SUNY Upstate Medical University
Syracuse, New York 13210
Overview
In addition to the College of Graduate Studies, SUNY Upstate Medical University includes three other colleges. These are the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Professions. Upstate Medical University, formerly known as SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse, is one of four medical centers in the SUNY system. It was established in 1834 as the medical department of Geneva College and had the distinction of graduating Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to receive an M.D. in the United States. The University is located close to downtown Syracuse and is immediately adjacent to (but not affiliated with) the campus of Syracuse University. The Campus Activities Building houses a swimming pool, a sauna bath, a gymnasium, squash courts, a handball/paddleball court, a weightlifting area with a Universal Gym and a full Nautilus room, billiards, table tennis, a television room, a bookstore, a snack bar, and a lounge. Conference rooms are also available for student use.
There are 129 graduate students in the biomedical sciences (51 percent women; 100 percent full-time) and approximately 600 medical students, 200 nursing students, and 200 students in the health professions enrolled at Upstate Medical University. Twenty-five percent of the graduate students come from Canada, Europe, and Asia. Syracuse University and the SUNY College of Environmental Science are located within a mile of the University, resulting in a population of approximately 23,000 students in the immediate area.
The Location and Community
Syracuse is the center of a medium-sized metropolitan area located in the scenic center of New York State. The area offers excellent boating, hiking, biking, and skiing in the nearby Finger Lakes region, the Adirondack and the Catskill Mountains, and Lake Ontario. Cultural activities include a professional symphony orchestra and opera company, chamber music groups, several top-notch music festivals (classical, blues, and jazz), and a repertory theater, as well as art and history museums. The area also offers many excellent school districts. Syracuse University's top-level collegiate sporting events are a major Syracuse recreational activity. Syracuse is easily reached by air, rail, and auto.
Programs of Study and Degree Requirements
The College of Graduate Studies at SUNY Upstate Medical University educates students to be research scientists at the Ph.D. or master's level, preparing them for careers in academic medical centers, biomedical research institutes, the biotechnology industry, and government agencies. Ph.D. degrees are offered by the Departments of Cell and Developmental Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Immunology, Neuroscience and Physiology, and Pharmacology. Under the administration of the Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, there is also an interdepartmental program offering a Ph.D. degree in neuroscience. Master's degrees are offered through the Departments of Cell and Developmental Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Immunology, and Neuroscience and Physiology.
To provide a maximum choice in selecting a research specialization, the College gives students a full year to make the crucial decision as to the topic and mentor for their thesis research. During the first year, students rotate through three labs, choosing from a variety of well-funded labs in leading-edge research areas. To help with the rotation selection, faculty members from each department program take an afternoon early in the semester to present the research carried on in the program. All first-year students also take a cross-departmental core curriculum designed to provide a broad-based education in the up-to-date fundamentals of research in basic biomedical sciences. After successful completion of the lab rotations and a first-year core curriculum taught by faculty members from throughout the College, students select their thesis mentor and transition into the appropriate degree-granting department or program. They then proceed to fulfill the course requirements specific to that program and conduct their thesis research. The thesis research gives students the technical and critical-thinking skills needed to carry on independent scientific experimentation. Participation in a vigorous research program facilitates the transition from student to professional colleague.
Research at SUNY Upstate Medical University spans many disciplines, from basic science using model systems to translational and clinical research. Some examples of the major research areas are cancer research, cardiovascular disease, cell signaling, developmental biology, functional genomics, gene expression, immunology, membrane biology and biophysics, microbiology and virology, musculoskeletal science, neuroscience, sensory biology, and structural biology. The University has a high proportion of young, vigorous faculty members and a low student-faculty ratio. Consequently, students can expect a high degree of faculty involvement in their graduate training. The Ph.D. program, including research, didactic course work, and successful defense of a dissertation, is intended to be completed in four or five years.
Facilities & Resources
In addition to a plethora of specialized equipment found in individual research labs, a variety of state-of-the-art instruments are available as shared resources. These include ultracentrifuges; spectrophotometers; amino acid analyzers; cell and organ culture facilities; gas chromatograph-mass spectrometers; high-pressure liquid chromatography apparatuses; a fluorescence-activated cell sorter; light, confocal, and electron microscopes; an image-analysis facility; an automated DNA sequencer; equipment for microarray analysis; and a 30-parallel-processor supercomputer. The new Institute for Human Performance and the Cardiovascular Research Institute offer additional state-of-the-art research facilities. There are also full research support services, including laboratory animal facilities; network access to the SeqWeb suite of software; a new computer-age medical library with 1,450 serial titles; electronics and machine shops; and photographic and computer services.
Expenses and Aid
Stipends and tuition waivers are available for all students accepted into the Ph.D. program. Student fees, which include a health service fee, were $466 for the 2004-05 academic year. Tuition and fees for master's students for the academic year were $7500 for in-state students and $11,920 for out-of-state students. Costs are subject to change.
