Overview
The Medical College of Virginia was founded in 1838. In 1968, the Medical College and the Richmond Professional Institute merged to form Virginia Commonwealth University. The Department of Human Genetics was established in the School of Basic Sciences in 1975 and has teaching responsibilities in the schools of the Health Sciences Division of Virginia Commonwealth University in addition to conducting the graduate program.

Virginia Commonwealth University is the third-largest research university in the state and one of the top 100 research universities in the country. It has a total enrollment of 25,000 undergraduate and graduate health professionals pursuing studies in various fields, including graduate studies, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and nursing. The Department of Human Genetics currently has 16 graduate students enrolled in the Ph.D.program, 3 in the master's program, 1 in the certificate program, and 11 in the genetic counseling program.

The Location and Community
The Medical College of Virginia is located in downtown Richmond on the banks of the historic James River. Greater Richmond has a population of approximately 670,000 and is the cultural center of Virginia, with museums and historic sites, theaters, a symphony orchestra, and two resident ballet companies. There are frequent sporting events and other forms of entertainment at the Richmond Coliseum, adjacent to the campus.

Programs of study and degree requirements
The Department of Human Genetics offers a comprehensive program of graduate study leading to the Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. degree. The major focus of the graduate program is to train scientists for research and teaching in the rapidly expanding field of human genetics. Major areas of study fall into three broad but closely interrelated groups: clinical and molecular cytogenetics and molecular and biochemical genetics; behavior genetics, population and quantitative genetics, and genetic epidemiology; and clinical genetics and genetic counseling.

The doctoral program requires approximately four years of study and provides the student with a broad background in human genetics, with strong emphasis on independent research. This program also allows specialization in the molecular, quantitative, epidemiological, and behavioral applications of genetics. Students customarily complete their formal courses in human genetics and related fields during the first year and a half of study. Following completion of the qualifying exam, candidates are required to submit and defend a thesis based on original work conducted under the guidance and supervision of an adviser and graduate committee. A minimum of 36 credit hours of graduate courses is required for the Ph.D. degree, of which no more than 12 hours may be approved by transfer.

A Master of Science degree in genetic counseling is available through a two-year program. The curriculum integrates courses in medical genetics, psychology, social work, and education with fieldwork in a variety of clinical settings. This nonthesis program requires a minimum of 60 credit hours in course work and fieldwork for the degree.

Postdoctoral opportunities are available for those holding M.D. and Ph.D. degrees. The graduate and postdoctoral programs provide training for certification by the American Board of Medical Genetics and the American Board of Genetic Counseling.

Facilities & Resources
Departmental laboratories, located in Sanger Hall, are well equipped for research in all of the major areas of human genetics. In addition, a facility has been established for research in behavioral and human quantitative genetics. Additional research opportunities are provided by several weekly specialty clinics in which the department participates.

Expenses and Aid
The cost of tuition and fees is $3,921 per semester for in-state residents. The summer semester cost $584 per credit hour for in-state students and $850 per credit hour for nonresident students.

Financial Aid: Financial support, awarded on a competitive basis, is available from the School of Medicine and departmental sources. Such support provides a basic stipend of $18,000 annually for full-time students and $14,000 for ten-month students, along with tuition and fee support.

Housing/Living Expenses: Limited dormitory space is available on campus for graduate students. However, a wide variety of living accommodations are available off campus, many served by public bus routes.

How to Apply / Application
Applications should be filed before February 1 for the next academic year, which begins in the latter part of August. In most instances, a personal interview is requested of all qualified applicants. All applicants must have earned a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent at the time of enrollment. Students applying to the Department of Human Genetics should have had some courses in biology, chemistry, genetics, and mathematics through calculus.

An application form can be obtained from the graduate program director or by visiting the VCU Web site for graduate admissions at http://www.vcu.edu/graduateweb/admission.htm. The completed applications must be returned to the Office of Graduate Admission with the official transcripts of all graduate and undergraduate work (mailed by the appropriate registrars), letters of recommendation, and scores on the General Test of the Graduate Record Examinations.

