Pioneers of Medicine and Medical Breakthroughs in Taiwan (Coursera)

Pioneers of Medicine and Medical Breakthroughs in Taiwan (Coursera)

Through ages, doctors and scientists have worked hard to fight against different diseases, but it is not easy to find the effective way to deal with them. However, it is a lot faster and easier to approach new problems nowadays with the help of past experience and modern technology. In this course, we are going to show you some common diseases and its current management. At the same time, we will also show you how modern medicine has developed and what breakthroughs are specially made in Taiwan.

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

What You Will Learn

  • Recognize the basics of Hepatitis B, chronic kidney disease and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Welcome to this course!
Welcome to Pioneers of Medicine and Medical Breakthroughs in Taiwan!

WEEK 2
W2-1 Hepatitis B: a Quest for Pathogenesis, Natural Course and Management
Many of us have received Hepatitis B vaccine in our earlier life and perhaps some of you have just received a booster shot recently. However, do you know why we should receive the Hepatitis B vaccine? Although the vaccine can prevent the contraction of hepatitis B virus, there are still many HBV carriers all around the world. Thus, the treatment of Hepatitis B should also be sought to improve the outcome of the patients. In this lesson, you will learn about how the vaccine changed the fate of many people and what antiviral treatments are available for hepatitis B.
W2-2 Hepatitis B: Nationwide Vaccination and Public Health Impact
The Hepatitis B immunization program has been a success in Taiwan. Since the implementation of the vaccination program, the prevalence and incidence of Hepatitis B have dropped significantly. In order to optimize the protection against Hepatitis B, the government has to prevent the transmission of the virus. One route of transmission is the vertical transmission, which is mother-to-child transmission. If a pregnant woman is a hepatitis B carrier, will the infant be infected too? What can we do to prevent vertical transmission? In this lesson, pediatrician Dr. Chang will talk about the strategy to tackle this problem.

WEEK 3
W3 End-stage Renal Disease in Taiwan: Transformation from the Worst to the Better
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is very common in Taiwan. With the progression of CKD, the patient will reach the final stage of the disease, which is called End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). Most patients with ESRD will have to receive dialysis to substitute for their failing kidney. The prevalence of dialysis in Taiwan is among the top in the world due to its health care policy. In this talk, nephrologist Dr. Chao will give you an insight about end-stage renal disease and its management.

WEEK 4
W4 Outcomes of Living-related Kidney Transplantation
End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is the final stage of chronic kidney disease. It means that the kidney can no longer function on their own. At this point, interventions must be done to help the failing kidney. In this lesson, you will learn about the role of hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and kidney transplantation in ESRD, which have saved many lives. In this talk, Prof. Tsai, an experienced and skillful renal transplant surgeon, will also share his experience in living-related renal transplantation in National Taiwan University Hospital.

WEEK 5
W5 Extracorporeal Life Support: Advancement and Utilization
Basic life support has been a critical skill for everyone when facing emergency. Nowadays with the progression of modern medicine, we can actually save a patient without heart or lung!
Through this lesson, you are going to take a glimpse on how ECMO (Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) works, and those real cases saved by the use of this machine. At the same time, ECPR (Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) developed by NTUH (National Taiwan university hospital) will also give you the new concept of resuscitation, and you are sure to better understand how doctors save severe patients through these incredible ways.

WEEK 6
W6 Conclusion

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

Related Courses

Systems Thinking In Public Health (Coursera) Coursera
Johns Hopkins University

Systems Thinking In Public Health (Coursera)

This course provides an introduction to systems thinking and systems models in public health. Problems in public health and health policy tend to be complex with many actors, institutions and risk factors involved. If an outcome depends on many interacting and adaptive parts and actors the outcome cannot be analyzed or predicted with traditional statistical methods. Systems thinking is a core skill in public health and helps health policymakers build programs and policies that are aware of and prepared for unintended consequences.

Aug 10th 2026
4 Weeks
Chemicals and Health (Coursera) Coursera
Johns Hopkins University

Chemicals and Health (Coursera)

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.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Tobacco Control: Agile Policy, Research and Practice (Coursera) Coursera
Imperial College London

Tobacco Control: Agile Policy, Research and Practice (Coursera)

This course teaches you about the global health harms caused by tobacco and the efforts underway to combat these. You'll analyse the strategies and tactics used by the tobacco industry, and their allies, to keep people buying their products, and you'll reflect on the role played by public health research in pushing back against this pressure with the ultimate aim of improving health.

