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For contact information, please visit the Pathology & Laboratory Medicine website .

Pathology, the study of disease, integrates all aspects of biomedical science to further the understanding of disease processes and develop methods for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of disease. The PhD in Pathology & Laboratory Medicine is for students who want to participate in breakthrough scientific research and contribute to the advancement of biomedical knowledge, learning how diseases work at a mechanistic level. Graduates will be prepared for postdoctoral fellowships, science writing, running a lab as a principal investigator, and shaping science policy at the government level.

Our department focuses particularly on cancer, immunologic, inflammatory, and neurologic disorders. We have a strong and diverse faculty composed of core and joint members who offer multiple research and training opportunities in experimental pathology.

Current foci of research by departmental faculty and students include:

• The development of the brain
• Disorders of brain development and normal aging
• Effects of nutrition on the developing brain
• Disorders of cell cycle and cell signaling in the pathogenesis and progression of cancer
• Normal and abnormal immunological responses to infectious agents and environmental toxins and to other stimuli
• The neuroscience of Alzheimer’s disease
• Traumatic brain injury
• The pathogenesis of asthma
• Development of immunotherapies for cancer and infectious diseases

Prospective applicants to the PhD program in Pathology must enter via the Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS). This program emphasizes interdisciplinary training for the first year, after which time students will be free to transition into one of the doctoral programs offered by the Department of Pathology.

Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS)

The Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine participates in the Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS), which offers training toward the PhD degree by integrating the foundations of interdisciplinary biomedical research with focused investigation and preparation for career advancement.

In the first year, PhD students will participate in the Foundations in Biomedical Sciences (FBS) core curriculum as well as have the opportunity to select elective courses focused on area-specific interests. Additionally, trainees will engage in laboratory rotations, journal clubs, and research seminars. Trainees will work closely with a faculty advisor in the development of an individual plan that will be tailored to serve specific research and professional goals. After selection of a laboratory, students will join the program/department with which the mentor is affiliated and continue advanced studies towards candidacy.

For more on how to apply, please visit our website .

Program Overview

The doctoral program is broadly based, offers research training in both basic and clinical investigations of disease, and encourages students to integrate the two areas where appropriate in their doctoral research. The core curriculum provides course, seminar, and laboratory opportunities for students to learn the pathogenesis, morphology, and cell and molecular biology of human diseases and laboratory techniques used to study them.

Laboratories of faculty in the department and other faculty in Graduate Medical Sciences provide opportunities for doctoral dissertation research in many aspects of the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of disease.

Students are expected to fulfill all course requirements, choose a dissertation laboratory, and begin preparatory dissertation research within four semesters. They then take the qualifying examination and, if successful, present a dissertation research proposal to their faculty committee and proceed with their research. Students in the alternative tracks follow a modified curriculum in which certain departmental requirements are substituted by requirements of the respective interdepartmental program.

Our faculty members are committed to facilitating all pathology graduate students’ efficient progress through our graduate programs, in a goal-oriented manner. The student group is enthusiastic and interactive. And our graduates pursue careers in academia, biotechnology settings, government laboratories and, if also medically trained, in clinical specialties.

Specializations

In addition to the pathology curriculum, students may choose from three additional specialized tracks:

• Pathology—Cell and Molecular Biology
• Pathology—Immunology
• Pathology—Neuroscience

Specialized coursework offered through the department includes:

• Basic and Experimental Pathology
• Protein Modification and Molecular Basis of Human Diseases
• The Business of Science

Involvement with the MD/PhD Program

• Pathology regularly participates in evening sessions with the MD/PhD students where research opportunities within pathology are discussed.
• Dr. Remick serves on the MD/PhD admissions committee to review applicants and rank interviewed applicants.
• Several faculty members in pathology serve as interviewers for the MD/PhD applicants, providing a critical component since the group struggles to find sufficient MD interviewers.
• Recent MD/PhD graduates who have defended and gone back to graduate medical school are Bryan Belikoff (Remick Lab/Defended Spring 2010), Besam Khidhir (Haber/Harvard Lab/Defended Spring 2010), Chad Mayer (Kurosawa Lab/Defended Spring 2014), David Stepien (Remick Lab/Defended Spring 2013), Louis Vaickus (Remick Lab/Defended Spring 2010), Terry Hsieh (Remick Lab/Defended Spring 2016), Melody Lun (Off-Site-Childrens Hospital/Lehtinen Lab/Defended Spring 2016), and Nisma Mujahid (Off-Site-Massachusetts General Hospital/Fisher Lab/Defended Spring 2017).

Program Structure

Md/phd and phd general requirements.

A course of study and laboratory experience extending over one to two years is followed by a qualifying examination, which is taken within one semester after completion of required coursework. The proposal for dissertation research is then developed and presented to the dissertation committee; the proposed research extends over another two to three years and is performed under the guidance of the major advisor with the help and advice of the committee.

The Director of Graduate Studies serves as a curriculum advisor to all students in the first two years of the program and approves the course registration forms. After the required courses are completed, the student’s research advisor provides direction in the choice of additional courses.

Laboratory rotations are performed in the first year of study to:

• Acquaint students with research opportunities in the program
• Teach a variety of approaches to research and teach specific research methods
• Permit choice of a laboratory for dissertation research. The dissertation research advisor should be chosen and preliminary work in the area of research begun early in the second year of study

Sample Curriculum for PhD and MD/PhD

For first-year PiBS students interested in pathology, the following courses are recommended.

First-Year Fall (10 credits)

• GMS AN 704 Statistics (2 cr) (or equivalent)
• GMS FC 701 Foundations/Protein Structure (2 cr)
• GMS FC 702 Foundations/Genome Structure & Function (2 cr)
• GMS FC 703 Foundations/Cell Architecture & Dynamics (2 cr)
• GMS PA 710 Principles of Basic and Applied Pathology (2 cr)

First-Year Spring (10 credits)

• GMS FC 704 Foundations/Biomedical Sciences (2 cr)
• GMS PA 510 Medical Immunology (2 cr)
• GMS PA 700 Basic and Experimental Pathology (4 cr)
• GMS elective (2 cr)

Second-Year Fall (10 credits)

• GMS PA 800 Pathology Seminar (2 cr)
• GMS PA 810/811 Business of Science (recommended) or elective (2 cr)
• GMS PA 900 Pathology Lab Rotations (2 cr)
• GMS PA 901 Pathology Research (2 cr/varies)
• GMS electives (2 or 4 cr)

Second-Year Spring (10 credits)

• GMS PA 801 Special Topics–Spring (2 cr)
• GMS PA 901 Pathology Research (4 cr/varies)
• GMS PA 910 Human Biospecimens for Research (2 cr)
• Directed Studies (credits as needed)

Required to Sit for the Qualifying Exam

• GMS FIBS I–IV

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) is presented by Boston University, requires participation in four sessions of two hours each (usually one session per semester), and results in an NIH certificate. Summer sessions are also offered.

For second-year PiBS students interested in pathology, the following courses are required/recommended.

• GMS PA 800 Pathology Seminar (required for qualifying exam) (2 cr)
• GMS PA 700 Basic and Experimental Pathology (required for qualifying exam) (4 cr)
• Directed Studies (credits as needed)

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)  is presented by Boston University, requires participation in four sessions of two hours each (usually one session per semester), and results in an NIH certificate. Summer sessions are also offered.

For MD/PhD students interested in pathology, the following courses are required/recommended.

First-Year Fall (1o credits)

• GMS AN 704 Statistics (or equivalent) (2 cr)
• GMS PA 810/811 Business of Science (recommended) (2 cr)
• GMS elective (2 or 4 cr)
• GMS PA 800 Pathology Seminar (elective) (2 cr)

Additional Requirements

Participation and attendance in the Departmental Friday Seminar are required through all terms of study and research. Two course credits are given for one term (beginning in second year for Cell Biology Track).

For all students pursuing the combined MD/PhD degree, PA 510 Immunology and PA 700 Pathology requirements are fulfilled by the medical curriculum.

Each student is required to present a seminar in the departmental seminar series in addition to their dissertation defense. This is usually done in the fourth year.

Qualifying Exams

Chobanian & Avedisian SOM Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine

Pathology PhD graduate students are eligible to take this compulsory examination after successfully completing the required coursework. This will typically take place at the end of second year for PhD students and at the end of third year for the MD/PhD students.

There is one exam period each year: May–June.

