harvard biology phd acceptance

Chemical Biology

Share this page.

The Chemical Biology PhD Program is one of the programs in the Harvard Integrated Life Sciences, which facilitates collaboration and cross-disciplinary research. Visit HILS for additional  application instructions .

Chemical Biology is a rapidly growing field that combines the rigor and quantitative aspects of traditional chemistry with the excitement and medical relevance of modern molecular, cellular, organismic, and human biology. You will be encouraged to develop your own ideas, drawing on the expertise available in the community to make exciting new discoveries. You will be able to take full advantage of the unique opportunity to work with a renowned faculty to devise novel approaches to important biological, medical, and chemical problems.

As part of the program, you can interact with the entire campus, including Harvard Medical School, any of the hospital labs, and the Broad Institute. This flexibility enables you to choose the path that most interests you without restriction.

Examples of theses and dissertations completed by students in the program include “All-Optical Neurophysiology in the Photon-1 Regime,” “Biophysical Studies of the LPT Pathway,” and “Chemical Tools to Study Bromodomains in Cancer.”

Graduates of the program have gone into private industry at biotech companies like Novartis, Merck, and Biogen. Others have secured academic positions at prestigious universities like MIT, Stanford University, and Vanderbilt University.

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Chemical Biology PhD Program  and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies .

Admissions Requirements

Please review admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program-specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Chemical Biology PhD Program .

Academic Background

Typical students have a strong background in one of the disciplines relevant to chemical biology and a strong interest in interdisciplinary research. Be sure to indicate the faculty that interest you in the Faculty section of the application for admission. Students are not required to contact any faculty in advance but are welcome to do so.

Applicants who have been selected for an on-campus interview will be notified directly by the program in Chemical Biology. These visits allow students to meet with faculty and current students to get to know our community and the types of research conducted here. Applicants invited for an interview who reside overseas and cannot visit the Harvard campus may interview remotely.

Standardized Tests

GRE General: Optional

Theses & Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations for Chemical Biology

See list of Chemical Biology faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

Application Process

While the PhD Program in Biological Sciences is located at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, it is offered through the Faculty of Arts & Sciences, Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences ( Harvard Griffin GSAS ) and therefore the application process is through Harvard Griffin GSAS .

Students who wish to apply to the BPH Program must submit their application via the online Harvard Griffin GSAS/Harvard Integrated Life Sciences (HILS) admissions application. Please make it clear that you’re interested in the Biological Sciences in Public Health (BPH) Program. See the HILS website for additional detailed application instructions and information about the Harvard Griffin GSAS online application system .

The online application for the 2024-2025 academic year is now open. Completed applications will be due by December 1, 2023.   Late materials will not be considered. Please check our “ Applicant Checklist ” page and the Harvard Griffin GSAS Admissions Page for the most updated information.

Applicants with admissions and/or applications questions should call 617-496-6100 from 2-5pm EST or email Harvard Griffin GSAS Admissions

Please note that for those admitted, the PhD Program in Biological Sciences begins in July 2024.

News from the School

At Convocation, Harvard Chan School graduates urged to meet climate and public health crises with fresh thinking, collective action

Graduation 2024: Award winners

Once a malaria patient, student now has sights set on stopping the deadly disease

Providing compassionate care to marginalized people

• Utility Menu

Apply   |   Contact Us   |   Carol Davis Fund   Anonymous Feedback to the Physics Chair

Cumrun Vafa

Stephen adams.

Carlos Argüelles-Delgado

Jacob A. Barandes

Michael P. Brenner

Adam E. Cohen

Michael M. Desai

Louis Deslauriers

John M. Doyle

Cora Dvorkin

Gary J. Feldman

Douglas Finkbeiner

Melissa Franklin

Gerald Gabrielse

Peter L. Galison

• PEOPLE DIRECTORIES
• Research Scholars
• Administration & Finance Directory
• Faculty Assistants/Lab Administrators
• Staff Directory (internal)
• Staff Schedule
• Harvard Directory Search

The International Center for Genetic Disease regularly holds virtual seminars, lectures, and talks by world-renowned scientists to share recent discoveries and engage with supporters and the local community.

Keynote Series on Genomic Medicine

The Harvard Brigham Keynote Series on Genomic Medicine highlights the cutting-edge science and the researchers making it all possible. This series features talks by internationally renowned and award-winning scientists as they explore the very foundations of life, and improve our understandings of genetics, biology and more. This series is open to public (unless otherwise mentioned) includes Harvard community, as well as clinicians, scientists and trainees from the US, Europe, and the Middle East.

This series is scheduled for the first or second Tuesdays of the month, from 9-10am EST and will be on Zoom

MEDICAL INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY ART PROGRAM

The Medical Inclusion and Diversity Art highlights the topics that may help to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in healthcare.

Keynote Conference on RNA Medicine

KEYNOTE SERIES

Drew Weissman, MD, PhD

2023 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Drew Weissman, MD, PhD2023 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or MedicineRoberts Family Professor in Vaccine ResearchPerelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaDrew Weissman, MD, PhD, is a world-renowned physician and researcher at Penn Medicin...

DATE & TIME

Friday,23 February 2024, 11:30 PM EDT

Friday,23 February 2024, 10:00 AM EDT

Friday,23 February 2024, 09:00 AM +0530

Friday,23 February 2024, 05:00 AM

Scaling Understanding, Advancing Care, and Developing Treatments for Rare Genetic Conditions

Wendy Chung, M.D., Ph.D.

Incoming Chief, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital & Kennedy Family Professor of Pediatrics in Medicine Chief, Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics Columbia University

Wendy Chung, MD, PhD, is the Incoming Chief of the Department of Pediatrics of Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Chung will be responsible for leadership, strategy, oversight, and vision for the Department of Pediatrics, ensuring alignment with the goa...

Wednesday,21 June 2023, 12:30 AM EDT

Wednesday,21 June 2023, 11:00 AM EDT

Wednesday,21 June 2023, 10:00 AM +0530

Wednesday,21 June 2023, 06:00 AM

The Emergence of General AI for Medicine

Peter Lee, Ph.D.

Corporate Vice President for Research & Incubations, Microsoft

Dr. Peter Lee is Corporate Vice President, Research and Incubations, at Microsoft. He leads Microsoft Research across its nine laboratories around the world. He also oversees several incubation teams for new research-powered lines of business, the la...

Tuesday,2 May 2023, 11:00 AM EDT

Tuesday,2 May 2023, 10:00 AM EST

Tuesday,2 May 2023, 06:00 AM

Colorism and Skin Tone: Implications for Health and Medical Devices

Ellis Monk, PhD

Associate Professor of Sociology, Harvard University Visiting Faculty Researcher, Google

Dr. Ellis Monk is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Harvard University; and a Visiting Faculty Researcher at Google, where he works on skin tone, artificial intelligence, and machine-learning. His award-winning research focuses on the comparativ...

Tuesday,28 February 2023, 02:00 AM EDT

Tuesday,28 February 2023, 02:00 PM EDT

Tuesday,28 February 2023, 01:00 PM EST

Tuesday,28 February 2023, 09:00 AM

Programmable Genomic Medicines & Platforms

Noubar Afeyan, PhD

Founder and CEO, Flagship Pioneering Co-founder and Board Chairman, Moderna

Dr. Noubar Afeyan is founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, a company that creates bioplatform companies to transform human health and sustainability. An entrepreneur and biochemical engineer, Dr. Afeyan holds more than 100 patents and has co-founde...