Aug 17th 2026
3 Weeks
Medical Neuroscience (Coursera) Coursera
Duke University

Medical Neuroscience (Coursera)

Medical Neuroscience explores the functional organization and neurophysiology of the human central nervous system, while providing a neurobiological framework for understanding human behavior. In this course, you will discover the organization of the neural systems in the brain and spinal cord that mediate sensation, motivate bodily action, and integrate sensorimotor signals with memory, emotion and related faculties of cognition. The overall goal of this course is to provide the foundation for understanding the impairments of sensation, action and cognition that accompany injury, disease or dysfunction in the central nervous system. The course will build upon knowledge acquired through prior studies of cell and molecular biology, general physiology and human anatomy, as we focus primarily on the central nervous system.

Aug 17th 2026
13-24 Weeks
Population Health: Syndemics (Coursera) Coursera
Leiden University

Population Health: Syndemics (Coursera)

Do you wish to contribute to breaking cycles of ill-health in disadvantaged populations? And explore co-occurrence of diseases, such as substance abuse, infectious and chronic disease, and the relation with social factors (disparities)? Are you disappointed in the poor effectiveness of interventions for combined social and medical problems? Then this syndemics course might provide you with some answers.

Aug 17th 2026
4 Weeks
Diabetes - the Essential Facts (Coursera) Coursera
University of Copenhagen

Diabetes - the Essential Facts (Coursera)

Across the world more than 420 million people are living with diabetes. Two thirds of these have not yet been diagnosed. When discovered late or managed incorrectly, diabetes can damage your heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves, leading to disability and premature death. In fact, more people are dying of diabetes related diseases than of diseases as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. This course will provide you with an introduction to the most recent research in the field of prevention and treatment of diabetes as well as a broader understanding of the situation in different communities, rich and poor, across the world, where diabetes threatens public health.

Aug 16th 2026
3 Weeks
Acute and Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Comprehensive Review (Coursera) Coursera
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Acute and Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Comprehensive Review (Coursera)

This course is designed to inform primary care physicians and general otolaryngologists about the differences between acute and chronic rhinosinusitis and how to distinguish and treat them. It is also applicable to individuals who wish to broaden their knowledge and vernacular about this disease process, especially those who may suffer from this condition.

Aug 10th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Epidemics (Coursera) Coursera
University of Hong Kong

Epidemics (Coursera)

“If history is our guide, we can assume that the battle between the intellect and will of the human species and the extraordinary adaptability of microbes will be never-ending.” Despite all the remarkable technological breakthroughs that we have made over the past few decades, the threat from infectious diseases has significantly accelerated. In this course, we will learn why this is the case by looking at the fundamental scientific principles underlying epidemics and the public health actions behind their prevention and control in the 21st century.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
GIS Applications Across Industries (Coursera) Coursera
University of California, Davis

GIS Applications Across Industries (Coursera)

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is becoming an essential business skill across a variety of different disciplines. In this course, you will explore how GIS skills are commonly applied and used in a variety of industries focusing specifically on: environmental studies, public health, emergency management, and business development. You will be empowered to conduct GIS-based analyses that are commonly used in these areas and benefit from how each industry uses GIS to tackle common analysis needs. Additionally, you will work through a series of hands-on exercises that will improve your knowledge of the advanced analysis capabilities of ArcGIS Pro.

Aug 17th 2026
4 Weeks
Disease Screening in Public Health (Coursera) Coursera
University of Geneva

Disease Screening in Public Health (Coursera)

Current and future public health is characterized by the increase of chronic and degenerative diseases, corresponding to the worldwide ageing of the population. The increasing prevalence of these conditions together with the long incubation period of the chronic diseases and the restless technological innovations, offer new opportunities to develop strategies for early diagnosis.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Public Health Approaches to Abortion (Coursera) Coursera
Emory University

Public Health Approaches to Abortion (Coursera)

Despite major gains in sexual and reproductive health and gender equity worldwide, abortion remains a topic rife with misinformation, disinformation and influenced by non-evidence-based policies. This introductory public health course provides accessible and foundational knowledge on the topic of abortion in the context of a changing reproductive health landscape.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks