Coursera

Translating Basic Research into Research for Humans (Coursera)

Offered by University of Michigan,

The first phase of translational research — known as “T1” — is the process of moving foundational scientific discoveries into possible approaches for real-world health applications. This course focuses on innovations in basic science discovery, including drug discovery and repurposing and animal studies, that lead to new methods of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention in highly controlled settings.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

You’ll also discuss the role of the federal government to support and regulate translational research as it moves from basic science to human interventions.
This is the second course of five in the “Translational Science” series.
Course 2 of 5 in the Translational Science Specialization.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Welcome to Week 1 of Translating Basic Research into Research for Humans. This week you will learn how to 1) identify key differences between basic science research and clinical research, and 2) describe the role of animals in the research process.

WEEK 2
Welcome to Week 2 of Translating Basic Research into Research for Humans. This week you will learn how to 1) describe potential career paths for basic science researchers, 2) identify team roles for research conducted in the T1 stage of translational science, and 3) describe the types of career development awards available for translational research education.

WEEK 3
Welcome to Week 3 of Translating Basic Research into Research for Humans. This week you will learn how to 1) explain the process of translating the outcomes of basic science research into improvements in human health, and 2) explain how T1 research is associated with T2 and T3/T4 research.

Go to Class

MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Coursera

University of Michigan

Translating Research to Patients (Coursera)

Health & Society Science

The second phase of translational research — known as “T2” — assesses the value of applying discoveries to clinical practice, which leads to the development of evidence-based guidelines. This course focuses on clinical trials, the value of applying discoveries to clinical practice, and best practices for conducting research.

Nov 2nd 2026

3 Weeks

Health Patient Clinical Trials

Coursera

Johns Hopkins University

Leadership for Cancer Informatics Research (Coursera)

Health & Society

Informatics research often requires multidisciplinary teams. This requires more flexibility to communicate with team members with distinct backgrounds. Furthermore, team members often have different research and career goals. This can present unique challenges in making sure that everyone is on the same page and cohesively working together. This course aims to provide research leaders with guidance about: How to effectively lead and support team members on informatics projects; How to perform informatics projects well; How to support informatics collaborators, mentees, and employees; How to better support diversity within your team; Tools that can help you perform informatics projects well

Nov 2nd 2026

4 Weeks

Informatics Cancer Clinical Research

Coursera

Leiden University,Leiden University Medical Center

Anatomy of the Abdomen and Pelvis; a journey from basis to clinic. (Coursera)

Health & Society Medicine & Pharmacology

In this anatomy course you will explore the organs involved in our food digestion and discover the common causes of abdominal and pelvic pain. The latest graphics and animations will help you to find new insights and understanding of this part of the body, that has been the focus of anatomical research for centuries and presently arouses renewed scientific interest. You will explore the 3D anatomy of the organs from a basic level, providing thorough anatomical understanding, to its advanced application in surgical procedures.

Nov 2nd 2026

5-12 Weeks

Health Anatomy Human Body

Coursera

University of Alberta

Dino 101: Dinosaur Paleobiology (Coursera)

Sci: Biology & Life Sciences Health & Society

Dino 101: Dinosaur Paleobiology is a 12-lesson course teaching a comprehensive overview of non-avian dinosaurs. Topics covered: anatomy, eating, locomotion, growth, environmental and behavioral adaptations, origins and extinction. Lessons are delivered from museums, fossil-preparation labs and dig sites. Estimated workload: 3-5 hrs/week.

Nov 14th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Biology Evolution Biodiversity

Coursera

University of Copenhagen

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease – The Essentials (Coursera)

Health & Society

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a global problem, affecting up to 25% of all individuals. The disease not only increases the risk of liver disease, but also of cardiovascular disease and liver cancer. During this course, you will learn the essentials of NAFLD. We will begin with an introduction to the physiology of the human liver followed by epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical medicine, and genetics. Diagnosing NAFLD based on blood tests, diagnostic imaging and histology will be discussed. Complications and treatment options will also be covered in this course including the link between NAFLD and the development of diabetes. Finally, experts will discuss data driven identification of new biomarkers by omics technologies.