Susan Black, Assistant Professor and Clinical Geneticist at Genetics & IVF Institute; M.D., McGill, 1981. Clinical genetics.

Joann N. Bodurtha, Associate Professor of Human Genetics; M.D., M.P.H., Yale, 1979. Clinical genetics and epidemiology.

Xiangning (Sam) Chen, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry; Ph.D., Houston, 1994. Molecular genetics.

Linda A. Corey, Professor of Human Genetics; Ph.D., North Carolina State, 1974. Human quantitative genetics; twin studies.

Lindon J. Eaves, Distinguished Professor of Human Genetics; Ph.D., Birmingham, 1970; M.A., Oxford, 1979; D.Sc., Birmingham, 1980. Behavioral and quantitative genetics.

Debra L. Foley, Assistant Professor of Human Genetics; Ph.D., La Trobe (Australia), 1992. Genetic epidemiology and psychiatric genetics.

Gordon D. Ginder, Professor and Director, Massey Cancer Center; M.D., Johns Hopkins, 1975. Internal medicine, hematology, oncology.

W. Michael Holmes, Associate Professor of Microbiology and Human Genetics; Ph.D., Tennessee, 1974. Protein synthesis, tRNA, and regulation of gene expression.

Shawn E. Holt, Assistant Professor of Pathology and Human Genetics; Ph.D., Texas A&M, 1994. Role of human telomerase and telomere biogenesis in aging and cancer.

Colleen Jackson-Cook, Associate Professor of Human Genetics; Ph.D., Virginia Commonwealth, 1985. Cytogenetics.

Margie L. Jaworski, Physician; M.D., Virginia Commonwealth, 1980. Clinical genetics.

Kenneth S. Kendler, Professor of Psychiatry and Human Genetics; M.D., Stanford, 1977. Human behavioral and psychiatric genetics.

Joyce Lloyd, Associate Professor of Human Genetics; Ph.D., Wesleyan, 1987. Developmental regulation of human globin gene expression.

Hermine H. Maes, Assistant Professor of Human Genetics; Ph.D., Leuven (Belgium), 1992. Quantitative genetics.

Donna R. Miles, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Colorado at Boulder. Behavioral genetics.

Edward L. Murrelle, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Pittsburgh, 1995. Psychiatric epidemiology.

Walter E. Nance, Professor and Chairman of Human Genetics and Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics; M.D., Harvard, 1958; Ph.D., Wisconsin, 1968. Twin studies; clinical genetics.

Michael Neale, Professor of Psychiatry and Human Genetics; Ph.D., London, 1985. Behavioral genetics.

Arti Pandya, Assistant Professor; M.D., Bombay (India), 1982. Molecular genetic studies of DNA polymorphisms; twin studies; clinical research.

Virginia A. Pallante, Instructor; M.S., Virginia Commonwealth. Genetic counseling.

Brien Riley, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry; Ph.D., Imperial College (London), 1996. Molecular genetics.

D. Joseph Schulman, Professor of Human Genetics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Child Health Development; M.D., Harvard, 1966. Reproductive genetics; clinical and biochemical genetics.

Rita Shiang, Assistant Professor of Human Genetics; Ph.D., Iowa, 1990. Characterization of the gene that causes the craniofacial disorder Treacher Collins syndrome.

Judy L. Silberg, Assistant Professor of Human Genetics; Ph.D., Virginia Commonwealth, 1987. Behavioral and psychiatric genetics.
Harvey J. Stern, Assistant Professor at Genetics & IVF Institute; M.D., Yeshiva (Einstein), 1982. Clinical genetics.

Lauren Vanner-Nicely, Director of Genetic Counseling Program; M.S., Pittsburgh, 1984. Genetic counseling.

Joy Ware, Professor; Ph.D., North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1979. Tumor metastasis; cell and molecular biology of human prostate cancer.

Jolene Windle, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Johns Hopkins, 1986. Molecular biology.

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