Howard University
Biochemistry
Washington DC
Overview
In the years since its inception in 1867, Howard University has grown from a single frame building to a 75-acre campus with buildings and equipment valued at more than $70 million. The University, which has 1,400 faculty members, is fully accredited and offers a full range of graduate and undergraduate programs. Howard University is a member of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area.
More than 12,000 students are registered in the University. In a recent year, the College of Medicine, located on the main campus, had 398 students enrolled. Of these, 65 were doctoral students.
The Location and Community
The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, located in the College of Medicine, is in the middle of the nation's capital. Many government facilities, such as Walter Reed Hospital, the National Institutes of Health, the Library of Congress, and the National Medical Library, are within a few minutes' drive. The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Folger Library with its Shakespeare collection, and the many museums, art galleries, and exhibitions give the District of Columbia a distinct cultural advantage over other cities.
Programs of Study and Degree Requirements
The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology offers programs leading to the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. The primary objective of the Ph.D. program is to prepare candidates for research and teaching careers. The first few semesters are devoted primarily to core course work designed to give the student a broad background in the fundamental theories and techniques of biochemistry. During this time, the student gains exposure to methods for the solution of research problems by working in the laboratories of various faculty members. During the remaining part of the programs, students become increasingly involved in laboratory research and in the critical analysis of biochemical literature. Emphasis is placed on giving candidates rigorous standards of scholarship and critical attitudes toward the solution of research problems. A broad range of research interests exists within the department. An active seminar program conducted by visiting scientists gives students and faculty members opportunities to broaden their outlook on current scientific problems. Candidates for the Ph.D. degree must obtain the equivalent of 72 semester hours of credit with a grade point average of 3.0 or better, pass qualifying examinations, and complete and defend a dissertation. The dissertation must advance knowledge in its research area and must be of publishable quality.
The M.S. (biotechnology) program prepares students for biomedical industrial careers. The curriculum emphasizes development of technical skills, does not require a thesis, and features an industrial externship. Candidates for the M.S. (biotechnology) degree must obtain 40 semester hours of credit with a grade point average of 3.0 (B) or better.
Facilities & Resources
The department has spacious laboratories equipped with modern instruments that are used by both faculty members and students in such research areas as macromolecules (structure and function), enzyme kinetics and mechanisms of action, hormonal control mechanisms, gene organization and expression, cancer research, drug metabolism, lipid metabolism, and clinical and nutritional biochemistry.
Expenses and Aid
Full-time tuition and fees per year (9 semester hours or more) are $15,855. There was a matriculation fee of $297.50, which included student activities and on-campus health services and benefits. Other fees included a self-help fee and endowment fee, amounting to a total of $20.
Financial Aid:
The department has a limited number of teaching assistantships and fellowships. These are awarded to the best-qualified applicants.
Housing/Living Expenses:
For assistance in finding University-approved off-campus housing, graduate students should write directly to the Supervisor of Off-Campus Housing. Dormitory cafeterias with low prices are open to all University students.
How to Apply
Because assistantships and fellowships are limited, all applications and other necessary documents should be submitted before March 1. The application fee is $25. Students must present at least a 3.0 cumulative average in order to be considered for financial aid and should have a strong background in biology, calculus, physics, and organic and physical chemistry.
Who to Contact
Director, Graduate Studies Committee
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
College of Medicine
Howard University
Washington, D.C. 20059-0001
202-806-6289
E-mail: biwashington@howard.edu
The Faculty
• Cynthia K. Abrams, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Maryland. Nutritional biochemistry, clinical nutrition; fat digestion.
• Selenium deficiency in long term total parenteral nutrition. Nutr. Clin. Pract. 7:175-8, 1992. With Siram et al.
• Amha Asseffa, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Howard. Molecular biology, gene regulation and protein kinases.
• Differentiated THP-1 cells display increased levels of MHC class 1 and 11 mRNA and interferon-gamma inducible tumoricidal activity. Oncol. Res. 5:11-8, 1993.
• Carolyn Whitfield Broome, Associate Professor; Ph.D., George Washington. Breast cancer genetics and gene expression in African Americans.
• Estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor-negative breast cancers of young African-American women have a higher frequency of methylation of multiple genes than those of Caucasian women. Clin. Cancer Res. 10:2052-7, 2004. With Mehrotra et al.
• Inherited BRCA2 mutations in African Americans with breast and/or ovarian cancer: A study of familial and early onset cases. Hum. Genet. 113:452-60, 2003 (online). With Kanaan et al.
