About the Program

Vickery Trinkaus-Randall PhD, Program Director

Raphael A. Zoeller PhD, Assistant Program Director

Introduction

The interdisciplinary Program in Cell and Molecular Biology takes advantage of the individual resources of the seven academic departments in the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences at the Boston University School of Medicine. The program focuses on basic scientific and clinical issues related to molecular and cellular biology. The participation of more than 80 faculty members offers a diversity of research opportunities and a wealth of productive interactions. Areas of expertise include molecular mechanisms regulating gene expression and developmental programs, cell structure/function relationships, molecular characterization of receptors and signal transduction processes, structural analyses of macromolecules, and the impact of health and disease on all of these areas. The availability of core facilities (i.e., FACS cell sorter, confocal microscope, microscopic imaging, transgenic mouse colony, Universitywide computer network) allows for the state-of-the-art technological approaches to address critical research issues. Students are admitted to the cell and molecular biology program and, after one year of study, enter a participating basic science department. Each student, in consultation with his or her thesis advisor and advisory committee, designs an individual program of specialized coursework built upon a core program of molecular and cellular biology. Students graduate with a PhD in a basic science department, distinguished by the phrase, "Program in Cell and Molecular Biology." Financial support is available in the form of scholarships and stipends, federally funded traineeships and fellowships, and University fellowships. There are currently over 60 students enrolled in the fields of molecular and cellular biology in the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences.

Requirements for Admission

Applicants for PhD training in molecular and cellular biology should have a bachelor's degree with emphasis in the biochemical, biological, or chemical sciences. Post-master's graduate students and MD/PhD students also qualify for admission. Students in the first year of a degree program in one of the academic departments at Boston University School of Medicine may also apply.