University of Massachusetts Medical School
GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
University of Massachusetts Medical School
The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, one of three schools on the University of Massachusetts Medical School campus, is committed to providing excellent interdisciplinary and specialized training of PhD level researchers/educators who will pursue biomedical research related to human disease. A unique feature of the program is that all students are required to become proficient in a year of interdisciplinary studies before pursuing specialization in one of eight programs. Furthermore, students are not required to choose a specialization area until the beginning of their second year. The current group of approximately 200 PhD and MD/PhD students represents 23 states and 19 countries, reflecting the national and international character of modern science. If you are considering an exciting career in biomedical research, you should consider the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
The Community
One of five campuses of the University of Massachusetts system, UMass Medical School opened in Worcester in 1970. Besides the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and School of Medicine, there is also a Graduate School of Nursing that opened in 1985.
The second-largest city in New England, Worcester is 40 miles west of Boston. The city and its surrounding towns offer a quaint New England flavor, varied living conditions, and a wide range of educational and cultural activities. Located in Worcester are numerous other educational institutions, including Clark University, the College of the Holy Cross, Assumption College, Worcester State College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, all of which are members of the Worcester Consortium for Higher Education. Many other opportunities exist because of the close proximity to the Greater Boston area.
Programs of Study and Degree Requirements
The PhD Program in Medical Sciences of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences welcomed its first class of seven students in the fall of 1979. While the faculty-initiated program has evolved and gained national and international recognition for excellence over the last two decades, the early commitment to interdisciplinary training has not changed. The faculty is committed to preparing research scientists/educators to conduct laboratory research on problems related to human disease and who can serve as faculty members in institutions subscribing to medical sciences. The PhD program offers several distinct advantages to students interested in careers as biomedical scientists/educators. With yearly admission of a limited number of new students, maximum faculty/student interaction and the personalized educational process are important aspects of the program. The interdisciplinary nature of the program offers another advantage. Although specialization is required in one of the following disciplines – biochemistry & molecular biology, biomedical engineering & medical physics, cell biology, cellular & molecular physiology, immunology & virology, molecular genetics & microbiology, neuroscience, or pharmacology & molecular toxicology – all first-year students take a common non-departmentally based core curriculum designed to equip them with information essential to providing an interdisciplinary understanding of the molecular basis for cellular processes. Another advantage of the program is that students are admitted without having to declare a departmental affiliation; as a result, they can gain experience in various disciplines and laboratories before choosing an area of specialization or choosing a dissertation mentor.
Facilities and Resources
During the past few years, UMass Medical School has had one of the highest growth rates of funded research in the country (funded at $93 million annually) and is already ranked among the top 40 medical schools in research. The Medical School has been generously endowed with office, classroom and laboratory space and facilities and equipment are available in all modern areas of biomedical research. Major facilities include a virus laboratory, a cell and tissue culture facility, a protein chemistry laboratory, a Diabetes Research Center, and electronics and machine shops. New technologies consist of three-dimensional analysis of proteins and other large molecules through X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and a Drug Development Program to assist in the development of products by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
The research enterprise and opportunities for PhD students expanded in 1990 with the formation of the Program in Molecular Medicine (housed in a 52,000 square foot building located in the adjacent Massachusetts Biotechnology Research Park). This rapid growth continues with the opening of the Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Institute in the fall of 2000, and the opening of a new 360,000 square foot research building in the fall of 2001, which together will house approximately 110 additional research faculty.
Expenses and Aid
All full-time students are offered graduate or research assistantships (in 2000-01 the annual stipend is $17,500). Student health and hospitalization insurance is provided for all PhD students, as is a disability insurance plan. Tuition is waived for both graduate and research assistants. In 2000-01, full-time tuition for residents of Massachusetts is $1320 per semester; for nonresidents it is $4878 per semester. (These figures are subject to change.)
Housing
Although no on-campus housing is provided, the Worcester area has ample apartments and rooms available in many price ranges. The large number of students in the area makes sharing of apartments feasible; local public transportation is available and economical.
