 |
Faculty Research: Degree Granting Programs:Anatomy
& Cellular Biology
Students are expected to have a clear desire to enter a research
career, and the training program provides an intensive experience
in fundamental research, with frequent opportunities to demonstrate
appropriate forward progress. A wide range of advanced courses
in neuroscience and cell biology, which prepare the student to
take advantage of the rapidly changing face of science, is offered
during the second year. The combined M.D./Ph.D. program, for students
interested in an academically oriented medical center, is structured
to provide students with a wide range of choices in research and
flexibility in designing the sequence of course work and research. Biochemistry
and Molecular Genetics We consider a student's Ph.D. thesis research the most vital
part of our training program. Ph.D. candidates can choose to do
their thesis research with faculty members whose research interests
include signal transduction and cell cycle regulation, membrane
biology, regulation of gene function and development, protein
and nucleic acid structure and function, and cancer biology. Students
are also expected to participate in other departmental activities
such as research seminars and journal clubs to enhance their laboratory
training. Microbiology
& Immunology Beginning in the second semester, a variety of elective courses enables students to concentrate more selectively within a chosen area of interest. Critical skills are developed and fostered through participation in journal clubs, research talks, regular departmental seminars, and the student research seminar series. Ongoing faculty research in areas of cellular and molecular immunology, microbiology, virology, and cell biology provide a wide range of opportunities for student training. Particular areas of research focus include:
The Graduate Program of the Department of Pathology offers training leading to degrees at both the master’s and doctoral levels, and participates in the MD/PhD joint degree program. The department is oriented toward the study of disease at the molecular, cellular, organ, whole organism, and population levels. Students are initially immersed in an integrated curriculum in the GEMS core curriculum that focuses on the fundamentals of biochemistry and cell and molecular biology, and integrates these with topics in molecular medicine and cancer biology. Beginning in the second semester, students elect to take courses with the goal of concentrating more selectively within the area of pathology research. They will receive an introduction in the science of disease with a focus on the mechanisms of basic pathological processes at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and whole organism levels. A separate course in cancer biology deals with basic principles of carcinogenesis, tumor biology, and basic science of oncology, including epidemiology, the molecular and cellular basis of cancer, tumor progression, invasion and metastasis, and prevention, detection, diagnosis, and therapy of cancer. Major theoretical concepts and practical issues involved in conducting research involving molecular biomarkers in human populations will be presented and discussed in detail. Students initially pick three or four potential mentors in whose laboratories they spend 10-week rotations during the first year. At the end of their first year, students select a mentor with whom they will undertake their thesis research towards obtaining a graduate degree in Pathology. In doing so, they complete specialized training in an area of pathology of their choice that is focused on translational and trans-disciplinary aspects of pathology and cancer research. Specific areas of research within the Department of Pathology include:
Pharmacology Research in these areas is pursued using multidisciplinary methods, which emphasize intensive training at the molecular and cellular levels. In addition to the GEMS core courses, students interested in pharmacology will take Receptor Pharmacology and Cell Signaling and an elective in the first year. The second-year course requirements include Medical Pharmacology, Scientific Integrity and Responsible Research and an elective chosen from Drug Metabolism and Distribution; Molecular Pharmacology of the Cardiovascular System and Platelets; Pharmacology and Biology of the Vessel Wall; and Ion Channels: Structure, Function, Pharmacology and Pathology. Electives outside the department are also available in areas such as bioinformatics and molecular genetics. Students initiate their research during the first year. The preliminary exam is given in the third year of graduate work.
Throughout their residency, students participate in seminars,
colloquia, and a variety of informal discussions. The graduate
student-faculty ratio is 2:1 and close tutorial relationships
are emphasized. Physiology
& Biophysics Students learn the general principles of physiological function and study of functions of the various organ systems, the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie these functions, and the control mechanisms that regulate and integrate these functions. The department participates in NIH Training Grants, which provide thematic training in cellular signaling and signal transduction in the cardiovascular, nervous, gastrointestinal, and endocrine systems. The graduate program prepares students for academic and industrial
research careers. In collaboration with their advisor, students
develop a course of study that best meets their own needs and
interests. The program includes formal course work, informal seminars
and discussions, and an independent research project, the results
of which are presented in a Ph.D. or M.S. thesis. Students who
enter the department with a B.S. degree normally require four
to five years to obtain a Ph.D. degree or two years to obtain
an M.S. degree. |
|
|