Medical University of Ohio
Biomedical Sciences
Toledo, Ohio
Overview
The Medical University of Ohio, which was founded in 1964, is an independent institution governed by its own Board of Trustees. It reports to the Ohio Board of Regents, which serves as the coordinating force for higher education in the state of Ohio. The biomedical sciences graduate faculty has approximately 100 members and has developed active alliances with the University of Toledo, the University of Michigan, and Bowling Green State University.
The biomedical sciences graduate program enrolls approximately 100 Ph.D. students and 40 M.S. students.
The Location and Community
The Medical University of Ohio is located in southwest Toledo. The city has a population of 325,000 and is the metropolitan center for the northwest quadrant of the state, which has a population of more than 2 million. Toledo is a greatly diversified industrial and agricultural municipality and is known as the glass capital of the world. Its many cultural attractions include one of the finest museums of art in the country, a symphony orchestra, zoological gardens, a performing arts theater, the Ritter Planetarium, and the International Institute, which provides a focus for the multicultural life of the city. Recreational opportunities in nearby areas include cross-country skiing, boating, fishing, swimming, and hiking.
Programs of Study and Degree Requirements
The biomedical sciences program at the Medical University of Ohio offers the Ph.D. degree for graduate studies in three interdisciplinary areas: cellular and molecular neurobiology (CMN), molecular and cellular biology (MCB), and molecular basis of disease (MBD). The program normally requires four to five years. The primary goal of the doctoral program is to train students for independent, creative careers in research and/or teaching. Students initially follow an integrated core curriculum that consists of molecular biology, cell and developmental biology, and genetics. This program is augmented by seminars and laboratory experience. Research rotations provide an opportunity for the students to gain exposure to a thriving research community and to identify a major adviser for their thesis research.
The CMN program encompasses areas of graduate study specializing in furthering understanding of the nervous system. Faculty members are associated with a range of departments and divisions, including biochemistry and cancer biology, neurology, neurosciences, neurosurgery, pharmacology, psychiatry, public health, and radiology. Ongoing research at the Medical University of Ohio is providing insights into nervous system function, development and plasticity, regeneration and repair following damage, regulation of ion-channel structure and function, the basis of neural disease, and behavior. Specialized courses are offered in cellular and systems neuroscience. Research rotations provide students exposure to a broad range of research questions, experimental techniques, and state-of-the-art equipment. The program is flexible; it allows students to customize their program of study to their research interests and goals. For more information about the program, students should contact Dr. L. Dokas, Admissions Coordinator (telephone: 419-383-3890; fax: 419-383-3093; e-mail: ldokas@meduohio.edu).
The MCB program prepares students for careers as productive scientists in university-based research laboratories or pharmaceutical/biotechnology companies. The program aims to provide a collegial and supportive environment in which students can interact closely with faculty members to achieve their individual goals. Graduate training in MCB focuses on the development of intellectual and technical skills that are needed to make new discoveries related to fundamental biological processes, including the regulation of gene expression, control of cell growth and metabolism, programmed cell death, differentiation of cells and tissues, and responses of cells to hormones, drugs, and environmental agents. Through a combination of formal courses and supervised research projects in well-equipped laboratories, students are taught to apply a wide range of modern experimental approaches to test hypotheses and acquire new information. The research strategies may cross several disciplines, including genetics and molecular biology, protein chemistry and enzymology, cell biology and tissue culture, microscopic analysis, and the emerging areas of genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics. Faculty members participating in the MCB program are based in several different departments, and their research interests cover a broad range of topics of medical significance, including cancer biology, gene therapy, hormone and neurotransmitter receptor signaling mechanisms, and the molecular biology and genetics of hypertension and heart disease. Students are encouraged to sample several research opportunities before selecting a faculty mentor for their major research project. For more information about the program, students should contact Dr. A. Beavis, Admissions Coordinator (telephone: 419-383-4125; fax: 419-383-2871; e-mail: abeavis@meduohio.edu).