Written (computer-typed) examination—6–8 hours

Morning and afternoon sessions consist of essay questions based on individual coursework, directed readings, critiques of selected publications (with an emphasis on experimental design), and evaluation of pathology seminars. These study instructions are provided by the individual members of the examination committee no more than two months prior to the examination. The students are responsible for contacting the committee members. None of the suggested study material/publications can be brought to the exam. The answers will be submitted anonymously to the examiners for grading. Copies of past exams are available. All candidates will provide a list of their coursework and grades to the examination committee. Upon passing the written exam, students will proceed to the oral examination, which takes place 7–10 days after the written exam.

Oral examination—1 ½–2 hours

Exam evaluation : Pass/Fail/Conditional Pass. In the event of a conditional pass, the examining committee will define the appropriate corrective steps and a time frame for completing these steps.

After passing the qualifying examination, the graduate student will proceed with selection of their thesis committee.

Current members of the committee are: Dr. J. K. Blusztajn, Dr. B. Slack (committee chair), Dr. I. Delalle, Dr. D. Remick, and Dr. N. Rahimi. Alternate member: Dr. J. Sharon.

PhD Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation Committees

The committee must consist of at least five members, which includes the student’s thesis advisor. At least three members must have primary or secondary appointments in the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at the time they are asked to join the committee.

For a complete description of requirements for assembly of the committee, please visit the BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine website .

Admission & Financial Assistance

Criteria for admission.

Students must have received a baccalaureate degree from an accredited university. Additional criteria considered by the admissions committee include:

• A good academic record/GPA
• GRE test results and TOEFL for international students
• Personal statement
• Letters of references
• Interview evaluation (if invited)
• Interest level in pathology research
• All aspects of the applicant, including research experience and publications, are considered in the decision process

Financial Support

All PhD and MD/PhD students who are admitted to the program automatically receive a stipend, tuition, activity fees, and health insurance. For the 2018–2019 academic year, the stipend is $34,000.

Students are also eligible to compete for support from outside agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. While in graduate school, students are also eligible to compete with other GMS students for research and travel awards from the department and the Chobanian & Avedisian SOM .

Additional Opportunities

Research opportunities that provide students with the techniques and knowledge necessary to confront scientific problems

Teaching opportunities through the  Chobanian & Avedisian SOM , BU CityLab Academy, BU Metropolitan College, and Chobanian & Avedisian SOM Student Affairs office tutoring program

Departmental seminars provide students with the opportunity to hear and interact with pathologists and basic scientists from a variety of disciplines

Journal Club allows students to lead discussions about current literature, fundamental papers, or new ideas in their fields of study

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Resources for PhDs

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ASH is committed to supporting the participation of basic science-trained investigators in hematologic research and in promoting their participation in the Society’s activities. Below, please find resources, awards, and opportunities for committee and leadership positions for basic scientists involved in hematology-focused research.

ASH Academy on Demand

Nominations for Committee Positions

ASH seeks a balanced committee membership for the Society’s scientific and standing committees

The Society encourages members to self-nominate or recommend a colleague for one or more of the various leadership and committee service roles. All nominations must be submitted online using the ASH nominations submission system.

Grants Clearinghouse

Hematology grant opportunities provided by the ASH Trainee Council to aid trainees in their search for grant information

A database of hematology grant opportunities provided as a service by the ASH Trainee Council. The database lists opportunities offered by organizations external to ASH.

Trainee-News

The ASH Trainee Council is dedicated to increasing the involvement of trainees in basic and clinical hematology research

The American Society of Hematology solicits trainee input on issues related to training and education.

ASH Awards for PhDS

A variety of early-career and early-to-mid career funding opportunities for PhDs offered through ASH award programs

ASH Minority Hematology Graduate Award This award provides funding for students from historically underrepresented minority groups to pursue a career in academic hematology. It is open to doctoral students in their first, second, or third year of graduate school at the time of application.

ASH Abstract Achievement Awards and Outstanding Abstract achievement Awards These $500 merit-based awards (formerly Travel Awards) are provided to trainees with high-scoring annual meeting abstracts of which they are the first or senior author and presenter.

ASH-EHA Translation Research Training in Hematology This training and mentoring program, which kicks off with a week-long course in Europe, helps junior researchers build successful careers in hematologic translational research.

ASH Latin American Training Program This program helps build hematology capacity in Latin America by providing funding for hematologists or hematology-related health care professionals to receive 12 weeks of training on a specific priority area for the region.

ASH Minority Hematology Fellow Award This award encourages early-career MD/DO, PhD, and MD/DO-PhD researchers from historically unrepresented minority groups to pursue a career in academic hematology.

ASH Scholar Award This award provides fellows and junior faculty with partial salary or other research support during that critical period required for completion of training and achievement of status as an independent investigator.

ASH Bridge Grant This award provides funding for investigators who submitted a hematology-related NIH R01 grant in the past 18 months and whose proposals were scored but denied funding.

ASH Global Research Award This award was designed to support future international scientific leaders, increase hematology capacity, and nurture global collaboration.

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Journal Club The ASH Journal Club discusses seminal papers in hematology published in Blood or Blood Advances , and features a manuscript author  as part of the engagement.

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COVID-19 Research Agenda for Hematology Developed in response to the emergence of hematologic complications from COVID-19 infection, this agenda addresses fundamental questions of critical importance to researchers, physicians, and patients.

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Research Training in Immunohematology & Transfusion Medicine

The Department of Laboratory Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine offers 2-3 years of structured post-doctoral research training in the broad field of Immunohematology to MDs, MD/PhDs, and PhDs interested in long term investigative careers in academia or elsewhere. This NIH-funded NRSA (T32) program is designed to provide the basic science, translational, and clinical research skills needed for individuals to become successful clinician-scientists and scientists.

The major areas of focus are:

• Stem Cells/Hematopoiesis
• Transfusion Medicine
• Host-Pathogen Interactions
• Vascular Biology/Transplantation
• Biomedical Engineering.

Trainees must meet the criteria for support on an NIH NRSA: a citizen or a non-citizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time of appointment.

Applications are accepted throughout the year. For applications and inquiries, please follow the instructions under “ Apply ”.

Current Trainees

Clinical Fellow and Instructor in Laboratory Medicine

Clinical Fellow

Sarah N. Dudgeon, MPH View Full Profile

Amos Espinosa View Full Profile

Clinical Fellow; Instructor, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine

Postdoctoral Fellow

Postdoctoral Associate

Our Graduates

We are very proud of the graduates of our physician-scientist and scientist training programs in the Department. Below we list just a few of these individuals:

• Terrence Geiger, MD, PhD - Member, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital; Director Clinical Pathology; Senior Vice President and Deputy Director for Academic and Biomedical Operations
• Li Chai, MD - Associate Professor of Pathology, Brigham & Women's Hospital/Harvard; Associate Director of Transfusion Medicine
• Erica Herzog, MD, PhD - Associate Professor of Internal Medicine (Pulmonary); Director, Translational Lung Research Program, Yale
• Joseph P. Mathew, MD - Professor and Chair of Anesthesiology, Duke University
• Tonya Colpitts, PhD - Associate Director of Virology, Moderna
• David Persing, MD, PhD - Executive Vice President, Chief Medical & Technology Officer, Cepheid Corporation
• David Leitenberg, MD, PhD -Associate Professor Pathology, George Washington University
• Mark Velleca, MD, PhD - Chief Executive Officer, StrideBio
• Jonathan Genzen, MD, PhD - Associate Professor of Pathology, University of Utah
• Mandar Kulkarni, PhD - Chief Technical Officer, Cancer Genetics
• Michael Hodsdon, MD, PhD - Medical Fellow, Eli Lilly
• Stephanie Eisenbarth, MD, PhD - Associate Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Immunobiology, Yale University
• Kevin Nickerson, PhD - Research Assistant Professor of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh
• Tore Eid, MD, PhD - Assistant Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Cellular & Molecular Physiology, Yale University
• Richard Torres, MD, MSc - Associate Professor of Laboratory Medicine, Yale University
• Susan Fink, MD, PhD - Assistant Professor of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington
• Daniel Jane-Wit, MD, PhD - Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine (Cardiology), Yale
• Alex Ryder, MD, PhD - Medical Director at Spectra Laboratories, Inc.
• Ellen Foxman, MD, PhD - Assistant Professor of Laboratory Medicine, Yale
• Maudry Laurent-Rolle, MD, PhD - Assistant Professor, Infectious Diseases, Yale University
• Cheyne Kurokawa, PhD - Senior Scientist, AstraZeneca
• Susanna Curtis, MD, PhD - Assistant Professor, Montefiore Medical Center Assistant Director, Sickle Cell Program for Adults, Montefiore
• Nadia Ayala-Lopez, PhD - Fellow, Clinical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University
• Vanessa Scanlon, PhD - Instructor, Dept. of Laboratory Medicine, Yale University
• Raisa Balbuena-Merle, MD - Assistant Professor, Dept. of Laboratory Medicine, Yale University
• James Zachary Porterfield, MD, PhD - Assistant Professor, Microbiology Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky
• Manuel K. Rausch, PhD - Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin
• David R. Gibb, MD, PhD - Associate Pathologist, Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles, CA.

