http://www.umaryland.edu/graduate/mcb

Baltimore's Inner Harbor is a mere five blocks from campus.

An Overview
The molecular and cell biology program is part of one of the country's first university centers devoted exclusively to postgraduate professional education. The 32-acre Baltimore campus of the University of Maryland houses the Dental School, the Schools of Law, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Social Work, the Graduate School, and the University of Maryland Medical System, which includes University Hospital, the renowned R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, and the Greenebaum Cancer Center. Because the campus has been undergoing comprehensive renovation over the past decade, each School now occupies modern, spacious facilities, which in turn have attracted new research programs supported by extensive state and federal funding.

The Community
Baltimore's Inner Harbor, a landmark of urban renewal, is a mere five blocks from campus and offers a wealth of recreation, entertainment, shops, and restaurants. Oriole Park and the new Ravens Football Stadium are literally next door to the University. The Peabody Music Institute, the Walters Art Gallery, the Baltimore Symphony, and the Baltimore Museum of Art provide a rich cultural environment. Washington, D.C., is approximately 45 minutes away by train, and less than an hour's drive away is the 400-year-old city of Annapolis, Maryland's capital and one of the country's sailing meccas. From there, the Chesapeake Bay and the Eastern Shore are only minutes away.

Programs of Study
The University of Maryland, Baltimore offers an individualized interdisciplinary approach to the Ph.D. degree in molecular and cell biology by fostering close working relationships with faculty members and access to the abundant research opportunities available in one of the nation's largest and fastest-growing biomedical science centers.

The program supports research training in a wide variety of biomedical sciences, ranging from the molecular genetics of T4 phage replication and eukaryotic gene expression to DNA replication and repair, molecular neurobiology, virology, endocrinology, vaccine development, membrane physiology, and protein chemistry. A new course of study in cancer biology offers research in genome stability, ultraviolet and ionizing radiation damage and repair, drug resistance, protein-drug interactions, and protein structure. A new track in functional genomics and molecular medicine is also offered, providing students with research opportunities in molecular and computational genetics, transgenic and gene knockout technology, mutagenesis and heterologous expression, analysis of protein-protein interactions, gene networks and DNA microarray technology.

Facilities and Resources
All laboratories are extensively well-equipped, first-rate facilities and include preparative and analytical ultracentrifugation, electron microscopy, computer graphics and molecular modeling, HPLC, nanosecond fluorometric analysis, automated amino acid analysis, protein sequencing, peptide and oligonucleotide synthesis, FACS capability and bioimaging, transgenic animal studies, NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, confocal microscopy, biomolecular care facilities, modern animal care facilities, and the Human Tissue Bank.

Expenses and Aid
Costs
Tuition and fees are $380 per credit hour for Maryland residents and $620 per credit hour for nonresidents. This does not include incidental fees levied each semester. Students receiving a stipend from the program have full remission of tuition and fees.

Housing
While limited housing is available on campus in dormitories and University-owned apartments, most students live in nearby private apartments or renovated townhouses. Within a short commute, metropolitan Baltimore offers a wide variety of suburban residential neighborhoods. Counselors at the University's Residential Life Office (410-706-7766) assist students with on-campus and off-campus housing information.

Financial Aid
All students accepted into the program are eligible for two years of stipend support, which includes waivers for tuition and fees. Stipends increase from $19,500 in the first year to $20,500 upon successful completion of the written and oral examinations. In addition, students may apply for up to two travel awards to present their research findings at scientific meetings. The total aid package, including stipend fees, tuition, and medical coverage, amounts to approximately $34,000 per year. These limited, highly competitive stipends are awarded according to academic merit. There is no separate form for financial aid applications.

How to Apply
The Program in Molecular and Cell Biology seeks strong candidates who hold a bachelor's degree and demonstrate excellence in organic, inorganic, and/or physical chemistry; general biology; physics; and calculus. Applicants are required to take the verbal, quantitative, and analytical aptitude sections of the General Test of the Graduate Record Examinations. Students are encouraged to take the Subject Test in molecular biology. International students must submit results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Applications are accepted for the fall semester only and must be received by February 1. Acceptance to the program is based on proven academic achievement, letters of recommendation, and an assessment of a student's potential for original thinking as determined by the selection committee, which is composed of program faculty members.