The MBD program provides students with the necessary tools to pursue a career investigating the basis of disease processes. The program encompasses a unique interdisciplinary approach to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of diseases that have profound impact on human health, including cancer; diabetes; infertility; immunological, microbial, bacterial, and genetic diseases; and many others. The program draws on the faculty research strengths in signal transduction, genetics, molecular biology, gene microarrays, genomics, gene knockout and transgenics, proteomics, tissue culture, cell biology, and protein and carbohydrate biochemistry. Students are trained using an integrated approach. Both the M.S. and the Ph.D. degree are offered, individually and in combination with an M.D. degree. For more information, students should contact Dr. S. Najjar, Program Director (telephone: 419-383-5196; fax: 419-383-2871; e-mail: snajjar@meduohio.edu).
The M.S. degree in biomedical sciences (including physician assistant studies and physical therapy) and in occupational health, Master of Science in Nursing, a doctoral degree in occupational therapy, Master of Public Health, and combined M.D./Ph.D., M.D./M.S., and M.D./M.P.H. degrees are also offered.
Facilities & Resources
The University’s modern laboratories are equipped for state-of-the-art investigations in all areas of biomedical research. Specialized facilities for tissue culture, flow cytometry, imaging, and microscopy (confocal, light, and electron) are available. New core laboratories for microarray and proteomics analysis opened in 2002, and a bioinformatics computer facility opened in 2003. Institutional resources include animal research facilities with P3 biocontainment rooms, a computer center, and an outstanding library that participates in the OhioLINK statewide online library system.
Expenses and Aid
In 2005-06, tuition for the Ph.D. program for Ohio residents is $3830 per semester; for nonresidents, it is $8720 per semester. For the master’s program (except the M.P.H. program), tuition for residents is $3830 per semester; for nonresidents, it is $8720 per semester.
Financial Aid:
Financial support is available upon regular admission to every full-time doctoral student. The stipend for 2005-06 is $18,500, plus tuition scholarship. Full-time master’s students may be eligible for tuition scholarships.
Housing/Living Expenses:
Housing for married and single students enrolled in the College of Graduate Studies is available at reasonable rates in the surrounding residential areas.
How to Apply
Applicants should have at least a baccalaureate degree by the time of enrollment, with a strong academic background in the biological, chemical, and physical sciences. Application for admission may be completed on the University’s Web site and should be submitted along with an application fee of $30, a personal statement, and official transcripts from each institution attended. Scores on the GRE General Test and a minimum of three letters of recommendation are also required for some programs. TOEFL scores are required for international students. For the combined degree programs, students should submit an application to both the College of Graduate Studies and the College of Medicine.
Who to Contact
Admissions Office
College of Graduate Studies
Medical University of Ohio
3045 Arlington Avenue
Toledo, Ohio 43614-5805
419-383-4107
E-mail: graduatestudies@meduohio.edu
The Faculty and Research
• David Allison, M.D., Michigan, 1967; Ph.D., Chicago, 1976; Surgery (MCB). Aneuploidy and cancer.
• Amir Askari, Ph.D., Cornell, 1960; Pharmacology (MCB). Regulation of cardiac NaK-ATPase.
• Venkatesha Basrur, Ph.D., Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore), 1998; Medical Microbiology and Immunology (MBD). Bioinformatics, proteomics, and genomics.
• Andrew Beavis, Ph.D., Bristol (England), 1978; Pharmacology (MCB). Bioenergetics and transport.
• Carol A. Bennett-Clarke, Ph.D., Rochester, 1980; Neurosciences (CMN). Role of serotonin in sensory cortical development.
• Michael S. Bisesi, Ph.D., SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1987; Public Health (CMN). Neurotoxicology.
• Robert M. Blumenthal, Ph.D., Michigan, 1977; Medical Microbiology and Immunology (MBD). Gene regulation and DNA methylation.
• Paul H. Brand, Ph.D., Rochester, 1972; Physiology and Cardiovascular Genomics (MBD). Regulation of arterial blood pressure and body fluid volumes.