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• v.8; Jan-Dec 2021

The Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences: A New Curriculum to Enhance the Connection of the Laboratory to Health Care Providers

Jose h. salazar.

1 Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA

2 Department of Pathology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA

Christopher J. Zahner

Vicki s. freeman, michael laposata.

This report discusses the need for a Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences program and describes a curriculum to train Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences students. The Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences program was developed to help reduce diagnostic errors in patient care by enhancing connections between the clinical laboratory and health care providers. Data are presented from program implementation in 2016 to 2017 academic year to 2019 to 2020 regarding the faculty and student demographics, program statistics (eg, admissions and attrition rates), and effectiveness. Perceptions of program effectiveness were obtained via surveys from 28 faculty physicians who supervised Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences students during clinical service rotations. Another survey assessed the preferred type of practice after graduation of 33 students. Over the 4-year period, the program had a 50% rate of admission and a 21.8% attrition rate. As of December 2020, 15 students graduated from the program. The majority (69%-82%) of physician faculty who completed the survey agreed that Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences students contributed positively at clinical rounds. Approximately two-thirds of students reported a preference to lead a Diagnostic Management Team or serve as an advanced practice provider in a Diagnostic Management Team with leadership provided by an MD/DO or PhD. This report provides useful information for other institutions that may want to establish similar Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences programs. Early data suggest that our program effectively trains doctoral-level advanced practice medical laboratory scientists, who may play an important role in improving patient safety by reducing diagnostic errors and providing value-based, optimal patient care.

Introduction

Over the past several decades, advanced practice providers have played increasingly important roles in many areas of medicine. At this time, it would be difficult for most physicians to imagine working without the partnership of a physician assistant or nurse practitioner, especially those in academic medical centers, where multidisciplinary health care teams are the norm. Advanced practice providers also help fill the critical need for health care providers in rural and underserved areas.

With the substantial increase in number, complexity, and costs of laboratory tests in recent years, there is a growing need for input from experts to provide recommendations for appropriate selection and evaluation of these tests and to aid in interpreting their results. The rapid growth in laboratory testing has produced complex issues in test selection and interpretation, time and effort challenges, financial concerns, and increased potential for error, all of which have created a demand for more advanced training of medical laboratory scientists in the field of clinical pathology.

Pathologist assistants have become important components of the team in many pathology practices. Although pathologist assistants are well trained to assist in specimen preparation and processing, they are not trained to analyze and review medical records to provide recommendations for test selection or to provide interpretation of laboratory results. To create expert-driven, patient-specific interpretations of complex clinical laboratory evaluations, it is necessary to review medical records for all information related to a patient’s medical conditions. In academic medical centers, pathology residents and fellows often serve in an advanced practice role to perform initial reviews of medical records and prepare preliminary interpretations and recommendations for providers who ordered the tests. However, residents and fellows are not available in all medical practice settings, and pathology assistants have a restricted scope of practice. Therefore, the need to create a program to produce doctoral-level advanced practice medical laboratory scientists (APMLS) was recognized.

The need for APMLS to participate in generating narrative reports of complex clinical laboratory evaluations is especially compelling at this time. For the past 3 to 4 decades, the vast majority of pathologists have not had adequate professional support to help guide fellow physicians in test selection and interpretation of complex clinical laboratory evaluations because payments are substantially higher for anatomic pathology activities than for professional activities in laboratory medicine. 1 - 3 Further, current payment systems provide no reimbursement to expert laboratory directors with a doctoral degree other than an MD or DO degree for advising colleagues on test selection and result interpretation.

Along with the rising complexity of test options, diagnostic errors are increasing at an alarming rate. The concept of diagnostic error emerged prominently with a 2015 report by the National Academy of Medicine 1 indicating that at least 1 error in diagnosis is experienced by every adult American. The consequences of these errors can be life-threatening. A major contributor to diagnostic error is the rapid expansion of available laboratory tests, many of which are extremely costly. 4 - 6

To circumvent diagnostic errors, Diagnostic Management Teams (DMTs) have been implemented by many institutions in a number of areas, including coagulation, transfusion medicine, toxicology, autoimmunity, liver disease, and anemia. They have even been used to review cases of suspected child abuse. 5 A DMT is a group of experts who conduct focused meetings to ensure correct selection of laboratory tests and proper interpretation of complex test results within specific fields or disease groups. 7 Diagnostic Management Team experts include pathologists, physicians in other specialties, and non-MD/DO laboratory experts. In this report, we show that a doctoral-prepared APMLS can be an effective intermediate care provider.

This report describes the results of a survey-based Quality Improvement/Quality Assurance project exploring the characteristics and outcomes of the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences (DCLS) program at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Texas. Because of the nature of this study, the UTMB Human Research Protections Program deemed it exempt from formal review by our institutional review board. Student confidentiality was fully protected.

Data were collected for the UTMB DCLS program from its inception in the 2016 to 2017 academic year to the 2019 to 2020 academic year. The study included all 55 DCLS students admitted to the program during the 4 years. Student demographic, employment, admission, and attrition data were collected through normal operations of the university. Student project information, program curricula, and faculty contributions were obtained from the program leadership.

A total of 28 faculty physicians who were supervisors during the students’ clinical service rotations completed an anonymous survey to assess DCLS student contributions as part of the clinical rounding team (which also included medical students and residents). The survey was completed once per faculty physician between May 2020 and August 2020. Respondents used a 5-part Likert scale (from strongly agree to strongly disagree) to rate their agreement with 4 statements covering these domains: (1) service as a clinical laboratory resource, (2) consultation regarding laboratory test selection, (3) consultation regarding interpretation of laboratory tests, and (4) overall benefit to clinical performance.

In total, 33 DCLS students completed an anonymous cross-sectional survey after they completed over half of their clinical rotations to assess the preferred area of employment upon graduation with a DCLS degree. The options were as follows: (1) laboratory consultant and DMT lead, (2) laboratory director but not act as a DMT lead, (3) academic practice but not act as a DMT lead, (4) regulatory setting (CMS, CLIA, etc), or (5) other.

A postgraduation survey was completed by 12 of the 15 DCLS graduates. This anonymous survey was distributed approximately 1 year after graduation. The survey focused on employment outcomes and self-perceived competence.

Program Description

University of Texas Medical Branch is one of 3 institutions in the United States that has organized a DCLS program to help address diagnostic error and incorrect test selection. The DCLS degree extends the expertise of the individual beyond that of an entry-level clinical laboratory scientist 8 and provides a career development opportunity for clinical laboratory scientists seeking a doctoral degree.

Our DCLS curriculum was developed by Clinical Laboratory Sciences (CLS), MD, and PhD faculty and structured to meet doctoral standards set by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences. Degree requirements and criteria for awarding the degree include didactic coursework, clinical requirements, and research courses. The program curriculum is taught in 9 semesters over 3 years ( Figure 1 ). The curriculum is summarized in Table 1 and consists of 1728 contact hours organized into 4 sections: (1) courses designed to develop diagnostic expertise (864 hours), (2) DMT rotations (432 hours), (3) clinical service experiences (288 hours), and (4) research courses (144 hours). The courses to develop diagnostic expertise are organized by discipline and consist of online lectures and written assessments. Each student rotates through 8 DMT rotations, ranging from an Anemia DMT to a Toxicology DMT (as shown in Table 1 ). The clinical service experiences involve participating in direct patient contact (rounds) under the supervision of clinical faculty. Each student rotates through 6 diverse clinical service rotations, including obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, geriatrics, and nephrology services, as well as a general internal medicine ward service and the surgical intensive care unit.

Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences (DCLS) curriculum sequence.

DCLS Curriculum Content.

Abbreviation: DCLS, Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences.

The clinical practice experience (sections 2 and 3) allows DCLS students to develop collaborative skills required to properly advise health care providers on test selection and result interpretation in the clinical setting. This experience encompasses a total of 16 weeks on campus, with 8 hours of daily clinical assignments. Before and after attending on-campus clinical sessions, the students receive supplemental classroom instruction on the use of diagnostic tests outside the clinical laboratory.

A doctoral project containing publishable data is also required for graduation. Project work is completed during the last 2 years of the curriculum and is based on original research data derived from clinical projects. The topic of the project is selected by the student, with the aid and approval of the student’s doctoral project committee. The committee also supports and supervises the student while conducting the project. Successful oral defense is required for completion of the DCLS degree. Figure 2 depicts the milestones for completing the doctoral project and the overall DCLS curriculum.

Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences (DCLS) curriculum milestones.

Student Admissions and Attrition

Figure 3 is a year-by-year presentation of student admission and attrition rates. The overall acceptance rate for 2016 to 2017 through 2019 to 2020 was 50% (55/110). With an overall 21.8% (12/55) attrition rate, the remaining number of students in the program or who had graduated by the end of 2019 to 2020 was 43. In 2016 to 2017 and 2017 to 2018, approximately two-thirds of the applicants were admitted. In 2017 to 2018, 10 of the 20 admitted students withdrew from the program, representing an attrition rate of 50% for that cohort. Accordingly, we reduced the proportion of applicants who were admitted to less than one-half (46%) the following year. In 2019 to 2020, the admission rate was 33%, and as of December 2020, the attrition rate for students admitted in 2018 to 2019 and 2019 to 2020 is 0%.

Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences (DCLS) student admissions and attrition from 2016 to 2017 to 2019 to 2020.

Almost twice as many women than men have been admitted to our program since its inception. The most common age range at admission was 35 to 44 years, with 43% of students in this age group. A total of 80% of accepted applicants worked in a clinical laboratory bench setting for more than 6 years. Overall, 68% of admitted candidates identified Texas as their home state, presumably because our institution is in Texas. The remaining 32% of students were from diverse areas of the United States.

Doctoral Project Topics

A total of 15 students graduated from our DCLS program as of December 2020 (8 from the 2016 to 2017 admission cohort and 7 from the 2017 to 2018 cohort). Table 2 lists all doctoral project titles and outcomes for these graduates. Most projects focused on DMT initiation or laboratory test utilization. Six projects examined the use of DMTs for various hematologic and endocrine disorders. The non-DMT projects focused on diagnostic errors attributed to laboratory test utilization (8 projects) and the shortcomings of opioid prescription changes and documentation reconciliation (1 project).

Doctoral Projects of Doctorate of Clinical Laboratory Sciences Graduates.*

† Project outcomes for all 15 students graduating from the program as of December 2020. For all projects, data collection has been finalized, and doctoral project papers have been written and successfully defended.

Faculty Characteristics and Clinical Evaluations

Table 3 provides information regarding the faculty of our DCLS program. Although the program is administered by the School of Health Professions, most faculty are not members of the CLS Department. Most teaching is performed in a clinical setting by faculty who hold appointments in the pathology or internal medicine departments and have an MD/DO degree. These faculty include the instructors for the online courses, the DMT leaders (MD pathologists or PhD clinical laboratory directors), and the clinical service MD faculty.

Faculty Supervision.

The results of evaluations by MD faculty on the clinical service units are shown in Figure 4 . Of the 28 responders, 69% to 82% responded positively to the 4 statements about the presence of DCLS students at clinical rounds (“agree” or “strongly agree” with statements reflecting positive contributions from the students).

Physician faculty assessments of Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences (DCLS) students during rounds (n = 28).

Student Employment Preferences

Figure 5 shows responses to the student survey regarding work preferences upon obtaining a DCLS degree. Approximately two-thirds of students reported a preference to lead a DMT or serve as an advanced practice provider in a DMT with leadership provided by an MD/DO or PhD. Most of the other students wanted to be a laboratory director or work in an academic setting but not be a DMT leader.

Survey of Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences (DCLS) student employment preference upon graduation from the program (n = 33). CLIA indicates clinical laboratory improvement amendments; CMS, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Other includes conducting clinical research.

Postgraduation Outcomes

Fifty percent of graduates were offered a new job upon graduation, and 57% of graduates accepted a new job position within 6 months of graduation ( Figure 6 ). Thirty-three percent of graduates were offered a job promotion at their current place of employment. Figure 7 shows employment job titles of graduates at the time of admission into the program and 1 year after graduation. Figure 8 shows the results of perceived competence 1 year after completion of the DCLS program. The graduates rated their competence as good or excellent for all 6 items evaluated.

Job opportunities after graduation (n = 12).

Employment job titles of students at program admission and 1 year after graduation (n = 12).

Self-perceived competence 1 year after completion of the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences (DCLS) program (n = 12).

In this report, we have described the characteristics and outcomes of the DCLS program at our institution. It provides useful information for other institutions that may want to establish similar programs to educate clinical laboratory scientists at the doctoral level.

The DCLS curriculum is a clinical doctorate program that builds on prior technical knowledge of medical laboratory scientists. The program leads to a clinical doctorate that differs from a PhD degree. The main difference is a broader focus on clinical training in the DCLS program and an emphasis on DMT leadership. Our students are exposed to a wide variety of clinical settings and receive multispecialty mentorship and instruction from faculty clinicians and educators during the program. The ability to participate as a student APMLS expert in laboratory testing on multiple DMTs and as part of a clinical health care team during direct patient provides our DCLS students with extensive experience in developing and utilizing algorithms both inside and outside the laboratory.

Currently, 3 DCLS programs exist in the United States: our program and programs at Rutgers University, New Jersey, and Kansas University Medical Center. Although admission requirements for these programs vary from institution to institution, the following criteria are the minimum recommended standards for admission into our DCLS program: (1) completion of a National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science–accredited Medical Laboratory Science program (or equivalent international program), (2) a baccalaureate degree, and (3) generalist Medical Laboratory Scientist certification. Some institutions have additional admission criteria, such as a minimum number of years of experience as a practicing clinical laboratory scientist. In our program, the criteria for awarding the DCLS degree are substantial, requiring a total of 1728 contact hours consisting of didactic coursework (derived from asynchronous distance education), clinical experiences, and a doctoral project.

When the DCLS program was initially proposed at UTMB, there were questions about the role of successful graduates in medical practice. One of the major barriers to widespread implementation of DMTs is the lack of individuals with sufficient content knowledge to serve as DMT leaders. 9 In our experience, our recent DCLS graduates have been able to create interpretive comments and recommendations in DMT team leadership roles that mimic the roles of a resident physician on the DMT. Figure 9 shows an example of a narrative interpretation generated by a Coagulation DMT. The DMT process involves identifying cases, reviewing medical records, preparing brief summaries of the medical history, providing tentative interpretations of the laboratory data in the clinical context of the specific patient, and making recommendations for additional or reduced testing, as appropriate. Our DCLS graduates are well positioned to become leaders of DMT teams. When they assume this role, they should be salaried (similar to PhD DMT leaders), as there is currently no accepted way to bill insurance companies for this interpretive and consultative work.

Example of an interpretation generated by a coagulation Diagnostic Management Teams (DMT).

Importantly, DCLS graduates pay tuition to earn their degree, unlike PhD fellows who receive funding from institutions to complete fellowship training. This is an economic advantage for institutions and could lead to the widespread development of DCLS DMT leaders in multiple areas of diagnostic medicine. Widespread implementation of DMTs may have major impacts on improving patient care by reducing diagnostic errors. The graduation of 5 to 10 individuals each year from multiple institutions over the next 10 years should provide a workforce of hundreds of DCLS graduates.

In our program, the attrition rate decreased over the 4 years since its initiation. This was likely due to changes in our admission rates and the quality of the applicants. In the last 2 admission cycles (2018-2019 and 2019-2020), the admission rates were lower, and the preadmission accomplishments of the applicant pool were greater. Over 50% of graduates accepted new job positions as a result of completing the program. Our graduates have primarily attained positions as laboratory directors or faculty in academic health science centers.

The role of doctoral-level pharmacists as members of multidisciplinary health care teams in patient-facing rounds has become well accepted. The ability to obtain input from a pharmacist during rounds to discuss the appropriateness, dose, frequency, or cost of a drug has proven valuable. 10 An advanced-level practitioner with a DCLS degree can provide similar input. Nevertheless, not all graduates or students in our program aspire to participate as an advanced practitioner in a DMT or consult on test selection and result interpretation. As more graduates enter the field of laboratory medicine, it is likely that additional roles for DCLS graduates will emerge.