Nov 9th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Health Diabetes Physiology

Coursera

Vanderbilt University

Data Management for Clinical Research (Coursera)

Health & Society Medicine & Pharmacology

This course presents critical concepts and practical methods to support planning, collection, storage, and dissemination of data in clinical research. Understanding and implementing solid data management principles is critical for any scientific domain. Regardless of your current (or anticipated) role in the research enterprise, a strong working knowledge and skill set in data management principles and practice will increase your productivity and improve your science. Our goal is to use these modules to help you learn and practice this skill set.

Nov 9th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Data Data Management Clinical Research

Coursera

University of Cape Town

Understanding Clinical Research: Behind the Statistics (Coursera)

Health & Society Statistics & Data Analysis

If you’ve ever skipped over`the results section of a medical paper because terms like “confidence interval” or “p-value” go over your head, then you’re in the right place. You may be a clinical practitioner reading research articles to keep up-to-date with developments in your field or a medical student wondering how to approach your own research. Greater confidence in understanding statistical analysis and the results can benefit both working professionals and those undertaking research themselves.

Oct 26th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Health Statistics Clinical Research

Coursera

University of Colorado Boulder

The Big Stuff: Evolution and Ecology (Coursera)

Sci: Biology & Life Sciences Health & Society

In this course, we will explore how evolution works to generate new species, the wide variety of life on earth. We will also touch on the importance of biodiversity for the overall health of our planet, and for our well being as humans. Then we will discuss ecology and the interconnectedness of life and touch on one big ecological issue in today’s society, conservation.

Nov 2nd 2026

4 Weeks

Health Biology Evolution

Coursera

Johns Hopkins University

Chemicals and Health (Coursera)

Health & Society Sci: Chemistry

This course covers chemicals in our environment and in our bodies and how they impact our health. It addresses policies and practices related to chemicals, particularly related to how they get into our bodies (exposures), what they do when they get there (toxicology), how we measure them (biomonitoring) and their impact on our health. Most examples are drawn from the US.

Nov 9th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Health Public Health Toxicology

Coursera

Duke University

Introduction to Genetics and Evolution (Coursera)

Sci: Biology & Life Sciences

Introduction to Genetics and Evolution is a college-level class being offered simultaneously to new students at Duke University. The course gives interested people a very basic overview of some principles behind these very fundamental areas of biology. We often hear about new "genome sequences," commercial kits that can tell you about your ancestry (including pre-human) from your DNA or disease predispositions, debates about the truth of evolution, why animals behave the way they do, and how people found "genetic evidence for natural selection." This course provides the basic biology you need to understand all of these issues better, tries to clarify some misconceptions, and tries to prepare students for future, more advanced coursework in Biology (and especially evolutionary genetics). No prior coursework is assumed.

Oct 26th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Science Biology Life

Coursera

Johns Hopkins University

Design and Interpretation of Clinical Trials (Coursera)

Health & Society Medicine & Pharmacology

Clinical trials are experiments designed to evaluate new interventions to prevent or treat disease in humans. The interventions evaluated can be drugs, devices (e.g., hearing aid), surgeries, behavioral interventions (e.g., smoking cessation program), community health programs (e.g. cancer screening programs) or health delivery systems (e.g., special care units for hospital admissions). We consider clinical trials experiments because the investigators rather the patients or their doctors select the treatment the patients receive.

Oct 26th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Medicine Health Management

Coursera

Novartis

Pre-formulation (Coursera)

Health & Society

In this course we will focus on how active compounds are developed into a formulation suitable for dosing in animal studies and early human clinical trials.  Factors such as the route of administration, enhancing the solubility of the drug substance, the crystalline form of the drug substance, drug substance vs. drug product, storage requirements, and how special requirements of the patient population play a role in the design of an ideal formulation will be covered. 

Nov 2nd 2026

3 Weeks

Clinical Trials Drugs Drug Development