• Donald P. Braun, Ph.D., Illinois Medical Center, 1976; Surgery (MCB/MBD). Cancer immunology; cellular immunology.
• Joana Chakraborty, Ph.D., Institute for Nuclear Physics (Calcutta), 1962; Physiology and Cardiovascular Genomics (MCB). Reproductive physiology; HIV/AIDS.
• Nicholas L. Chiaia, Ph.D., Kent State, 1985; Neurosciences (CMN). Development and injury-induced reorganization of somatosensory system.
• George Cicila, Ph.D., Pennsylvania, 1986; Physiology and Cardiovascular Genomics (MCB/MBD). Genetics of high blood pressure and other cardiovascular traits.
• Robert S. Crissman, Ph.D., North Dakota, 1973; Neurosciences (CMN). Ultrastructure and physiology of developing trigeminal system.
• Keith A. Crist, Ph.D., California, Davis, 1983; Surgery (MBD). Chemoprevention and cell-cycle regulation.
• Howard Dene, Ph.D., Wayne State, 1976; Physiology and Cardiovascular Genomics (MCB). Genetics of hypertension.
• Michael J. Dennis, Ph.D., Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 1979; Radiology (CMN). Diagnostic imaging methods; functional MRI.
• J. David Dignam, Ph.D., Texas, 1977; Biochemistry and Cancer Biology (MCB). Structure-function of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases; AAV rep proteins.
• Han-Fei Ding, M.D., Anhui Medical College (China), 1982, Ph.D., South Alabama, 1993; Biochemistry and Cancer Biology (MCB/MBD). Biochemical dissection of p53-dependent apoptosis.
• Linda A. Dokas, Ph.D., Michigan, 1973; Neurology (CMN). Regulation of neuronal signal transduction in aging and Alzheimer’s disease.
• Lee E. Faber, Ph.D., Indiana, 1970; Physiology and Cardiovascular Genomics (MCB). Endocrinology and gene regulation.
• Alexei Fedorov, Ph.D., Russian Academy of Sciences, 1993; Medicine (MCB). Bioinformatics.
• David R. Giovannucci, Ph.D., Wayne State, 1993; Neurosciences (CMN/MCB). Regulation of neurotransmitter secretion and calcium signaling.
• Donald A. Godfrey, Ph.D., Harvard, 1972; Surgery (CMN). Neurotransmission in auditory and vestibular systems.
• L. John Greenfield Jr., M.D., 1988, Ph.D, 1989, Virginia; Neurology (CMN). Epilepsy; electrophysiology of ion channels.
• William T. Gunning, Ph.D., Medical College of Ohio, 1991; Biochemistry and Cancer Biology (MBD). Experimental carcinogenesis and chemoprevention in murine models.
• Mark H. Hankin, Ph.D., Case Western Reserve, 1985; Neurosciences (CMN). Developmental neurobiology of the retina and visual system.
• Marthe J. Howard, Ph.D., California, Irvine, 1984; Neurosciences (CMN/MCB). Role of transcription and growth factors in neural crest development.
• Chiung-Yu Hung, Ph.D., Texas at Austin, 1995; Medical Microbiology and Immunology (MCB/MBD). Pathogenesis of fungal infection.
• Jerzy Jankun, Ph.D., Poznan (Poland), 1977; Urology and Physiology and Cardiovascular Genomics (MCB). Antitumor targeting of PAI-1 and A-chain ricin conjugates.
• Bina Joe, Ph.D., Mysore (India), 1996; Physiology and Cardiovascular Genomics (MCB). Molecular genetics of polygenic diseases.
• Boyd M. Koffman, M.D., George Washington, 1990; Ph.D., Maryland, 1990; Neurology (CMN). Neuromuscular diseases.
• Thaddeus W. Kurczynski, Ph.D., 1969, M.D., 1970, Case Western Reserve; Pediatrics (CMN). Genetics of neurological disorders.
• Eric R. Lafontaine, Ph.D., Calgary, 1997; Medical Microbiology and Immunology (MBD/MCB). Bacterial pathogenesis.