Conclusions

Over the past few decades, a clinical doctoral degree has been created for individuals who obtained nondoctoral degrees in pharmacy with the goal of improving patient outcomes. 10 The concept of a clinical doctoral degree for clinical laboratory scientists arose with similar goals, to improve patient safety by reducing diagnostic errors and to provide value-based, optimal patient care. In its earliest stages, the APMLS service is proving highly useful inside and outside of the clinical laboratory. As DCLS programs continue to evolve, it will be critical to collect and analyze data to obtain evidence of the full impact of DCLS graduates on patient care.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the UTMB internal medicine and pathology faculty, staff, and residents.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding: The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Marie Hollenhorst, MD, PhD

• Basic Life Science Research Associate, Sarafan ChEM-H
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Dr. Hollenhorst is a physician and scientist with expertise in non-malignant hematology, transfusion medicine, and chemical biology. Dr. Hollenhorst values the one-on-one relationships that she forms with her patients, and strives to deliver the highest quality of care for individuals with blood diseases. Her experience caring for patients drives her to ask scientific questions in the laboratory, where she aims to bring a chemical approach to the study of non-malignant blood disease. Dr. Hollenhorst pursued combined MD and PhD training at Harvard University, where she received a PhD in Chemical Biology under the mentorship of Professor Christopher T Walsh. She subsequently completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, a fellowship in Transfusion Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and a fellowship in Hematology at Stanford. Dr. Hollenhorst has an interest in the biology of platelets, which are cellular fragments that help the blood to maintain a healthy balance between bleeding and clotting. Working in the laboratory of Professor Carolyn Bertozzi of Stanford Chemistry, Dr. Hollenhorst is studying sugar molecules found on the surface of platelets that are important in controlling their function and lifespan. Dr. Hollenhorst's research is supported by an NIH K99 Career Pathway to Independence in Blood Science Award for Physician-Scientists, a Stanford Chemistry, Engineering & Medicine for Human Health Physician-Scientist Fellowship, and a National Blood Foundation Early-Career Scientific Research Grant.

Academic Appointments

• Member, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI)

Honors & Awards

• Career Pathway to Independence in Blood Science Award for Physician Scientists (K99), National Institutes of Health, National Heart Lung Blood Institute (2021-2026)
• Early-Career Scientific Research Grant, National Blood Foundation (2019-2022)
• Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (F32), National Institutes of Health, National Heart Lung Blood Institute (2019-2021)
• Physician-Scientist Research Fellowship, Stanford ChEM-H (2017-2022)
• Award for Exemplary Leadership in Coordinating the MD/PhD-LHB Grand Rounds, Harvard-MIT MD/PhD Program (2010)
• Certificate of Distinction in Teaching (Course: Chemistry 27, Organic Chemistry of Life), Harvard University (2010)
• Fox Award for the Most Outstanding Undergraduate in the Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University (2005)

Professional Education

• Board Certification, American Board of Internal Medicine, Hematology (2019)
• Hematology Fellowship, Stanford (2019)
• Transfusion Medicine Fellowship, Harvard Medical School (2017)
• Internal Medicine Residency, Brigham and Women's Hospital (2016)
• MD, Harvard Medical School (Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology) (2013)
• PhD, Harvard University, Chemical Biology (2011)

Additional Info

Graduate and Fellowship Programs

• Hematology (Fellowship Program)
• Transfusion Medicine (Fellowship Program)

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The reported incidence of adverse reactions following Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) convalescent plasma (CCP) transfusion has generally been lower than expected based on the incidence of transfusion reactions that have been observed in studies of conventional plasma transfusion. This raises the concern for under-reporting of adverse events in studies of CCP that rely on passive surveillance strategies.Our institution implemented a protocol to actively identify possible adverse reactions to CCP transfusion. In addition, we retrospectively reviewed the charts of inpatients who received CCP at Stanford Hospital between May 13, 2020 and January 31, 2021. We determined the incidence of adverse events following CCP transfusion.A total of 49 patients received CCP. Seven patients (14%) had an increased supplemental oxygen requirement within 4 h of transfusion completion, including one patient who was intubated during the transfusion. An additional 11 patients (total of 18, 37%) had increased oxygen requirements within 24 h of transfusion, including 3 patients who were intubated. Six patients (12%) fulfilled criteria for transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO).Using an active surveillance strategy, we commonly observed adverse events following the transfusion of CCP to hospitalized patients. It was not possible to definitively determine whether or not these adverse events are related to CCP transfusion. TACO was likely over-diagnosed given overlap with the manifestations of COVID-19. Nevertheless, these results suggest that the potential adverse effects of CCP transfusion may be underestimated by reports from passive surveillance studies.

View details for DOI 10.1111/trf.16711

View details for PubMedID 34677830

View details for DOI 10.1111/trf.16412

View details for PubMedID 33894065

PROBLEM: As biomedical research and clinical medicine become increasingly complex, physician-scientists and clinically oriented biomedical researchers play important roles in bridging the gap between disciplines. A lack of educational programming that addresses the unique needs of students preparing for careers at the interface of basic science and clinical medicine may contribute to trainee attrition.APPROACH: The MD-PhD/LHB Grand Rounds was introduced in 2008 as a trainee-driven collaborative effort of the Harvard/Massachusetts Institute of Technology MD-PhD program at Harvard Medical School (HMS MD-PhD program), Harvard's Leder Human Biology and Translational Medicine (LHB) program, and the Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) Internal Medicine Department. Each of the program's approximately 4 sessions per year begins with dinner, followed by a clinical case presentation led by a BWH MD-PhD resident with a master clinician faculty discussant, then a research presentation by an LHB PhD student or a MD-PhD student on a basic science topic related to the clinical case, and time for socialization.OUTCOMES: In a July 2017 survey of participating students and residents, respondents reported being highly satisfied with the program. Mean satisfaction ratings were 4.3 (SD 0.5) for 12 MD-PhD students, 4.2 (SD 0.7) for 31 LHB students, and 4.4 (SD 0.9) for 5 residents on a 5-point scale (5 = very satisfied). Free-text responses suggested MD-PhD students valued opportunities for active engagement with the resident presenter and faculty discussant. LHB students appreciated the absence of medical jargon in the clinical presentations. Residents' reported reasons for participating included enjoyment of teaching and interaction with students.NEXT STEPS: The Harvard MD-PhD/LHB Grand Rounds can serve as a template for developing similar programs at other institutions. Research is needed to determine whether such grand rounds programs can help fix the leaky pipeline in the training of future physician-scientists and clinically oriented biomedical researchers.

View details for DOI 10.1097/ACM.0000000000003116

View details for PubMedID 31833852

Despite many years of published medical society guidelines for red blood cell (RBC) transfusion therapy, along with clinical trials that provide Level 1 evidence that restrictive transfusion practices can be used safely and are equivalent to transfusions given more liberally, annualized blood transfusion activity did not begin to decline in the United States until 2010. Adoption of electronic medical records has subsequently allowed implementation of clinical decision support (CDS): best practice alerts that can be initiated to improve the use of blood components. We describe our own institutional experience using a targeted CDS to promote restrictive blood transfusion practice and to improve RBC use. A 42% reduction in RBC transfusions was demonstrated at our institution from a baseline in 2008 through 2015, and the rate remained stable through 2018. Although the data cannot be used to infer causality, this decreased RBC use was accompanied by improved clinical outcomes.

View details for DOI 10.1182/hematology.2019000062

View details for PubMedID 31808902

Prior studies have demonstrated an increased prevalence of autoimmune markers in patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Clinical experience has suggested that there may be an association between autoimmune markers and poor outcomes in ITP, but current guidelines do not encourage routine testing in these patients. We retrospectively assessed the prevalence of autoimmune markers in adult patients with ITP from our institutional database and used multiple logistic regression analyses to test for an association between autoimmune marker positivity and thrombotic events or clinical remission. We also assessed whether positivity for common autoimmune markers was associated with positivity for platelet autoantibodies. There was a high rate of autoimmune marker positivity in this population, with antinuclear antibody (65%), antithyroid peroxidase antibody (31%), and direct antiglobulin (29%) the most commonly found. Antithyroid peroxidase antibody positivity was associated with a lower probability of remission (odds ratio [OR], 0.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.09-0.79; P = .017). Lupus anticoagulant positivity was associated with a higher rate of thrombosis (OR, 8.92; 95% CI, 1.94-40.95; P = .005), and antinuclear antibody was strongly associated with thrombosis (P = .001). There was no relation between platelet autoantibody positivity and the presence of autoimmune markers. These results suggest that many patients with ITP have a state of immune dysregulation that extends beyond platelet autoantibodies and that certain autoimmune markers may be prognostically useful in this disorder.

View details for DOI 10.1182/bloodadvances.2019000400

View details for PubMedID 31730698

Patients with derangements of secondary hemostasis resulting from inherited or acquired thrombophilias are at increased risk of venous thromboemboli (VTE). Evaluation of a patient with suspected VTE proceeds via evidence-based algorithms that involve computing a pretest probability based on the history and physical examination; this guides subsequent work-up, which can include D dimer and/or imaging. Testing for hypercoagulable disorders should be pursued only in patients with VTE with an increased risk for an underlying thrombophilia. Direct oral anticoagulants are first-line VTE therapies, but they should be avoided in patients who are pregnant, have active cancer, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, severe renal insufficiency, or prosthetic heart valves.