Financial Aid:
All accepted Ph.D. students are fully supported throughout their education by tuition waivers and a stipend ($19,882 per year). Support comes from graduate assistantships, departmental assistantships, and NIH and NSF grants.
Housing/Living Expenses:
On-campus housing is available in a ten-story apartment building. These apartments ranged from $3985 (standard room, double occupancy) to $7488.18 (married/family accommodations, one-bedroom apartment) for the academic year. Many graduate students rent houses or apartments within a mile of the campus and bicycle or walk to and from campus during much of the year. The cost of living in the Syracuse area is low.
How to Apply
The College of Graduate Studies at SUNY Upstate does not have an application deadline; however, the Admissions Committee begins reviewing applications in December and continues until all positions are filled, which can be as early as the middle of April. The State University of New York requires a $40 application fee. Minimum requirements are a bachelor's degree or its equivalent and course work that includes biology, mathematics (preferably through calculus), physics, and chemistry (organic and inorganic). GRE General Test scores are required, and scores from the Subject Test in chemistry or biology are recommended. International applicants must provide clear evidence of English proficiency (including speaking) by taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), which, as of September 2005, will also test the ability to speak English.
Who to Contact
Office of Graduate Studies
State University of New York Upstate Medical University
750 East Adams Street
Syracuse, New York 13210
315-464-4538
E-mail: gradstud@upstate.edu
Faculty
• Matthew J. Allen, Ph.D., Adjunct Assistant Professor. Tumor-bone cell signaling and the cellular/molecular basis of implant loosening.
• David C. Amberg, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Regulation of actin dynamics in the cytoskeleton.
• Justus Anumonwo, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Biophysical and molecular bases of cardiac impulse generation and propagation.
• Robert B. Barlow, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor. Neural basis of visual behavior; computational models of neural coding; circadian and metabolic modulation of human visual sensitivity.
• Omer Berenfeld, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor. Biophysics of impulse propagation and mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias.
• Scott D. Blystone, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Extracellular matrix regulation of the leukocyte inflammatory phenotype.
• Blair Calancie, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor. CNS plasticity after trauma; intraoperative electrophysiology.
• David Cameron, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Regeneration and development of the retina.
• Enrico Camporesi, M.D., Adjunct Professor. Cardiac and respiratory responses to exercise in extreme environments and during postoperative recovery.
• Gregory Canute, M.D., Adjunct Assistant Professor. Brain tumor research.
• Howard Chang, Ph.D., M.D., Assistant Professor. Pathology and anatomy of dementia-related brain; spinal cord injury.
• Gino Cingolani, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. X-ray crystallography of large viral DNA-pumping enzymes and structural cell biology of nucleocytoplasmic transport.
• Richard L. Cross, Ph.D., Professor and Chair. Mechanisms of mitochondrial oxidation phosphorylation; biological rotary motors; single molecule measurement.
• Michael H. Cynamon, M.D., Professor. Antituberculosis activity of pyrazinamide.
• Timothy A. Damron, M.D., Professor. Radioprotectant strategies for protecting the pediatric growth plate.
• Mario Delmar, M.D., Ph.D., Professor. Cellular and subcellular bases of cardiac rhythm disturbances; regulation of gap-junction channels.
• Joseph Domachowske, M.D., Adjunct Associate Professor. Pneumovirus pathogenesis.
• Gerold Feuer, Ph.D., Associate Professor. HTLV pathogenesis in the SCID-hu mouse model; lentivirus-based gene therapy vectors; KSHV/HHV-8.
• Eileen A. Friedman, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor. Cell signaling in colon cancer progression and in muscle development.
• Jerrie Gavalchin, Ph.D., Professor. Regulation of pathogenic antibody production in autoimmune glomerulonephritis; cell-surface receptors for retroviruses.
• David M. Gilbert, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Regulation of DNA replication during the cell cycle and development; nuclear dynamics and genome plasticity/embryonic stem cells.
• Charles J. Hodge, M.D., Adjunct Professor. Mechanisms of cortical plasticity and cortical reorganization after injury.
• James Holsapple, M.D., Associate Professor. Visual association cortex.
• Huaiyu Hu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Mechanisms of neuronal migration and axonal growth in the developing brain.
• Ying Huang, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Oncogenic signaling in cellular transformation and apoptosis; tumor suppressor genes.
• Charles B. C. Hwang, Ph.D., Associate Professor. DNA replication of herpes viruses.
• José Jalife, M.D., Professor, Chair, and Director, Institute for Cardiovascular Research. Cardiac electrophysiology and mechanisms of arrhythmias.
• Burk Jubelt, M.D., Professor and Chair. CNS acute and chronic poliovirus and enterovirus infections.