• Richard D. Lane, Ph.D., Virginia Commonwealth, 1980; Neurosciences (CMN). Reorganization of sensory pathways following injury.
• Abraham Lee, Ph.D., Arizona State, 1991; Physical Therapy (MBD). Skeletal muscle carbohydrate metabolism; glucose transport; diabetes.
• Soon Jin Lee, Ph.D., Pennsylvania, 1985; Physiology and Cardiovascular Genomics (MCB). Molecular genetics in hypertension; molecular mechanism of cardiac fibrosis.
• Paul F. Lehmann, Ph.D., Cambridge, 1974; Medical Microbiology and Immunology (MBD). Molecular characterization of pathogenic fungi.
• Deepak Malhotra, Ph.D., 1984, M.D., 1985, Case Western Reserve; Medicine (MBD/MCB). Nephrology.
• Krishna Mallik, M.D., Virginia, 1996; Orthopaedic Surgery (MBD). Orthopedic sports surgery.
• William Maltese, Ph.D., Syracuse, 1977; Biochemistry and Cancer Biology (MCB/MBD). Rab proteins and their roles in cellular trafficking and cell signaling.
• Maurice Manning, Ph.D., London, 1961; D.Sc., University College, Galway (Ireland), 1974; Biochemistry and Cancer Biology (MCB). Peptide synthesis and design.
• Joseph F. Margiotta, Ph.D., SUNY at Stony Brook, 1980; Neurosciences (CMN/MCB). Molecular aspects of ion-channel function and regulation.
• Angele V. McGrady, Ph.D., Toledo, 1972; Psychiatry (CMN). Psychophysiology; behavioral medicine; biofeedback.
• A. John McSweeny, Ph.D., Northern Illinois, 1975; Psychiatry (CMN). Neuropsychology.
• Azedine Medhkour, M.D., Algiers, 1977; Surgery (CMN). Neurosurgery; hormonal and chemical modulation of brain tumors.
• Ronald Mellgren, Ph.D., Iowa State, 1976; Pharmacology (MCB). Regulated intracellular proteolysis; cell-cycle control.
• Nikoli Modyanov, Ph.D., Shemyakin Institute (Moscow), 1970; Pharmacology (MCB). Molecular basis of membrane transport.
• Richard D. Mooney, Ph.D., Minnesota, 1976; Neurosciences (CMN). Synaptic connectivity in the developing and mature mammalian visual system.
• Sonia Najjar, Ph.D., Stanford, 1989; Pharmacology (MBD/MCB). Obesity, at the crossroads between cancer and diabetes.
• Isabella Novella, Ph.D., Oviedo (Spain), 1990; Medical Microbiology and Immunology (MBD/MCB). Virology; virus evolution.
• Jean Overmeyer, Ph.D., Kentucky, 1991; Biochemistry and Cancer Biology (MBD/MCB). Rab escort protein function in membrane targeting.
• Ana Marie Oyarce, Ph.D., Georgetown, 1991; Pharmacology (CMN/MCB/MBD). Trafficking of dopamine beta-monoxygenase and dopaminergic regulation of neuropeptides.
• Zhixing Kevin Pan, M.D., 1982, Ph.D., 1991, Shanghai Medical; Medical Microbiology and Immunology (MBD/MCB). Molecular mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions.
• Thomas Papadimos, M.D., Medical College of Ohio, 1978; M.P.H., Johns Hopkins, 1984; Medicine (MBD). Anesthesiology; critical-care medicine; general preventive medicine.
• Sumudra Periyasamy, Ph.D., Medical College of Ohio, 1988; Pharmacology (MCB). Signal transduction and steroid hormone receptors.
• Douglas L. Pittman, Ph.D., Iowa, 1996; Physiology and Cardiovascular Genomics (MBD/MCB). Mammalian molecular genetics.
• Manohar Ratnam, Ph.D., Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore), 1983; Biochemistry and Cancer Biology (MBD/MCB). Folate receptors in malignancy and hematopoiesis; GPI modification.