View details for DOI 10.1016/j.pop.2016.07.001

View details for Web of Science ID 000389510000009

View details for PubMedID 27866581

The dapdiamides make up a family of antibiotics that have been presumed to be cleaved in the target cell to enzyme-inhibitory N-acyl-2,3-diaminopropionate (DAP) warheads containing two alternative electrophilic moieties. Our prior biosynthetic studies revealed that an eneamide warhead is made first and converted to an epoxyamide via a three-enzyme branch pathway. Here we provide a rationale for this logic. We report that the R,R-epoxyamide warhead is a more efficient covalent inactivator of glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase by 1 order of magnitude versus the eneamide, and this difference correlates with a >10-fold difference in antibiotic activity for the corresponding acyl-DAP dipeptides.

View details for PubMedID 21520904

The gene cluster from Pantoea agglomerans responsible for biosynthesis of the dapdiamide antibiotics encodes an adenylation-thiolation didomain protein, DdaD, and an Fe(II)/α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase homologue, DdaC. Here we show that DdaD, a nonribosomal peptide synthetase module, activates and sequesters N(β)-fumaramoyl-l-2,3-diaminopropionate as a covalently tethered thioester for subsequent oxidative modification of the fumaramoyl group. DdaC catalyzes Fe(II)- and α-ketoglutarate-dependent epoxidation of the covalently bound N(β)-fumaramoyl-l-2,3-diaminopropionyl-S-DdaD species to generate N(β)-epoxysuccinamoyl-DAP (DAP = 2,3-diaminopropionate) in thioester linkage to DdaD. After hydrolytic release, N(β)-epoxysuccinamoyl-DAP can be ligated to l-valine by the ATP-dependent ligase DdaF to form the natural antibiotic N(β)-epoxysuccinamoyl-DAP-Val.

View details for PubMedID 20945916

The enzymes DdaG and DdaF, encoded in the Pantoea agglomerans dapdiamide antibiotic biosynthetic gene cluster, when expressed in Escherichia coli, form the tandem amide bonds of the dapdiamide scaffold at the expense of ATP cleavage. DdaG uses fumarate, 2,3-diaminopropionate (DAP), and ATP to make fumaroyl-AMP transiently on the way to the N(beta)-fumaroyl-DAP regioisomer. Then DdaF acts as a second ATP-dependent amide ligase, but this enzyme cleaves ATP to ADP and P(i) during amide bond formation. However, DdaF will not accept N(beta)-fumaroyl-DAP; the enzyme requires the fumaroyl moiety to be first converted to the fumaramoyl half-amide in N(beta)-fumaramoyl-DAP. DdaF adds Val, Ile, or Leu to the carboxylate of fumaramoyl-DAP to make dapdiamide A, B, or C, respectively. Thus, to build the dapdiamide antibiotic scaffold, amidation must occur on the fumaroyl-DAP scaffold, after DdaG action but before DdaF catalysis. This is an unusual instance of two ligases acting sequentially in untemplated amide bond formations using attack of substrate carboxylates at P(alpha) (AMP-forming) and then at P(gamma) (ADP-forming) of ATP cosubstrates.

View details for PubMedID 19807062

Although systemic administration of neutralizing anti-TNF antibodies has been used successfully in treating rheumatoid arthritis, there is a potential for side effects. We transduced a collagen reactive T-cell hybridoma with tissue-specific homing properties to assess therapeutic effects of local delivery to inflamed joints of anti-TNF single-chain antibodies (scFv) by adoptive cellular gene therapy. Cell culture medium conditioned with 1 x 10(6) scFv producer cells/ml had TNF neutralizing capacity in vitro equivalent to 50 ng/ml anti-TNF monoclonal antibody. Adding a kappa chain constant domain to the basic scFv (construct TN3-Ckappa) gave increased in vitro stability and in vivo therapeutic effect. TN3-Ckappa blocked development of collagen-induced arthritis in DBA/1LacJ mice for >60 days. Transgene expression was detected in the paws but not the spleen of treated animals for up to 55 days postinjection. No significant variations in cell proliferation or cytokine secretion were found in splenocytes or peripheral lymphocytes. IL-6 expression was blocked in the diseased paws of mice in the scFv treatment groups compared to controls. In conclusion, we have shown that local expression of an anti-inflammatory agent blocks disease development without causing demonstrable systemic immune function changes. This is encouraging for the potential development of safe adoptive cellular therapies to treat autoimmunity.

View details for DOI 10.1038/sj.gt.3301980

View details for Web of Science ID 000184207000007

View details for PubMedID 12858190

T cell anergy may serve to limit autoreactive T cell responses. We examined early changes in gene expression after antigen-TCR signaling in the presence (activation) or absence (anergy) of B7 costimulation. Induced expression of GRAIL (gene related to anergy in lymphocytes) was observed in anergic CD4(+) T cells. GRAIL is a type I transmembrane protein that localizes to the endocytic pathway and bears homology to RING zinc-finger proteins. Ubiquitination studies in vitro support GRAIL function as an E3 ubiquitin ligase. Expression of GRAIL in retrovirally transduced T cell hybridomas dramatically limits activation-induced IL-2 and IL-4 production. Additional studies suggest that GRAIL E3 ubiquitin ligase activity and intact endocytic trafficking are critical for cytokine transcriptional regulation. Expression of GRAIL after an anergizing stimulus may result in ubiquitin-mediated regulation of proteins essential for mitogenic cytokine expression, thus positioning GRAIL as a key player in the induction of the anergic phenotype.

View details for Web of Science ID 000182353900009

View details for PubMedID 12705856

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The Department of Haematology is located on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. Research in the department falls into three main areas with major relevance for human disease: The Haematopoiesis and Blood Cancer Group, the Structural Medicine and Thrombosis Group, and the Transfusion Medicine Group.

Those Haematology research groups belonging to the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute ( https://www.stemcells.cam.ac.uk ) moved into a brand new purpose-built facility on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in 2019. The other Haematology groups are based at the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, the NHS Cambridge Blood Centre and the Sanger Institute. More information can be found  here .

The department offers this full-time or part-time PhD programme of research under the individual supervision of a principal investigator based in the Department of Haematology. A full list of Haematology Principal Investigators can be found on the departmental website .

PhD students on this course are based in a research group, supported by their primary supervisor and the Postgraduate Education Committee and Postgraduate Student Committee. There is no taught or examined course work, but students are encouraged to attend research seminars on the Biomedical Campus and elsewhere in the University.

Students write a thesis, which is examined via an oral examination.

We welcome applications from postgraduates wanting to work towards a PhD, in any of the labs belonging to the Department of Haematology. Successful applicants must meet the University's minimum academic admissions criteria, and applicants are required to contact potential supervisors before submitting an application, to discuss their application and funding possibilities. A list of Haematology Principal Investigators can be found on the Department of Haematology website .

Learning Outcomes

At the end of their PhD, students should:

• have a thorough knowledge of the literature and a comprehensive understanding of scientific methods and techniques applicable to their own research;
• be able to demonstrate originality in the application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of how research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in their field;
• have developed the ability to critically evaluate current research and research techniques and methodologies;
• have self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems;
• be able to act autonomously in the planning and implementation of research; and
• have gained oral presentation and scientific writing skills.

Those who wish to progress to a PhD after completing an MPhil will be required to satisfy their potential supervisor, Head of Department and the Faculty Degree Committee that they have the skills and ability to achieve the higher degree.

The Postgraduate Virtual Open Day usually takes place at the end of October. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions to admissions staff and academics, explore the Colleges virtually, and to find out more about courses, the application process and funding opportunities. Visit the  Postgraduate Open Day  page for more details.

See further the  Postgraduate Admissions Events  pages for other events relating to Postgraduate study, including study fairs, visits and international events.

Key Information

3-4 years full-time, 4-7 years part-time, study mode : research, doctor of philosophy, department of haematology, course - related enquiries, application - related enquiries, course on department website, dates and deadlines:, lent 2024 (closed).

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Easter 2024 (Closed)

Michaelmas 2024, easter 2025, funding deadlines.

These deadlines apply to applications for courses starting in Michaelmas 2024, Lent 2025 and Easter 2025.

Similar Courses

• Medical Science (Haematology) MPhil
• Stem Cell Biology Wellcome Trust PhD
• Biological Science (Stem Cell Biology) by thesis MPhil
• Stem Cell Biology PhD
• Medical Science (CIMR) PhD

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PhD in Population Health Sciences

Prepare for a high-impact career tackling public health problems from air pollution to obesity to global health equity to the social determinants of health.