• Breast cancer genetics in African Americans. Cancer 97:236-45, 2003. With Olopade et al.
• W. Malcolm Byrnes, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Louisiana State. Enzymes of primary and secondary metabolism; using microbial diversity for discovery of new bioactive compounds.
• Thermodynamics of reactions catalyzed by anthranilate synthase. Biophys. Chem. 84:45-64, 2000. With Goldberg et al.
• Marguerite W. Coomes, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Texas Health Science Center at Dallas. Drug metabolism; epidermal enzymes; protein degradation.
• Amino acid metabolism. In Textbook of Biochemistry with Clinical Correlations, 4th edition, Thomas M. Devlin, ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1997.
• Cytochrome P-450 and cyclosporine metabolism in transplant patients. Transplantation Proc. 25:1980-2, 1993. With Toussaint.
• Felix Friedberg, Professor; Ph.D., Berkeley. Gene expression.
• Characteristic phenomena of living things. J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 90:71-9, 2004.
• Conservation of the 3' untranslated regions of calmodulin mRNAs in cetaceans. Mol. Biol. Reprod. 30(A):193-8, 2003. With Saunders et al.
• Matthew George Jr., Associate Professor and Chairman; Ph.D., Berkeley. Molecular genetics; molecular evolution; mitochondrial DNA.
• Complete genomic sequence of the virulent Salmonella bacteriophage SP5. J. Bacteriophage 186(7):1933-44, 2004. With Dobbins et al.
• James W. Mack, Associate Professor; Ph.D., MIT. Use of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study various aspects of the structure, organization, and internal molecular dynamics of biological macromolecules and related small compounds.
• Mutations that affect the ability of the vnd/NK-2 homeoprotein to regulate gene expression: Transgenic alteration and tertiary structure. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 100(6):3119-24, 2003. With Ferretti and Nirenberg et al.
• A study of the influence of the hydrophobic core residues of yeast iso-2-cytochrome c on phosphate binding. J. Protein Chem. 20(3):203-15, 2001. With Taniuchi and Ferretti et al.
• Backbone motions in a crystalline protein from field-dependent 2H-NMR relaxation and lineshape analysis. Biopolymers 53:9-18, 2000.
• Arvind K. N. Nandedkar, Professor and Director; Ph.D., Delhi (India). Clinical chemistry and toxicology: clinical and biochemical approaches in pathogenesis of microorganisms; epilepsy, drug metabolism, and forensic sciences.
• Newborn tyroxine levels and childhood ADHD. Clin. Biochem. 35:131-6, 2002. With Soldin et al.
• Richard H. Pointer, Professor; Ph.D., Brown. Biochemical endocrinology; mechanism(s) of hormone action; hormonal regulation of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.
• Pesticide inactivation of peanut glutamate dehydrogenase: Biochemical basis of the enzyme's isomerization. J. Agric. Food Chem. 47(8):3345-51, 1999. With Osuji, Braithewaite, and Reyes.
• Allen R. Rhoads, Professor; Ph.D., Maryland. Calcium regulation/signal transduction mechanisms and pathways.
• Calculation and verification of the ages of retroprocessed pseudogenes. Mol. Phylogenetics Evolution 16:127-30, 2000. With Friedberg.
• Radiation hybrid mapping of genes in the lithium-sensitive Wnt signalling pathway. Mol. Psychiatry 4:437-42, 1999.
• Thomas E. Smith, Professor; Ph.D., George Washington. Mechanisms of action and control of enzymes: structure-function relationships.
• Molecular cell biology. In Textbook of Biochemistry with Clinical Correlations, 4th edition, ed. Thomas M. Devlin. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1997.
• William M. Southerland, Professor; Ph.D., Duke. Molecular modeling, molecular dynamics, and design of therapeutic agents.
• Interaction energy analysis of nonclassical antifolates with human dihydrofolate reductase. J. Mol. Model. 6:467-76, 2000. With Pitts and Bowen.
• Eric Walters, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Missouri. Cell and molecular biology of olfaction.
• Zonal expression and activity of glutathione S-transferase enzymes in mouse olfactory mucosa. Brain Res. 995:151-7, 2004. With Whitby-Logan and Weech.
• Propylthiouracil alters glutathione-dependent enzyme expression and activity in mouse olfactory mucosa. Brain Res. 997:149-56, 2003. With Etienne and Maruniak.
• Characterization of the mouse olfactory glutathione S-transferases during the acute phase response. J. Neurosci. Res. 73:679-85, 2003. With Weech and Quash.