Tuesday,21 February 2023, 10:00 AM EDT

Tuesday,21 February 2023, 09:00 AM EST

Tuesday,21 February 2023, 05:00 AM

Harnessing African Genomic Variation to Improve Health Globally

Professor Ambroise Wonkam

Director, McKusick -Nathans Institute & Department of Genetic Medicine Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine President, African Society of Human Genetics

Prof Ambroise Wonkam is a professor of Genetic Medicine, and Director of the McKusick-Nathans Institute, and Department of Genetic Medicine. Prof Wonkam is president of the African Society of Human Genetics, Chair of the steering committee of H3Afric...

Tuesday,17 January 2023, 10:00 AM EDT

Tuesday,17 January 2023, 09:00 AM EST

Tuesday,17 January 2023, 05:00 AM

Genetic and Therapeutic Approaches to Heart Diseases

Professor Christine Seidman

Thomas W. Smith Professor of Medicine and Genetics, Harvard Medical School Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Director, Cardiovascular Genetics Service, Brigham and Women's Hospital Institute Member, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

Professor Christine Seidman is the Thomas W. Smith Professor of Medicine and Genetics at Harvard Medical School, an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Director of the Cardiovascular Genetics Service at Brigham and Women's Hospit...

Tuesday,15 November 2022, 10:00 AM EDT

Tuesday,15 November 2022, 09:00 AM EST

Tuesday,15 November 2022, 05:00 AM

How Diversity in Medical Illustrations Can Improve Healthcare Outcomes

Chidiebere Ibe

Medical Student Lead Medical Illustrator, International Center for Genetic Disease Chief Medical Illustrator and Creative Director – Journal of Global Neurosurgery

Chidiebere Ibe is a medical illustrator and a medical student at Kyiv Medical University. He was born on 31 March 1996. Having lost his mother to surgery for fibroid, he became passionate about medicine, especially as it relates to mothers and childr...

Wednesday,19 October 2022, 02:30 AM EDT

Wednesday,19 October 2022, 02:30 PM EDT

Wednesday,19 October 2022, 01:30 PM EDT

Wednesday,19 October 2022, 09:30 AM

FinnGen and The Road Ahead in Human Genetics

Professor Mark Daly

Director of the Institute of Molecular Medicine Finland(FIMM) Founding Chief, Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School Institute Member, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

Professor Mark Daly is the Director of the Institute of Molecular Medicine Finland. His lab has developed many foundational computational tools and statistical techniques in genome mapping, linkage and association, and automated interpretation of lab...

Tuesday,18 October 2022, 10:00 AM EDT

Tuesday,18 October 2022, 09:00 AM EST

Tuesday,18 October 2022, 05:00 AM

The Secret Life of Introns

Tracy Johnson, Ph.D.

Keith and Cecilia Terasaki Endowed Chair in the Life Sciences Professor of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor Dean, Division of Life Sciences, UCLA

Dr. Johnson is Dean of Life Sciences, and holder of the Keith and Cecilia Terasaki Presidential Endowed Chair, and a Professor of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology at UCLA. Dr. Johnson is recognized for her scientific leadership, contribu...

Tuesday,17 May 2022, 10:00 AM EDT

Tuesday,17 May 2022, 09:00 AM EDT

Tuesday,17 May 2022, 05:00 AM

Copyright © 2020-2024 iCGD. All rights reserved | Site by Xiteb ®

• Utility Menu

GA4 Tracking code

Welcome, HUSI 2021!

This year's Harvard Ukrainian Summer Institute commenced on Thursday, June 17 with a brief orientation to welcome the class and offer initial guidance for the second year of virtual summer programming. 

Even as Harvard prepares for a return to campus this fall, the Harvard Summer School is operating remotely. HUSI classes as well as supplemental programming, such as the Public Event Series, will take place online. Although we once again miss having the HUSI community on campus, we are grateful for the opportunity to welcome a large and diverse group of talented students. 

