individual cell types contribute to these
- Compare the signs and symptoms of liver disease and understand what causes them
- Discuss the major global causes of liver disease
- Reflect on the varied causes of liver disease
- Explore treatments for different types of liver disease and understand the challenges of treatment
- Explore how diet impacts on the function of both healthy and diseased livers
Who is the course for?
The course will be of relevance to those who enjoy the study of biology and are interested in medicine. Secondary or High school-level knowledge of science is sufficient to complete this course. There will also be optional, additional materials for those already educated to undergraduate level and those who would like to challenge themselves and explore beyond the core material.
Who will you learn with?
Dr Patricia Lalor and Dr Zania Stamataki are research scientists who study the mechanisms of human liver disease in the Centre for Liver Research at the University of Birmingham.
Who developed the course?
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a public research university, consistently listed as a leading UK university and ranked among the top 100 in the world.
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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