Who to Contact
Molecular and Cell Biology Graduate Program
University of Maryland, Baltimore
108 North Greene Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201-1503
Telephone: 410-706-0966
Fax: 410-706-0101
E-mail: alefe001@umaryland.edu
World Wide Web: http://www.umaryland.edu/graduate/mcb/

Programs of Study and Areas of Research

THE FACULTY

• Bacterial Pathogenesis/Infectious Disease: Michael S. Donnenberg, Ph.D. Molecular cellular pathogenesis of E. coli infections. Simeon E. Goldblum, M.D. Regulation of transendothelial paracellular pathway utilized for flux of macromolecules, leukocyte migration, and tumor cell metastasis. James B. Kaper, Ph.D. Molecular pathogenesis of enteric bacterial pathogens. Harry L. Mobley, Ph.D. Molecular pathogenesis; molecular genetics of Proteus mirabilis, Escherichia coli, and Helicobacter pylori. Renate Reimschussel, Ph.D. Aquaculture; microbial pathogens; toxic residues; molecular pathology. John Trant, Ph.D. Molecular steroid endocrinology; reproductive endocrinology; gene regulation and expression. Michele Trucksis, M.D., Ph.D. Bacterial pathogenesis; identification of virulence factors of mycobacterium; mechanism of action of enterotoxin; accessory cholera enterotoxin (ACE) in Vibrio cholerae.
• Cancer/Genome Stability: James Carney, Ph.D. Structure and function of DNA double-strand break repair proteins. Robert G. Fenton, M.D., Ph.D. Oncogene interactions in a murine colon cancer cell model; developing new targets for treatment of multiple myeloma. Ann W. Hamburger, Ph.D. Role of tyrosine kinases in control of growth and development of breast tumor cells. Robert J. Hickey, Ph.D. The role of protein structure and function in creation of genomic stability, induced by toxicants that affect DNA acid leading to the death of human cancer cells. Linda H. Malkas, Ph.D. DNA replication; cellular DNA synthesis; characterization of DNA synthesome. Jeffery Toretsky, M.D. Involvement of a novel fusion protein, EWS/FLl1, in the pathogenesis and prognosis of Ewing's sarcoma.
  