• Michael Rees, M.D., Michigan, 1991; Urology (MBD/MCB). Xenotransplantation.
• Howard Rosenberg, Ph.D., 1975, M.D., 1976, Cornell; Pharmacology (CMN). Neuropharmacology; drugs of abuse.
• Randall J. Ruch, Ph.D., Medical College of Ohio, 1988; Biochemistry and Cancer Biology (MBD). Experimental carcinogenesis and cell growth regulation.
• Yasser Saad, Ph.D., Medical College of Ohio, 2000; Physiology and Cardiovascular Genomics (MCB). Molecular genetics.
• Edwin Sánchez, Ph.D., Michigan, 1983; Pharmacology (MCB). Signal transduction; steroid hormone receptors.
• Dorothea Sawicki, Ph.D., Columbia, 1972; Medical Microbiology and Immunology (MCB/MBD). RNA virus transcription.
• Stanley Sawicki, Ph.D., Columbia, 1974; Medical Microbiology and Immunology (MCB). RNA virus transcription and persistence.
• Joseph Shapiro, M.D., University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, 1980; Medicine (MCB/MBD). Effects of acid-base and electrolyte disturbances on cardiac energy metabolism, function, and growth.
• Ewa Skrzypczak-Jankun, Ph.D., A. Mickiewicz University (Poland), 1976; Urology (MBD). Crystallography: structure analysis of molecules and structure-function relation in proteins and enzymes; targeted drug development.
• Cynthia Smas, D.Sc., Harvard, 1994; Biochemistry and Cancer Biology (MBD/MCB). Molecular mechanisms of adipocyte function and differentiation.
• Lianhui Tao, M.D., 1982, D.Sc., 1988, Hunan Medical University (China); Pathology (MBD). Pathophysiology and environmental toxicology.
• Elizabeth Tietz, Ph.D., Wayne State, 1983; Pharmacology (CMN). Neuropharmacology regulation of structure and function of ionotropic receptors; epilepsy; drugs of abuse.
• James P. Trempe, Ph.D., Wright State, 1984; Biochemistry and Cancer Biology (MCB/MBD). Gene-therapy vectors; virus-cell interactions.
• Robert Trumbly, Ph.D., California, Davis, 1980; Biochemistry and Cancer Biology (MCB). Transcription repression and signal transduction in yeast.
• John W. Turner Jr., Ph.D., Cornell, 1970; Physiology and Cardiovascular Genomics (MBD). Neuroendocrinology and reproductive physiology.
• John T. Wall, Ph.D., Virginia, 1979; Neurosciences (CMN). Brain reorganization after injury.
• Hardress J. Waller, Ph.D., Washington (Seattle), 1957; Surgery (CMN). Electrophysiology of auditory brainstem.
• Xiaodong Wang, Ph.D., Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 2001; Pharmacology (MCB). Folding assembly and trafficking of transporters and cell-surface receptors.
• M. A. Julia Westerink, M.D., Vrije (Amsterdam), 1980; Medicine (MBD). Vaccine development for infectious diseases.
• R. Douglas Wilkerson, Ph.D., Medical University of South Carolina, 1972; Pharmacology (CMN). Neural control of cardiovascular function.
• James C. Willey, M.D., Medical College of Ohio, 1978; Medicine (MBD). Effects of toxins on lung function.
• Kandace Williams, Ph.D., Dartmouth, 1987; Biochemistry and Cancer Biology (MCB/MBD). DNA damage and repair; cancer.
• R. Mark Wooten, Ph.D., Mississippi Medical Center, 1995; Medical Microbiology and Immunology (MCB). Host-pathogen interactions in Lyme disease.
• Zijian Xie, Ph.D., Medical College of Ohio, 1990; Pharmacology (MCB). Molecular biology of membrane transporters and signal transduction.
• Kam Yeung, Ph.D., South Alabama, 1990; Biochemistry and Cancer Biology (MCB/MBD). Regulation of Pol II transcription; Raf-1 kinase inhibitors regulating cell growth and apoptosis.