The 2021 HUSI class comprises 28 students from around the world (quite literally). From Taiwan to California, our students are logging on from 10 countries (Kazakhstan, United Kingdom, Mexico, Sweden, Taiwan, Canada, The Netherlands, Spain, Ukraine, and United States), representing nine different states in the US. We have 11 PhD students, six MA students, three undergrads, five professionals/ recent graduates, two scholars, and one ambitious high school student. In addition to their global distribution, our students have a wide range of academic and professional interest, including opera management and neuroscience. 

During the summer, students will complete coursework, attend public events, contribute to the HUSI blog, and participate in other programming such as the TCUP Book Club. We're excited to work with this talented group as the summer unfolds.

Nina is a recent graduate from the College of Europe in Natolin, where she specialized in European Neighbourhood Policy. Her research was focused on the Ukrainian war with Russia and the Normandy format in particular, as an example of Franco-German relations’ influence on European neighboring countries and attempts at conflict resolution. 

Inspired by history and politics classes, she maintains an interest in the history of memory, the Polish-Ukrainian relationship and its historical roots, as well as the post-communist democratic transition of the Central and Eastern European countries and how those changes influenced the modern democratic states. For this reason, she chose to take “Tradition and Modernity in Ukraine 19th and 20th centuries,” taught by Serhiy Bilenky, at HUSI in 2021. “Ukraine is the field of many changes before its independence and after,” she said. “I would like to dig deeper into the processes and experiences that made Ukraine the country it is now, to understand what challenges can be expected ahead and how to cope with them.”

Daniel Brennan

Daniel is attending HUSI's Ukrainian Language program to assist with his future graduate research, which will occur from 2021-2023 at Columbia's Harriman Institute. “Needless to say, I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to learn from Professor Dibrova, who in my opinion is the largest draw to attend HUSI,” he said.

Lauren Clemens

Lauren’s love for studying the Slavic world began as a child growing up in Eastern Europe, coming to full fruition when I graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor’s in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies.

At HUSI, Lauren will take the Ukrainian language course with Professor Dibrova. “I am excited to learn Ukrainian for my research so I can better understand the current political climate in Ukraine, especially in the Eastern Neighborhood of the EU,” she said. “Having studied Russian, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia for the past four years, I’m thrilled to focus on a country I’ve developed a great passion for, and begin to understand Ukraine in its own tongue.”

Shawn Conroy

Nataliia Druhak

Nataliia’s professional interests are governmental and social communications, public diplomacy, national image, and hybrid warfare, which were developed during her studies on International Communication at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Currently, Nataliia is a part of the communication team of the Ukrainian Institute which is a key player in the field of cultural diplomacy of Ukraine. 

“Work in the field of cultural diplomacy requires a wide range of skills and knowledge. Firstly, knowledge of Ukrainian history and culture, both classic and contemporary, to tell the stories about Ukraine to the world as well as to find common ground with other nations to build mutual relationships,” she noted. “A solid academic and professional background in these fields is of high importance as some issues require sensitivity in public communication.”

During HUSI, Nataliia looks forward to developing new ideas to present Ukraine as a part of global cultural and historical processes. “It will be a pleasure to connect with peers and have discussions on Ukrainian literature and history,” she added.

Emma Friedlander

She is taking the HUSI language course with the goal of broadening her research abilities so that, once international archival research is possible again, she will be able to explore research areas that are only accessible with the Ukrainian language. “Soviet historians can get pretty far with just Russian, but especially as the field attempts to decentralize its Russophone focus, other research languages are critical,” she explained. “I hope that this summer of learning Ukrainian will provide an immersive context for and pave a path towards future knowledge discoveries.” 

Maria Gehred

Although she regrets that this year’s class will not be able to meet in person, Maria recognizes that the online format of the course provides several advantages. “If not for the ability to work remotely, I wouldn’t be able to attend HUSI. I’m thankful for the increased accessibility of the program and for the opportunity to meet fellow students from across the globe who might otherwise find it difficult or impossible to attend.” 