• Functional Genomics/Molecular Medicine: Joseph Fondell, Ph.D. Molecular endocrinology; regulation of gene expression; steroid-dependent cancer research. Anandarup Gupta, Ph.D. Regulation of Na-dependent phosphate (NaPi)-cotransporter in the osteoclast; identification of leupaxin. W. Jonathan Lederer, M.D., Ph.D. Calcium signaling; functional genomics; molecular medicine; electrophysiology. Peter W. Melera, Ph.D. Molecular biology of folate and antifolate metabolism in human cancer. Stephen J. Meltzer, M.D. Molecular basis of gastrointestinal cancers and premalignant syndromes; microsatellite instability; altered gene expression. Mervyn J. Monteiro, Ph.D. Molecular and cell biology of presenilins in Alzheimer's disease. Martin F. Schneider, Ph.D. Calcium signaling in muscle and neurons. O. Colin Stine, Ph.D. Use of DNA sequence data to identify strains within bacterial species and to understand the evolution of those strains and species. Ashiwel S. Undie, Ph.D. Cellular integration of transmembrane signaling cascades; receptor-coupled regulation of gene expression. Paul A. Welling, M.D. Molecular mechanisms of salt balance and blood pressure control in health and disease.
• Immunology: Kristin M. Abraham, Ph.D. Endogenous signaling processes and how they impact efficiency and fidelity of progression in lymphopoiesis. Martin Flajnik, Ph.D. Structure and function of the cartilaginous fish (sharks, skates, and rays) humoral immune system. Barbara White, M.D. Autoimmune disease scleroderma; cellular and molecular mechanisms by which an activated immune system leads to tissue fibrosis.
• Microbial Genetics: Gerald J. Barcak, Ph.D. Sequence-specific DNA receptors and bacterial gene expression. M. Robert Belas, Ph.D. Microbial signal transduction and gene regulation. Nicholas Carbonetti, Ph.D. Cell biology of pertussis toxin; pathogenesis of Bordetella pertussis infection. Allan Delisle, Ph.D. Cloning, sequencing, and characterizing genes involved in infection and lysis of oral bacteria by bacteriophages. David K. R. Karaolis, Ph.D. Emergence, pathogenesis, persistence, and spread of epidemic bacterial diseases such as cholera. Frank T. Robb, Ph.D. Structure and function of thermophilic Archaea and bacteria. Kevin R. Sowers, Ph.D. Mechanisms of eukaryotic-like gene transcription in Archaea; microbial anaerobic consortia that reductively dechlorinate and detoxify PCBs. O. Colin Stine, Ph.D. Use of DNA sequence data to identify strains within bacterial species and to understand the evolution of those strains and species. Mark Strauch, Ph.D. DNA-binding proteins and regulation of gene expression in Bacillus subtilis.
• Molecular Genetics: Marian J. Jackson, Ph.D. Using biochemical and molecular genetic techniques to study the coordinate regulation of arginine and nitric oxide biosynthesis in response to inflammatory mediators. O. Colin Stine, Ph.D. Use of DNA sequence data to identify strains within bacterial species and to understand the evolution of those strains and species.
• Protein Structure/Function: Lindsay W. Black, Ph.D. Virus assembly and packaging; prokaryotic molecular biology. John H. Collins, Ph.D. Molecular mechanism of calcium regulation of skeletal and cardiac muscle contraction. Russell J. Digate, Ph.D. Role of DNA topoisomerases in separation of newly synthesized daughter chromosomes during DNA replication. David W. Pumplin, Ph.D. Establishment, maintenance of specialized regions of the cell membrane; development and function of taste receptor cells. Dan H. Schulze, Ph.D. Using molecular biology approaches and functional assays to correlate the structure with regulation of the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger function. James B. Wade, Ph.D. Understanding molecular mechanisms involved in hormonal regulation of transport by kidney epithelial cells. David Weber, Ph.D. NMR; structural biology of ca-binding proteins/tumor suppressors. Angela Wilks, Ph.D. Mechanism of heme uptake and utilization by bacterial pathogens at the molecular level.
• Radiation Biology/DNA Repair: James Carney, Ph.D. Structure and function of DNA double-strand break repair proteins. A-Lien Lu-Chang, Ph.D. Cancer; genome stability; DNA repair; oxidative stress; structure and function. William Morgan, Ph.D. DNA damage and repair; radiation-induced genomic instability.
• Signal Transduction/Growth Control/Apoptosis: France Carrier, Ph.D. Cancer; genotoxic stress-response; RNA-binding proteins; tumor suppressors. Iain Farrance, Ph.D. Regulation of gene transcription in cardiac muscle cells under normal and diseased conditions. Ricardo A. Feldman, Ph.D. Mechanisms that regulate development of hematopoietic stem cells into immunocompetent monocyte-macrophages and granulocytes. Joseph Fondell, Ph.D. Molecular endocrinology; regulation of gene expression; hormone action; steroid depending cancer research. Priscilla A. Furth, M.D. Development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to the management of premalignancy in the breast and cervix. Barry S. Handwerger, M.D. Signal transduction; cytokine production studies in mice. Bret A. Hassel, Ph.D. Post transcriptional regulation of gene expression in the growth inhibitory activity of interferon. Rosemary Jagus, Ph.D. Regulation of protein synthesis; relationship between protein synthesis and cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Dhan V. Kalvakolanu, Ph.D. Mechanisms of signal transduction by interferons; retinoic acid leading to the death of human cancer cells. Joseph P. Y. Kao, Ph.D. Design, synthesis, development, and application of photochemical probes in cellular neuroscience and physiology. W. Jonathan Lederer, M.D., Ph.D. Calcium signaling; functional genomics; molecular medicine; electrophysiology. Martin F. Schneider, Ph.D. Calcium signaling in muscle and neurons. Paul Shapiro, Ph.D. Role of MAP kinase signaling pathways during cell-cycle progression. Rakesh Srivastava, Ph.D. The intercellular mechanisms of apoptosis; gene regulation.
• Vaccine Development/Virology: David M. Hone, Ph.D. Development of an oral bacterial HIV DNA vaccine vector that elicits potent mucosal antibody and cell-mediated immune responses against HIV.

Go To Profile Index Page

Go To Top Of Page