The PhD in population health sciences is a multidisciplinary research degree that will prepare you for a career focused on challenges and solutions that affect the lives of millions around the globe. Collaborating with colleagues from diverse personal and professional backgrounds and conducting field and/or laboratory research projects of your own design, you will gain the deep expertise and powerful analytical and quantitative tools needed to tackle a wide range of complex, large-scale public health problems.

Focusing on one of five complementary fields of study at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and drawing on courses, resources, and faculty from the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, you will become well-versed in a wide variety of disciplines while gaining specialized knowledge in your chosen area of study.

As a population health sciences graduate, you will be prepared for a career in research, academics, or practice, tackling complex diseases and health problems that affect entire populations. Those interested in pursuing research may go on to work at a government agency or international organization, or in the private sector at a consulting, biotech, or pharmaceutical firm. Others may choose to pursue practice or on-the-ground interventions. Those interested in academics may become a faculty member in a college, university, medical school, research institute, or school of public health.

The PhD in population health sciences is a four-year program based at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in the world-renowned Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. The degree will prepare you to apply diverse approaches to solving difficult public health research issues in your choice of one of five primary fields of study:

• Environmental health
• Epidemiology
• Social and behavioral sciences
• Global health and population

In your first semester, you and your faculty adviser will design a degree plan to guide you through the program’s interdisciplinary requirements and core courses, as well as those in your chosen field of study. After successfully completing the preliminary qualifying examination, usually at the end of your second year, you will finalize your general research topics and identify a dissertation adviser who will mentor you through the dissertation process and help you nominate a dissertation advisory committee.

All population health sciences students are trained in pedagogy and teaching and are required to work as a teaching fellow and/or research assistant to ensure they gain meaningful teaching and research experience before graduation. Students also attend a special weekly evening seminar that features prominent lecturers, grant-writing modules, feedback dinners, and training opportunities.

All students, including international students, who maintain satisfactory progress (B+ or above) receive a multiyear funding package, which includes tuition, fees , and a competitive stipend.

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

Anyone with a distinguished undergraduate record and a demonstrated enthusiasm for the rigorous pursuit of scientific public health knowledge is encouraged to apply. Although a previous graduate degree is not required, applicants should have successfully completed coursework in introductory statistics or quantitative methods. Preference will be given to applicants who have either some relevant work experience or graduate-level work in their desired primary field of study.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Like all PhD (doctor of philosophy) programs at the School, the PhD in population health sciences is offered under the aegis of the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS). Applications are processed through the Harvard Griffin GSAS online application system located at gsas.harvard.edu/admissions/apply.

OUR COMMUNITY: COMMITTED, ACCOMPLISHED, COLLABORATIVE

As a PhD in population health sciences candidate, you will be part of a diverse and accomplished group of students with a broad range of research and other interests. The opportunity to learn from each other and to share ideas both inside and outside the classroom will be one of the most rewarding and productive parts of the program for any successful candidate. The program in population health sciences provides these opportunities by sponsoring an informal curriculum of seminars, a dedicated student gathering and study area, and events that will enhance your knowledge, foster interaction with your peers, and encourage you to cooperatively evaluate scientific literature, while providing a supportive, collaborative community within which to pursue your degree.

As members of both the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences communities, students have access to the Cambridge and Longwood Medical Area campuses. Students also qualify for affordable transportation options, access to numerous lectures and academic seminars, and a wealth of services to support their academic and personal needs on both sides of the Charles River.

LEARN MORE Population Health Sciences Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health www.hsph.harvard.edu/phdphs

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Blood Research

The following are a listing of blood research projects:

Bacterial and Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Agents

• Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Infectivity in Blood and Other Biologicals: Strategies for Detection, Decontamination and Removal Luisa Gregori, PhD

Biochemistry & Vascular Biology

• Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of Hemoglobin-based Blood Substitutes Abdu I. Alayash, PhD
• Vascular-Based Biomarkers For Evaluation of Biological Product Safety and Efficacy Felice D'Agnillo, PhD

Cellular Hematology

• Studies on Safety and Efficacy of Platelets and Other Transfused Blood Products Jaroslav Vostal, MD
• Ex Vivo Stored Blood Component Safety and Quality: Evaluation of Novel Methods for Pathogen Reduction and Functional Regulation in Blood Components C.D. Atreya, PhD
• Investigation of Potential Toxic Effects of Engineered Nanoparticles and Biologic Microparticles in Blood and Their Biomarker Applications Jan Simak, PhD

Molecular Virology

• Improving Safety of the Blood Supply from Transmission of HIV/AIDS and Other Emerging Retroviral, Blood Borne Viral and Biodefense Agents by Development of Sensitive Diagnostic Tools and Investigations of Disease Pathogenesis Indira Hewlett, PhD

Emerging Pathogens

• Diagnosis and Pathogenesis of Hepatitis Viruses That Impact the Safety of Blood and Related Products David R. McGivern, PhD
• Keeping Blood and Blood Products Safe by Developing Tests for Malaria and Other Parasites and Helping to Develop Malaria Vaccine Sanjai Kumar, PhD
• Studies to Evaluate Blood Safety: Risk of Transmission of Parasites such as Trypanosoma cruzi through Blood Transfusion Alain Debrabant, PhD
• Advanced Technology for Reducing the Risk of Transmission by Transfusion Robert Duncan, PhD
• Pathogenesis and Diagnosis of Hepatitis A Virus and Other Biodefense Agents Gerardo Kaplan, PhD
• Improving the Safety of Blood and Blood Related Products by Reducing the Risk of Transfusion-Transmission of Leishmania Parasites Hira Nakhasi, PhD
• Reducing Threats to the Blood Supply from West Nile Virus, Dengue Virus, and Chikungunya Virus Through Development of Detection Tools and Studies of Genetic Evolution and Pathogenesis Maria Rios, PhD

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• MSc Haematology and Transfusion Science

Haematology and Transfusion Science

Advance your knowledge and techniques in haematology and transfusion science.

Course overview

Mastering the science of blood – exploring its characteristics and disorders, and understanding how it’s transfused – impacts far beyond the laboratory.     We’ve designed our MSc Haematology and Transfusion Science degree to enable you to develop an advanced theoretical understanding and the practical techniques you’ll need to apply those theories in a research or clinical context.      You’ll start by developing a well-rounded understanding of biomedical topics, learning about analytical techniques and human disorders. You’ll then look at a range of specialist units – offering an in-depth look at everything from blood cells and diseases of the blood, to blood groups, transfusion methods and immunological aspects of blood. Fr...

What you need to know

• When does the course start? September 2024

1 year full-time

3 years part-time

• Where will I study this course? Manchester

Features and benefits

“Setting up a research project is a skill that I gained on my MSc that I use often in my day to day job – specifically, how to critique research papers and ask good research questions. I find this useful when speaking with new suppliers and manufactures. I learnt to question everything  and how to seek out good research.”   Ava MSc Haematology and Transfusion alumna

Course Information

Our masters in haematology and transfusion science is made up of eight core units which you will study over one year full-time, or spread across three years if studying part-time. These units are focused solely on haematology or transfusion science, including clinical haematology, haemostasis, haematological malignancies, plus two specialist transfusion units.      We have designed our Research Methods and Ethics in Biomedical Science units to help you develop advanced skills in research methodologies. You’ll explore the evidenced-based and ethical frameworks you’ll need to complete your own in-depth, independent research project.     Above all, your research project is your chance to tackle the issues that fascinate you most. With a deep dive into a topic of your choice, your project will help you understand both the process and the communication of scientific enquiry. You’ll be guided through your proposal and review process to equip you with the skills you need to complete an independent piece of research.     As part of our Department of Life Sciences, you’ll have the support of an expert team and access to excellent laboratory facilities. 

We represent one of the highest concentrations of health research excellence ranking 15th in the UK for the power of our health and biomedical research (REF 2021).     Our research is targeted at alleviating the threats of infectious disease, cardiovascular disease, stroke and age-related decline to human health and wellbeing. We recognise that a fundamental understanding of how biology and biological interactions contribute to these disease conditions will inform clinical application and policy change to benefit human health and wellbeing. Our research stretches through prokaryote microbiology, through eukaryote cell, tissue and organ biology to clinical science and human population studies. We conduct basic and translational research to understand biological systems in disease, sensing and detecting by-products of disease and contemporary challenges, including ageing and the development of new technologies for personalised medicine.     Our scientists are pioneering new ideas with global, real-world application. You’ll be joining a collaborative community dedicated to improving health and wellbeing, making a positive difference to people's lives.  

Accreditations, Awards and Endorsements

Accreditation.

Accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science

You'll study ten core units, including an in-depth, independent research project. This course can be taught full-time over one year, or part-time for three years. If taught full-time, all units will be taken within one year.    