Daria Glazkova

Daria holds a research assistant position at the Holodomor Research and Education Consortium. Her academic interests include urban history, Slavic literatures, and studies of national identities. Her current research is focused on the city branding and shifting urban mythology of Odesa. 

This summer, Daria is taking the “Tradition and Modernity” course with Professor Bilenky and the “Twentieth- and Twenty-First-Century Ukrainian Literature” course taught by Professor Grabowicz. She believes that studying Ukrainian history and literature at HUSI will greatly contribute to her understanding of cultural trends and patterns of societal development in modern Ukraine. She looks forward to meeting other young scholars who are interested in Ukrainian studies. 

Austin Holdridge 

Austin’s interest in Ukraine began with a visit to Lviv during a work trip in 2016. He enjoyed the opportunity to return to Ukraine in 2019, spending a week in Kyiv and three weeks in Odesa studying Russian. T

This summer at HUSI he will be taking Professor Bilenky’s course on tradition and modernity in Ukraine. “I hope to learn more about how Ukraine’s unique history has shaped its modern identity,” he explained. “Following the conclusion of my studies at Harvard in August, I will head to my next military assignment at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency in Washington, D.C. My long-term goal is to work on defense issues at the US Embassy in Kyiv.”

Yu-Hsuan Hsu

Annika Hugosson

Annika is studying Ukrainian language this summer to build communication skills before undertaking long-term fieldwork. She is excited for the opportunity offered by the virtual format—to bring a diverse group together who may not have otherwise been able to participate. She has also been studying Russian online for the past year and has been pleasantly surprised at the level of language instruction possible via this format.

Kateryna Iakovlenko 

"I see HURI as an opportunity to look at Ukrainian literature from a perspective of current challenges such as war and propaganda, equal rights, control of discrimination, violence, inclusion, and technological expansion. I am wondering how contemporary literature and authors reflect this topic and what words they use to talk with an audience. 

“The online format helps me better organize my time and participate in the course while staying in another city. For me, this is an opportunity for communication with interesting young professionals who are open to humanitarian knowledge and discussions."

Anna Isaieva

“I heard about HUSI summer school from my former classmates and have been on the lookout for a chance to participate ever since,” she said. “Sadly, the pandemic makes personal interaction with professors and fellow students impossible. Still, I am excited to take part in this summer’s courses at HUSI.” 

Anna’s motivation for participating in the program is both professional and personal. Professor Bilenky’s course on Tradition and Modernity has a direct connection to her dissertation topic and appeals to her love of urban history. “The literature course is more a call of the heart,” she explained. “I am looking forward to rediscovering Ukrainian modern literature under such great guidance. Last but not least – the summer program is a unique opportunity to connect with people from around the world who share our rather specialized set of interests.”

Alisher Juzgenbayev

Alisher holds a BA from Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan. He grew up in Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan and has a first-person appreciation of the complexity behind the politics of language and identity in countries of the former Soviet Union. 

As a native speaker of Russian, Alisher hopes that the HUSI language course will empower him to read in Ukrainian, and set him on the path to be a proficient Ukrainian speaker. He hopes these language skills will not only enable him to read government documents and understand court proceedings, but also to gain more from interpersonal experiences during his future fieldwork in the country. He believes that knowledge of Ukrainian is essential for any scholar conducting ethnographic work in Ukraine and seeking to get a fuller picture of complex social dynamics at play, be it in or out of the courtroom. 

Yuliya Kazanova

She is looking forward to taking Prof. Grabowicz’s course on Ukrainian literature of the 20th and 21st centuries, in order to acquire a more holistic historical and theoretical perspective on modern and contemporary Ukrainian literature, which would inform and enrich her research.  “Due to my family commitments, I would not be able to move to Cambridge for the duration of the summer school,” she observed. “The online format for me was a unique opportunity to join a vibrant student and scholarly community at Harvard University and benefit from its world-class research.”