How to Apply
Applicants should have demonstrated superior performance while pursuing a bachelor's degree in a physical or biological science. Specific course requirements include a year each of calculus, organic chemistry, physics and biology. Applicants must take the General Test of the Graduate Record Examinations. Three letters of recommendation, original transcripts and an application fee ($25 for Massachusetts's residents and $50 for nonresidents, which are subject to change) are required. The deadline for summer and fall applications is January 15, 2001. The graduate catalog, departmental brochures and application forms may be obtained via phone, mail or web contact as listed below. Potential applicants are encouraged to pursue informal contacts with graduate program directors for detailed information.
Who to Contact
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
University of Massachusetts Medical School
55 Lake Avenue North
Worcester, Massachusetts 01655-0116
Telephone: 508-856-4135: 888-860-2334 (toll-free)
E-mail: gsbs@umassmed.edu
World Wide Web: http://www.umassmed.edu/GSBS
Ph. D. Programs, Graduate Directors and Research Areas
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
William Royer, PhD, graduate director. Research includes regulation of gene expression, DNA repair and recombination, protein-DNA interaction, receptor-mediated signal transduction, membrane biogenesis and protein transport, diabetes, endocrinology and hormonal regulation, membrane bilayer structure and protein molecular modeling.
Biomedical Engineering and Medical Physics
Peter Grigg, PhD, program and graduate director (Department of Physiology). This joint program between the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Worcester Polytechnic Institute employs the advanced technical knowledge and expertise of engineering and medical faculty to provide students with the knowledge and skills to apply engineering principles to medically related problems.
Cell Biology
Janet Stein, PhD, graduate director. Research combines the use of molecular and cellular approaches to address structure-function relationships associated with control of cell growth and cell differentiation. Signal transduction mechanisms that mediate the developmental expression of proliferation and tissue-specific genes are being investigated. These studies encompass phenotypic changes resulting in muscle and bone remodeling as well as the underlying genetic, molecular and cellular basis of diseases, including muscular dystrophy, cancer, diabetes, AIDS, osteopetrosis, osteoporosis and central nervous system defects.
Cellular and Molecular Physiology
James Dobson, PhD, graduate director (Departments of Physiology and Medicine). Research utilizes molecular, biophysical, and cellular techniques to investigate cell function, with emphasis on signal transduction processes, cell growth and proliferation. The cellular actions of neural transmitters, hormones, and sensation are also being investigated. Additionally, studies are being performed to characterize the properties of membrane ionic channels and transporters. This research is directed to elucidate normal cell function, constituting the tissues of the body, in order to uncover the perturbations caused by disease and aging.
Immunology/Virology
Carol Miller-Graziano, PhD, program and graduate director (Departments of Surgery and of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology). Research in an interdepartmental program in immunology and virology includes lymphocyte differentiation and function, immune mechanisms, diagnosis of leukemias and lymphomas, genetics of cancer and immune responses to virus infections.
Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
Richard Baker, PhD, graduate director. Research in microbiology focuses on gene structure and regulation of gene expression and recombination in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems, animal virology, cellular and molecular immunology, and developmental biology.
Neuroscience
Steven Treistman, PhD, program and graduate director (Department of Pharmacology & Molecular Toxicology). Research in this interdepartmental program stresses molecular approaches to nervous system function and dysfunction. Faculty interests span the spectrum from molecular biology and biophysics to behavior, and investigators utilize a wide variety of techniques.
Pharmacology and Molecular Toxicology
Alonzo Ross, PhD, graduate director. Research areas in pharmacology include drug-dependent activation of transcription factors; regulation of cancer-related gene expression; design and mechanism of antiviral and other chemotherapeutic agents; cardiovascular pharmacology, neuropharmacology and neurophysiology; DNA replication, methylation, and repair; carcinogenesis; molecular virology; protein structure and modeling and manipulation of the immune response; receptors and signal transduction; neural development, differentiation, and neurodegenerative diseases; zebra fish genetics; drug addiction and the effects of ethanol on ion channels.