Graduate Research Programs
MD/PhD students select a thesis mentor from a broad range of faculty and disciplines across eight research programs. Below, you can find more information and links to each of the programs in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology
The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology strives to bring a molecular perspective to problems in biology and medicine. The Department currently has 25 faculty who, with 171 postdoctoral fellows, research associates, graduate students and staff, conduct research on a wide variety of topics. By establishing an interface between biology and the disciplines of chemistry, mathematics and physics, this department encourages the development and application of quantitative approaches to complex problems in the life sciences. Learn more…
Cancer Biology
Cancer biology is an academic discipline with a tangible endpoint: improving the retention, diagnosis and treatment of human cancers.
The Program in Cancer Biology provides students interested in pursuing a career in cancer biology with rigorous training in biochemistry, genetics, molecular and cell biology, as well as an understanding of the clinical aspects of cancer. The program is based in the Department of Cancer Biology, but it also includes faculty from most basic science departments and several clinical departments. The strength and diversity of the faculty enable students to explore different approaches to the study of cancer in their laboratory rotations and to develop inter-departmental and interdisciplinary collaborations during their thesis research.
This program is also an integral component of the UMass Memorial Cancer Center of Excellence and it affords students the opportunity to participate in disease-based programs of the Cancer Center that are designed to translate achievements from the basic sciences to the clinical management of human cancer. Learn more…
Cell Biology
The Cell Biology Department at the University of Massachusetts Medical School represents an exciting, highly interactive multidisciplinary program that is consistently rated among the top 15 in the nation. The Cell Biology faculty are conducting research into some of the most complex, medically relevant problems that face our society today, and are dedicated to preparing our students to face these challenges in an environment of rapid technological change.
The discipline of Cell Biology has undergone a tremendous explosion, both in terms of knowledge and in the scope of models and techniques that are used. Contemporary researchers in Cell Biology translate their studies at the single molecule level to the study of disease in the whole animal. Researchers seek to answer questions in both basic and applied Cell Biology. Learn more…
Cell and Molecular Physiology
The Department of Physiology provides students the academic background, experimental tools and analytical skills needed to pursue questions about cell and organ function in new and innovative ways.
Towards this end, students are exposed to imaging techniques, single and whole cell patch clamp techniques and molecular techniques such as cloning, RT-PCR, micro-array analysis and mutagenesis, to respond to challenges in newly emerging areas of cellular and molecular physiology. Learn more…
The Clinical & Population Health Research (CPHR) program is one of the few in the country that was specifically designed to address the new challenges in biomedical research. These include speeding the translation of knowledge from the explosion in basic sciences to patient care interventions, and assuring that new evidence-based medicine reaches the populations that can benefit from it. The CPHR program promotes an interdisciplinary approach to conducting research, and provides a strong focus on addressing the needs of vulnerable populations.
The CPHR core courses provide cutting edge research training in all areas of NIH-defined clinical research: from initial translation from lab to clinic, and from clinical trials to population health. Students will graduate with the advanced skills and knowledge in biostatistics, epidemiology, and the genetic, behavioral, social, and health service predictors of individual health status needed to be successful clinical researchers. In addition, CPHR students have excellent opportunities to experience working with renowned senior investigators and dedicated research teams in over a dozen clinical departments and research centers. Learn more…
Immunology and Virology
This program fosters virology and immunology research and training at UMMS, and encompasses a core curriculum and a specialization in one of several fields of biomedical research. Research training in the program is an interdisciplinary, cooperative undertaking which depends upon regular interaction among faculty and students from several different clinical and basic science departments. They provide training in cellular and molecular immunology, molecular virology and viral and bacterial immunology, with an emphasis on HIV and AIDS-related viruses, on anti-viral vaccine development, and autoimmunity and transplantation. These studies are strongly supported by a core of basic immunologists and virologists, which is increasing in number, as they make efforts to involve our trainees in the translation of basic findings to model systems of disease and then to clinical settings. Learn more…
Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
Molecular Genetics & Microbiology provides excellent research training opportunities for graduate students in the biomedical sciences with its emphasis in:
- contemporary molecular biology
- bacterial and yeast genetics
- eukaryotic gene expression
- molecular and cellular immunology
- virology and bacterial pathogenesis
Learn more…
Neuroscience
Brain function embodies the very essence of the human experience, as well as that of our relatives in the animal kingdom, and its study represents one of the most exciting scientific endeavors. In recent years, neuroscience has become a well-established discipline, with new investigative tools making experimental studies possible that were virtually science fiction only a few years ago.
The Program in Neuroscience has recently undergone an explosive level of growth,
characterized by the recruitment of new faculty, as well as the formation within the last four years of the Department of Neurobiology, the opening of the Irving S. and Betty Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute and the addition of neuroscientists from the Shriver Center in Waltham, MA.
Under the umbrella of Neurobiology, the program is comprised of both faculty from within the department, as well as those with primary appointments in other school departments, and maintains a schedule of seminars and intramural research presentations that ensures a cohesive program. This atmosphere is especially conducive to the scientific growth of graduate students obtaining their degrees in neuroscience. Learn more…