Danylo Leshchyshyn

At HUSI, Danylo hopes to learn more about the cultural and historical trends which shaped the policies of the UNR and the actions of politicians such as Symon Petliura, Arnold Margolin, and Volodymyr Vynnychenko. He is excited at the chance to explore the sources in the Harvard libraries. After a full year of virtual education, Danylo feels ready to tackle whatever challenges may arise during the next six weeks at HUSI.

Cooper Lynn

This summer, he is excited to improve his language skills and learn more about Ukraine’s unique and complex situation between empires in the nineteenth century. He looks forward to immersing himself in Ukrainian literature and culture as he begins preliminary research for his dissertation on historic conceptions of the body and bodily autonomy in East Europe. He recognizes the challenges that come with a digital format, but finds a silver lining in the geographic diversity of his classmates: this summer offers a rare opportunity to connect with peers around the world in a truly international setting.

Lucy Minicozzi-Wheeland

“This summer, I will be completing HUSI’s “Ukrainian for Reading Knowledge” course. I am looking forward to advancing my language skills, expanding my knowledge of Ukraine, and being able to incorporate Ukrainian-language sources into my research.”

César Octavio Moreno Zayas

This summer César will be in the Ukrainian for Reading Knowledge course at HUSI. “I am happy to participate and am thankful for the opportunity,” he said, “because it will help me to approach the history of Ukrainian opera so I can explore its development from the 18th to 19th century. I will be able to explore the history from Bortniansky to Lysenko.”

Aliide Naylor

Aliide has vast regional experience, having published her first book, The Shadow in the East: Vladimir Putin and the New Baltic Front in early 2020 (Bloomsbury). She has been working as a freelance journalist, editor, and translator for several years now, with clients ranging from Freedom House to DK Eyewitness Travel to the Guardian, New Statesman, and Vice, and she has spent time at both Kremlin-backed broadcaster RT and independent daily The Moscow Times. 

Aliide is torn between chasing a PhD program and the pipe dream of establishing her own deeply unprofitable news organization. Perhaps HUSI will help her decide. 

Daniel Palmer

“Ukraine is one of my principal areas of interest for graduate study, and I'm taking Professor Dibrova's Ukrainian language course this summer to allow me to start primary research on Ukraine as early as possible,” he explained. “In addition to acquiring new language skills, I'm excited to broaden my knowledge of the culture and history of Ukraine, as well as gain more insight into present-day international affairs involving Ukraine. I'm very happy that Harvard is continuing the Ukrainian Summer Institute despite pandemic constraints.” 

Khrystyna Semeryn

Born and raised in the Ukrainian Carpathians, Khrystyna obtained her BA in Philology & Creative Writing in 2016 and MA in Philology in 2018 from the National University of Ostroh Academy. Since 2019 she has been enrolled in a Ph.D. program in Literature. Between 2016 and 2017 she held the Scholarship of the President of Ukraine. By June 2021 she participated in 18 international scientific conferences in Ukraine, Austria, and Poland, and won a dozen of national research competitions. She currently runs a cooking blog on Facebook and a few social pages of diverse projects. Her research and journalistic interests include Jewish studies, ethnic minorities, women’s experiences, gender equality, identity, the Holocaust and the Holodomor, social and vulnerable themes, geopoetics, cultural memory, science and academic virtue, and infomedia literacy. 

Taking Prof. Grabowicz’s “Twentieth- and Twenty-First-Century Ukrainian Literature: Rethinking the Canon,” Khrystyna is excited to re-read classic texts in an insightful way distanced from post-Soviet customs and dated patterns. She is curious about learning a new vision of the literary process, literary theory tools, and interpretation models. “Nowadays Prof. Grabowicz is believed to be among the most prominent scholars in Ukrainian studies,” she noted. “Moreover, many of my works deal with issues associated with Prof. Grabowicz’s scholarship in literary studies and cultural studies, and my early pieces are partially fueled by his classic works.” Therefore, she awaits the classes with great anticipation.  

