There are four graduate programs offering the Ph.D. degree within the School of Medicine and Health Sciences. These include programs in the departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Microbiology and Immunology; Pharmacology; and Physiology.

Laboratories within these departments will have demonstrated funding levels sufficient to meet the research and scholarly requirements for successful completion of the Ph.D. degree in order to be eligible for participation in the M.D./Ph.D. program.

Anatomy and Cell Biology:

Students accepted to the graduate programs in Anatomy and Cell Biology will receive formal education and training to prepare them for careers in academic teaching and research. Research programs being pursued in our curriculum include: Development of therapeutic intervention strategies for increased neuronal survival following traumatic brain injury, focusing on the mechanisms of action of neuroprotective cytokines and ketogenic diet. Morphometric and biochemical analyses of cellular and extracellular components of small blood vessels in the retina of the eye and the glomerulus of the kidney in transgenic models of diabetes with particular interest in therapeutic protection against tissue damage in these locations in chronic stages of hyperglycemia. Neurochemistry and circuitry of the spinal cord and how disease processes, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and chronic pain, alter the normal state. Investigations of the cell death process of retinal pigment epithelial cells. Specifically, characterizing the functions and roles of two unique proteins in retinal pigment epithelial cells that contain the molecular machinery for directing both endocytosis/intracellular sorting and apoptosis (programmed cell death). Regulation of PKA-dependent signaling events with emphasis on the role of AKAP12 in regulating intracellular signal compartmentalization, sensory neuron function, endothelial wound healing, and the response of endothelial cells to hypoxia and inflammation.

Anatomy and Cell Biology home page

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology:

The program is open to all qualified and interested students. After acceptance into the program, graduate students will be expected to meet requirements as they are outlined in the Graduate Academic Information section of the Graduate Catalog. It is the student's responsibility to be aware of and to adhere to all requirements and regulations in the Graduate Catalog. Although in some instances, Graduate Catalog requirements are repeated below, the primary purpose of this document is to provide information regarding departmental policies and requirements pertinent to the graduate program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology home page

Microbiology and Immunology:

The goals of the program are to provide scientific training and experience for careers in research and teaching in universities, clinical and research laboratories and in fields of related employment. Additional background is available in disciplines such as biochemistry, computer sciences, and statistics in other departments in the School of Medicine and the University.

Microbiology and Immunology home page

Pharmacology/Physiology:

Pharmacology is a health and life science related discipline of interest to students with diverse interests in biology and chemistry. It is an excellent field for those who wish to perform medically relevant research, bridging the gap between these two disciplines. Educational objectives of the graduate program in Pharmacology include an understanding of the mechanism of action of various drugs and their relationship to treating disease. Departmental research opportunities and course work provide students with a thorough understanding of how drugs work to alleviate disease states.

Physiology is the study of living systems; knowledge of human physiology forms the basis for the understanding of all human health and disease. It is important for research oriented graduate and M.D.-Ph.D. students who are planning a career in biomedical fields. Graduate and Ph.D. students develop expertise in the concepts of integration of living systems from the cellular and subcellular level up to and including whole body responses to changing environments. Organ systems highlighted in our curriculum include: the heart, blood and blood vessels; kidneys; lungs; gastrointestinal tract; nervous system, and endocrine glands and reproduction. Our focus is on students developing an appropriate understanding and appreciation of the logic of living systems.

Pharmacology, Physiology and Therapeutics home page