• Patricia M. Kane, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Mechanisms and regulation of cellular pH control; V-type ATPases.
• Grant Kelley, M.D., Associate Professor. Elucidating the regulation of PLC-epsilon and its role in glucose signaling and endothelial cell function in diabetes.
• Dilip Kittur, M.D., Sc.D., Professor. Endothelial cell function; hemirenal transplant.
• Barry Knox, Ph.D., Professor. Light transduction and retinal development; regulatory genes involved in phototransduction.
• James Listman, M.D., Adjunct Assistant Professor. Cytomegalovirus and transplantation.
• Stewart N. Loh, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Mechanism and kinetics of protein folding; structure and function of the p53 tumor suppressor.
• John J. Lucas, Ph.D., Professor. Glycobiology; complex glycoconjugate structure and function; parasite cysteine proteases.
• Kenneth Mann, Ph.D., Professor. Mechanical and biological factors in total joint replacement.
• Paul Massa, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor. Genetic regulation of glial cell differentiation.
• James S. McCasland, Ph.D., Professor. Cortical plasticity; development of somatotopic representations in cortex.
• Michael M. Meguid, M.D., Adjunct Professor. Neurophysiological regulation of food intake.
• Frank Middleton, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Molecular basis of cortical-basal ganglia and cortical-cerebellar circuit and dysfunction in neurological and psychiatric disease.
• Michael Miller, Ph.D., Professor and Chair. Factors that regulate the proliferation and survival/death of neurons (and their precursors) in the developing central nervous system; models of fetal alcohol syndrome and autism.
• David R. Mitchell, Ph.D., Professor. Dynein ATPase function in flagellar motility.
• Jennifer Moffat, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Varicella zoster pathogenesis.
• Brad Motter, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor. Visual neurophysiology; attention and search behavior.
• Maxwell M. Mozell, Ph.D., Professor. Physiology of olfactory discrimination.
• Eric Olson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Cellular and molecular mechanisms of cerebral cortex development.
• Andras Perl, M.D., Ph.D., Adjunct Professor. Apoptosis; endogenous retroviruses; transaldolase; autoimmunity; cancer.
• Arkadii Pertsov, Ph.D., Professor. Biophysical mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias; fluorescence imaging.
• Bernard J. Poiesz, M.D., Adjunct Professor. Detection, quantification, and characterization of human retroviruses; testing of antiviral compounds.
• Rosemary Rochford, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Etiology of viral-associated malignancies; gammaherpesvirus pathogenesis.
• Mark E. Schmitt, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Ribonucleoprotein assembly and biogenesis; mitochondrial RNA import; mRNA degradation; cell-cycle control.
• M. Saeed Sheikh, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor. Apoptotic signal transduction and cancer biology.
• Winston Shen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Mechanisms of eukaryotic transcription; regulation of multidrug resistance in yeast.
• Edward J. Shillitoe, B.D.S., Ph.D., Professor and Chair. Gene therapy for cancer.
• Allen E. Silverstone, Ph.D., Professor. How dioxins and estrogens and estrogenic compounds affect the immune system.
• Joseph A. Spadaro, Ph.D., Professor. Electromagnetic and mechanical regulation of bone physiology; skeletal growth and bone density.
• Joseph P. Stein, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Retinoid regulation of gene expression.
• Dennis J. Stelzner, Ph.D., Professor and Interim Chair. CNS regeneration, spinal cord injury research, and cortical plasticity after fetal ethanol exposure.
• Nikolaus Szeverenyi, Ph.D., Professor. Magnetic resonance imaging; image analysis.
• Steven M. Taffet, Ph.D., Professor. Regulation of intercellular communication in the heart; gene expression during macrophage activation.
• Arthur Tatum, M.D., Associate Professor. Monoclonal antibody-mediated demyelination; molecular and cell biology of neural cell adhesion molecules.
• Daniel Ts'o, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Neuronal mechanisms of visual perception, studied through physiological, anatomical, and functional imaging techniques.
• Christopher E. Turner, Ph.D., Professor. Signaling to the cytoskeleton during cell adhesion and cell motility.
• Mary Lou Vallano, Ph.D., Professor. Neuronal survival and development.
• Richard D. Veenstra, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Regulation of connexin-specific gap junctions; gap-junction channel biophysics.
• Karen L. Vikstrom, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Molecular analysis of heart muscle disease.
• Brent Vogt, Ph.D., Professor. Structure, functions, and pathologies of cingulate cortex.
• Richard J. H. Wojcikiewicz, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Intracellular signaling via InsP3 receptors and the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway.
• Steven Youngentob, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Olfactory neural plasticity; olfactory signal transduction; peripheral mechanisms of odorant quality coding.
• Alexey Zaitsev, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor. Mechanisms of ventricular arrhythmias associated with myocardial ischemia.