Devon Sereda Goldie

Additionally, she was a speaker at the Forum on Antiracism in the Ukrainian Diaspora, the inaugural event of the Ukrainian Antiracist Community. In 2021, she co-taught a special topics theatre course with Dr. Warwick Dobson entitled "Exploring the Holodomor." Currently, Sereda Goldie is one of thirty participants in the "i am ..." Digital Storytelling Research Project of the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration at Ryerson University, in collaboration with the Toronto International Film Festival. Her short film, which premiered in June 2021, explores her identity as a Ukrainian Canadian. 

Outside academia, she works for the Ukrainian World Congress as a Social Media/Admin Assistant and serves in a variety of leadership roles in the Ukrainian community. In 2019, she was awarded the Ukrainian Canadian Congress National Youth Leadership Award for “outstanding leadership which significantly contributed to the broader Ukrainian community and the betterment of Canada.” At HUSI, she will take Professor Bilenky’s history course on tradition and modernity.

Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon 

Her current research interrogates how race, ethnicity, and nationality functioned in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Specifically, she examines how the experiences of Africans and African Americans in these countries illustrate everyday understandings of race and ethnicity in officially “race-less” states. She has written and spoken about issues of race and discrimination in Ukraine and Russia. 

Kimberly is excited to build her formal knowledge of Ukrainian. Her master’s thesis examined subjectivity in the countryside during the Holodomor. She did archival research in Kyiv and Odesa, Ukraine, and her dissertation research will take her back to Ukraine. “I was drawn to HUSI because, as a MA student, I enjoyed the Ukrainian Research Institute’s programming and the vibrant and supportive atmosphere the HURI scholars created,” she said. 

“While I understand the COVID precautions,” Kim added, “I just wish I could study in the bright and welcoming HURI building again and work with my classmates in person.” HURI hopes she’ll visit our building again when conditions allow. 

Daryna Sudachek

“My aim of enrolling in the course  "Tradition and Modernity in Ukraine, 19th and 20th Centuries" is to understand the origins and evaluate the socio-cultural impact on the formatting of Ukrainian identity today,” she said. “For example, to assess the Soviet legacy without prejudice and find its part in constructing modern Ukrainian society.”

Daryna sees both benefits and challenges in the virtual format for HUSI. She’s looking forward to the diverse viewpoints of a global community, while anticipating the novel experience of navigating across time zones. She’s excited and ready for the challenge!

Chase specializes in the history of world philosophy and theology, with a focus on philosophies and theologies of securitization, criminalization, extremism, and violence. The overarching theme throughout all of her work is an interest in how diverse socio-political, philosophical, and religious forces combine to legitimize (or delegitimize) different forms of knowledge and categories of identity, and the political consequences which inevitably attend these epistemic developments. Her dissertation, entitled “Where God is Warlord: A Philosophical Archaeology of the Euro-American Radical Right,” unpacks contemporary white supremacists’ links to Counter-Enlightenment, Anti-Enlightenment, neo-pagan and occult intellectual movements. It also explores how illiberal socio-political convictions are being popularized through alternative forms of religio-philosophical discourse - including music, fantasy role-playing games, and the revival of early medieval Norse writing - with particular attention to links between extremists in the American Pacific Northwest, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine. She is thrilled to take the history course at HUSI, which she expects will help her learn more about far-right, fascist, neo-Nazi, and white supremacist factions in Ukrainian politics and the Ukrainian armed forces. 

Paulina Zacharko

“When I lost my connection with my father in my early teen years, I resorted to learning about his heritage on my own. It started by watching videos of Ukrainian parliament with subtitles and led to me creating proposals meant to stabilize the region with North Atlantic Treaty Organization amendments and renewable energy,” she said. “This summer I get to formally dive into Ukraine’s history at Harvard. I am bilingual in Spanish and English, and the goal is to additionally learn Ukrainian to better connect with the region I spend so much time researching.” 

