Degrees Offered
PhD, PhD/MD, PhD/DDS
PhD Program Description
Molecular Medicine combines traditional areas of biomedical study – including cancer biology, molecular genetics, genomics and bioinformatics, molecular and cell biology, pathology, pharmacology, and physiology – into a unique interdisciplinary research and graduate training program. Specifically designed to develop scientists for the postgenomic era, students gain knowledge, research skills, and familiarity with the state-of-the-art biomedical tools and methodologies needed to solve important and timely questions in biomedical science. The program is organized into three tracks: Cancer Biology; Genome Biology; Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Pharmacology.
PhD Program Admissions
In addition to meeting the Graduate School’s minimum admission requirements, applicants should have a bachelor’s degree with training in an appropriate major field. The program is particularly interested in applicants with strong undergraduate training in the biological sciences, chemistry, biochemistry, mathematics, and general physics, as well as research experience in the biomedical sciences. Successful applicants have strong letters of recommendation, significant laboratory research experience and high cumulative grade-point averages. Additionally, all international students must meet the Graduate School’s requirements for scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language or the International English Language Testing System exam. Applications should be received no later than December 1 for fall admission. Admission to the program is highly competitive and acceptances are made as qualified candidates are identified. Students accepted into the PhD program receive graduate fellowships or assistantships that consist of an annual stipend, tuition remission, and health insurance.
PhD Degree Requirements
In the fall of the first year, students participate in an innovative core course: Mechanisms in Biomedical Sciences: From Genes to Disease (GPLS 601). Students then complete track-specific coursework and laboratory rotations, tailored to meet each student’s research interests and career goals. A professional development skills course is offered in the second year to address areas such as public speaking and presentations, critical evaluation of scientific data, and grant writing. During the second year of study, students prepare for a qualifying examination in which they are tested on their fundamental understanding of topics in molecular medicine and their ability to design a coherent series of experiments addressing an original research question, usually related to the student’s research interests. The qualifying exam consists of a written grant proposal and an oral defense. After successful completion of the exam, students advance to candidacy for the PhD degree. As a PhD candidate, the student’s primary focus is their dissertation research, with participation in advanced elective courses as recommended by the mentor and research track leader and continued attendance and participation in seminars.
Required PhD Courses
| GPLS 601 | MECHANISMS IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES: FROM GENES TO DISEASE | 8 |
| GPLS 608 | SEMINAR | 1 OR 2 |
| GPLS 609 | LABORATORY ROTATIONS | 1 TO 3 |
| GPLS 647 | MOLECULAR MEDICINE SURVIVAL SKILLS | 2 |
| GPLS 691 | CURRENT TOPICS IN NEUROSCIENCE | 1 |
| GPLS 692 | CURRENT TOPICS IN GENETICS AND GENOMICS | 1 |
| GPLS 693 | CURRENT TOPICS IN MICROBIOLOGY | 1 |
| GPLS 907 | RESEARCH ETHICS | 1 |
| GPLS 898 | PRE-CANDIDACY RESEARCH | 1 TO 8 |
| GPLS 899 | DOCTORAL DISSERTATION RESEARCH | 1 TO 12 |
Information regarding required courses can be found here.
Molecular Medicine Track Descriptions
1. Cancer Biology
Cancer is a complex group of diseases that causes ~600,000 deaths in the United States each year. Our understanding of cancer has reached new heights with the discovery of fundamental aspects of cell and molecular biology combined with significant advances in our understanding of the process of tumorigenesis. The identification of oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, pathways of DNA damage and repair, growth and cell cycle regulatory factors, and mechanisms of immune suppression have provided exciting new insights into the development and progression of cancer. Technological advancements in genomics, proteomics as well as spatial and single cell transcriptomics have led to significant insight into the tumor microenvironment and led to the development of successful cancer therapies that target specific molecules driving tumor growth and metastasis. The Cancer Biology graduate track offers an exciting and stimulating academic environment to pursue interdisciplinary cancer research. The primary objective of the Cancer Biology track is to provide students with a strong educational experience combined with modern research training that will enable them to make significant contributions to our understanding of this complex disease. The University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated center, and its core facilities, researchers, and physicians provide a state-of-the-art environment for conducting basic and clinical cancer research.
Course Requirements by Cancer Biology Track
| GPLS 665 | CANCER BIOLOGY: FROM BASIC RESEARCH TO THE CLINIC | 3 |
| GPLS 790 | ADVANCED CANCER BIOLOGY | 3 |
2. Genome Biology
Recent advances in next-generation DNA sequencing and bioinformatics are transforming biomedical sciences. These technologies are being used to sequence and analyze genomes at unprecedented rates, and we are rapidly approaching an era in which human genome sequences will be used routinely to diagnose diseases and predict the future health of individuals. The Genome Biology track offers doctoral and postdoctoral training in this rapidly evolving area. This track is part of a university-wide graduate program, with participating faculty drawn from diverse departments, centers, and institutes at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. The track is affiliated with the Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS), which has established an exceptional environment for conducting genomics and computational biology studies on campus. The IGS has made significant investments in genome sequencing platforms (Sanger, 454, Illumina HiSeq, and PacBioRS) and an extensive computational grid. Affiliated faculty study a range of research topics with an emphasis on exploring questions related to human health and disease. The up-to-date curriculum incorporates many cutting-edge tools of genetics, genomics, bioinformatics, machine learning, data science, and systems biology. Dissertation research projects may employ technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), high-throughput DNA sequencing, and postgenomic approaches to address problems central to molecular medicine. Thesis topics include microbial pathogenesis and the human microbiome, evolutionary genetics, genetic epidemiology, tumor genetics, diseases of hematopoiesis and the cardiovascular system, muscular dystrophies, skeletal diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, DNA replication and cell division, DNA repair and mutation, and gene regulation and development, which are of fundamental biological importance. The approaches used in genome biology laboratories are broad in terms of systems, organisms, and technologies employed, the focus of the program is then on training in high-throughput techniques and computational biology approaches to analyses either in the creation of new tools to application and refinement of existing pipelines. The genome biology track leads to outstanding PhD-level training and employment opportunities in leading academic, government, and industrial settings.
Course Requirements by Genome Biology Track
3. Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Pharmacology
Research in this track seeks to uncover the mechanisms and develop novel therapies for human diseases, including Alzheimer’s, cancer, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, osteoporosis, muscular dystrophy, and brain injury. Faculty interests focus on systems integration of cells and tissues in physiological and pathophysiological states. The diversity of research interests and the availability of sophisticated imaging, electrophysiology, molecular, genomic, and structural analyses allow students to gain expertise in cutting-edge techniques. The track is highly integrative, and collaborations occur with other basic science and clinical faculty at the University of Maryland, many of whom are associated with organized research centers, as well as with other institutions across the United States and around the world. The goal of the Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Pharmacology track is to provide an outstanding intellectual and physical environment that is tailored to each student’s professional goals.
Course Requirements by Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Pharmacology Track
part of this catalog.