This class was fairly easy and interesting for those who'd like a more nitty-gritty look omics and systems biology. Prof. Xiao and the TAs care a lot about the students and provided study guides, plenty of review sessions, and recorded lectures for those unable to attend. Participation was a bit sad after the first week, which is why coming to class and getting your name known will set you up for a grade bump if you need it. The midterm seemed fair and honestly quite easy if you review just the lecture & discussion material, plus in my opinion the pace of the class was fairly reasonable. Past reviews seem to indicate many mandatory readings, but I only recall three this quarter -- all of which were fairly interesting as a CaSB major.
Breakdown:
Class Participation - 10%
Lit. Review / Presentation - 25%
Student (Proteomic) Lecture Feedback - 5%
Midterm - 30%
Final - 30%

Dr. Xiao genuinely cares about the students' understanding of the subject - I went in knowing nothing about systems biology, but by the end of the quarter, grew interested in the subject matter. The lectures are very clear and straightforward, and her exams are very fair. I would definitely recommend this class to anyone even slightly interested in biology and biotechnology.

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I love this class so much. Dr. Xiao is really nice professer. She is doing a great job on her lecture, you won't have much confusion. Her test is straight forward. Most important, there is enough extra credit for you to get an good grade. This is the class I enjoy the most during my 2 years at UCLA. Highly recommanded!!

Dr. Xiao was one of the nicest professors I've had at this school. She was always willing to answer any questions that I had after lecture no matter how many or how dumb and never got frustrated with me. Her slides were also very clear and gave walk-throughs of every technique discussed to make it easier to understand. This class does ask you to read a lot of scientific papers, but it is possible to get by if you skip them, although I'd recommend at least skimming them over. Overall, a very pleasant experience.