Search News

News by topic, related news.

• Diverse Group of Students United by Interest in Ukraine: HUSI 2018
• Welcome, HUSI Class of 2017!
• Harvard Ukrainian Summer Institute, 46th Year (in Ukrainian)
• Study Ukrainian at Harvard with HUSI’s 46th Class: June 18- August 6
• Message from the HUSI Director

Graduate School

Biochemistry (ph.d.), biochemistry (ph.d.) | graduate.

Our Biochemistry doctoral students are at the forefront of biochemical research and molecular medicine, examining biological mechanisms underlying human disease; they are finding new ways to detect and attack diseases and immunological disorders like cancer, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular disease.

Graduates of the Ph.D. in Biochemistry program at Howard's Graduate School are prepared for careers at top research universities and senior-level research positions in biomedical and related industries. The program's key strengths in molecular microbiology, proteomics and genetics, bioinformatics, and drug design and discovery make us a nexus for collaborative investigations between biochemistry researchers and clinicians. You'll learn to apply biochemical techniques, including NMR spectroscopy, crystallography, and single-molecule methods as well as contemporary approaches to cell culture and genetic analysis to answer key questions about the pathogenesis of specific diseases and the development of effective drug therapies. You'll also enjoy the close mentorship of faculty who are committed to your professional development. Our faculty are experts in several areas of biochemistry, including analysis of molecular structure, proteomics and genetics, tumor biology, structural biology, enzymology, RNA catalysis, stress response, and RNA modification. As you advance in the program, you'll become increasingly involved in laboratory research and the critical analysis of biochemical literature. Our graduate seminar series offers a venue to present your early-stage research. Students may pursue a dual M.D./Ph.D. degree.

Program Snapshot

      ❱  72 credit hours        ❱  Full-time       ❱  On-campus format       ❱  Degree: Ph.D.       ❱  Dual degree: M.D./Ph.D.

Application Deadlines

Spring 2024 entry:         ❱  No spring entry 

Fall 2024 entry:         ❱  Dec. 1, 2023 (early deadline)       ❱  Feb. 15, 2024 (priority deadline)       ❱  Apr. 15, 2024 (final deadline)

Applicants should submit their applications as early as possible for earlier consideration of departmental funding opportunities. Applicants have until the final deadline to apply. However, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the admissions cycle. 

Dr. Zaki Sherif

Dr. matthew george, jr., angela wilson, program details.

• Degree Classification: Graduate
• Related Degrees: M.D. / Ph.D., Ph.D.

Admission Requirements

Application for admission.

• Online GradCAS application
• Statement of purpose/ Statement of academic interest ( 500-1,000 words )
• GRE scores  not required
• Official transcripts sent to GradCAS
• 3 letters of recommendation
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university or the international equivalent 
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae
• Autobiographical statement ( 500-750 words )

GRE Required?

Gre preferred minimums.

• GRE Verbal Reasoning: N/A
• GRE Quantitative Reasoning: N/A
• GRE Analytical Writing: N/A

GPA Required Minimums

• Overall GPA minimum: 3.0
• Undergrad GPA minimum: 3.0

Prerequisite Courses

The following course prerequisites are required. Applicants are required to have at least a B average in these prerequisites.   No expiration date for recommended prerequisites.

• Biology (college-level courses, 8 semester credit hrs)
• General Chemistry (college-level courses, 8 semester credit hrs)
• Organic Chemistry (college-level courses, 8 semester credit hrs)
• Elementary Physical Chemistry (college-level course and lab, 4 semester credit hrs)
• Physics (college-level courses, 8 semester credit hrs)
• Calculus  (college-level course, 3 semester credit hrs)

Reference Requirements

Evaluator type accepted:

• Professor (Required)
• Supervisor/Manager
• Other 

Evaluator type not accepted:

• Family Member