Disorder Case Study

In time, healthcare scientists accumulate knowledge about a large range of disorders. Often, especially in the early days of experience, the acquisition of this knowledge is fragmented. This unit provides you with the opportunity to make a systematic, comprehensive study of a disorder. In addition to advancing your knowledge about the individual disorder, you will be expected to develop an independent critical approach to investigating, analysing and evaluating laboratory and clinical aspects of a disease/disorder and producing a case study report.

Haematological Malignancies

This unit provides the opportunity for study of abnormal haematological processes in depth. This unit looks at the pathophysiology, clinical presentation and management of patients with haematological malignancies and focuses on up-to-date treatments and diagnostic strategies. The topics cover essential concepts whilst critically appraising current published knowledge in each topic area. Regular use is made of journal articles to develop, through discussion, the ability to analyse and evaluate published information. On completing this unit, you will have gained confidence in evaluating new knowledge and strategies for characterising disease and will be better equipped to assess the relevance of new methods to current biomedical practice.

Research Project

This unit enables you to complete an independent piece of research which is allied to your specialism, employment aspirations and specific academic interests.

Research Methods and Ethics in Biomedical Science

This unit enables you to develop advanced skills in research methods and work towards an independent research project proposal. The unit delivery features a blended learning approach with both taught and web-based directed study. You will be expected to review and apply statistical analyses relevant to your area of practice and apply knowledge and awareness of the roles of evidence-based and ethical frameworks for the experimental design, systematic review and dissemination of scientific research. 

Clinical Haematology

In this unit you will study the normal role of red cells, white cells and platelets in haematological processes and the changes in these roles in disease states. Regular use is made of journal articles to develop, through discussion, the ability to analyse and critically evaluate published information. On completing this unit, you will have gained confidence in evaluating new knowledge and strategies for characterising disease and will be better equipped to judge the relevance of new methods to current haematological practice.

Recent Advances in Biomedical Research

This unit offers the opportunity for self-directed independent study on a particular area of topical interest in biomedical research. A broad range of topics will be available, reflecting the diverse current research interests of the academics within the department. You will work independently with guidance from an academic supervisor.

Analytical Techniques in Biomedical Science

In this unit you will study the analytical techniques used in modern biomedical science practice at masters level. The topics cover underlying principles and applications of the essential analytical techniques including chromatography, electrophoresis, immunotechniques, cell culture, flow cytometry, mass spectrometry, molecular techniques and recombinant DNA technology.

Transfusion Pre-compatibility Testing

This unit will provide trainees with knowledge of performing pre-transfusion testing, identifying additional testing relevant to the sample under investigation, reporting results and translating these results into the clinical context of the patient. 

Antenatal Serology

This unit will provide the trainees with knowledge in performing antenatal testing, interpretation and referral in accordance with current guidelines.

Please note, this unit is only available to part-time students starting in 2023. 

Haemostasis & Haemostatic Disorders

The module will provide you with knowledge of the clinical and laboratory investigation and management of congenital and acquired bleeding disorders, and the management of thrombophilia.

Please note, this unit is only available to part-time students starting in 2023.  

Study and assessment breakdown

10 credits equates to 100 hours of study, which is a combination of lectures, seminars and practical sessions, and independent study. A masters qualification typically comprises of 180 credits, a PGDip 120 credits, a PGCert 60 credits and an MFA 300 credits. The exact composition of your study time and assessments for the course will vary according to your option choices and style of learning, but it could be:

• Full-time 15% lectures, seminars or similar; 0% placement; 85% independent study
• Part-time 15% lectures, seminars or similar; 0% placement; 85% independent study
• Full-time 80% coursework; 0% practical; 20% examination
• Part-time 80% coursework; 0% practical; 20% examination

Additional information about this course

The programme is accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science as masters level study. Please note that this qualification cannot be used as leading to eligibility for HCPC registration you should refer to the guidance on the IBMS website if this is your aim.

Placement options

While this course doesn’t include a placement, we encourage all our students to gain work experience during their studies. Whether it’s a biomedical related role to help you develop your technical skills in a lab environment or the kind of job that will help you develop useful employability skills like teamwork or leadership, we can help.     Between the Careers and Employability service and the staff within the Department of Life Sciences, we offer career-focussed events and support for arranging work experience, searching for opportunities and getting through applications and interviews.  

Whether you've already made your decision about what you want to study, or you're just considering whether postgraduate study is right for you, there are lots of ways you can meet us and find out more about postgraduate student life at Manchester Met.

• a virtual experience campus tour
• chats with current students

Taught by Experts

Your studies are supported by a department of committed and enthusiastic teachers and researchers, experts in their chosen field.

We often link up with external professionals too, helping to enhance your learning and build valuable connections to the working world.

Entry Requirements

You’ll need a UK honours degree – at least a 2:2 – or the international equivalent, in biological or biomedical science including the study of Haematology and Transfusion Science. We might also consider your application if you a have an equivalent professional qualification or substantial relevant professional experience, or if you have an HNC Medical Laboratory Science plus at least 10 years’ experience. If you are a fellow of The Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS), you’ll be eligible for exemption from some of the units on the course.

International students please see mmu.ac.uk/international

Overseas applicants will require IELTS with an overall score of 6.5 with no less than 5.5 in any category, or an equivalent accepted English qualification. 

Fees and Funding

Uk and channel island students.

Full-time fee: £11,000 per year. Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of your course providing you complete it in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).

Part-time fee: £1834 per 30 credits studied per year. Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of your course providing you complete it in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).

EU and Non-EU International Students

Full-time fee: £20,500 per year. Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of your course providing you complete it in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).

Part-time fee: £3417 per 30 credits studied per year. Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of your course providing you complete it in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).

Additional Information

A masters qualification typically comprises 180 credits, a PGDip 120 credits, a PGCert 60 credits, and an MFA 300 credits. Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of study provided the course is completed in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).

Additional Costs

Specialist costs.

Lab coats and safety glasses are provided free of charge and are expected to last for the duration of the course. Students will have to purchase replacements for lost or damaged items.

professional Costs

Optional estimate : £100

You may wish to join the Institute of Biomedical Science. The level at which you join will depend upon your individual circumstances/ background. The annual cost can vary from £10 to £100.

other Costs

Optional estimate : £400

Students often choose to buy a laptop for their course (costing approximately £300 to £400) and a printer (costing £50 to £100 including print consumables) but there are numerous drop-in computer facilities and printers across campus, and a laptop loan service available. On campus printing costs start from 5p per page.

Postgraduate Loan Scheme

Loans available for many of our postgraduate courses

Alumni Loyalty Discount

Rewarding our graduates

Career Prospects

This course offers an avenue into a range of specialist fields like hospital science, the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries or public health and transfusion laboratories. The subjects you’ll cover will not only help you prepare for the Institute of Biomedical Science higher specialist examination, and the advanced practice that follows, but can also lay the groundwork for careers in research or teaching or to pursue studies towards a PhD.     Our work with the NHS and clinicians helps us keep our curriculum up to date and clinically relevant, ensuring that our graduates have the skills and knowledge which are vital for the workplace – and sought after by employers.     You’ll have careers support from the moment you join us and for up to three years after you’ve finished your course. We offer a range of services, both in the Department of Life Sciences and through the University’s Careers Service , with dedicated careers and employability advisers you can turn to for guidance and support.  

Modernising Scientific Careers

The Department of Life Sciences was the first in the UK to design and receive accreditation for the new Practitioner Training Programme Healthcare Science degrees commissioned by Higher Education England's Modernising Scientific Careers. The course combines academic study and work-based training and is a professional qualification required to practice as a healthcare science practitioner in a number of areas.

Clinical Links

We’ve built strong links across the NHS in the region, working with clinicians to keep our courses relevant and to ensure that our graduates are ready for the workplace. So, when you leave us you should have the skills and understanding that employers want – whether you’re looking to join the NHS or work in the local bioscience industry, or you want to pursue a future in research, education or management.  

Want to know more

Register your interest, got a question.

Please contact our course enquiries team.

Get advice and support on making a successful application.

You can review our current Terms and Conditions before you make your application. If you are successful with your application, we will send you up to date information alongside your offer letter.

Manchester is your city, be part of it

Your new home, your new city, why university, related courses, clinical biochemistry, medical microbiology, biomedical science, cellular pathology, human physiology.

Programme Review Our programmes undergo an annual review and major review (normally at 6 year intervals) to ensure an up-to-date curriculum supported by the latest online learning technology. For further information on when we may make changes to our programmes, please see the changes section of our Terms and Conditions .

Important Notice This online prospectus provides an overview of our programmes of study and the University. We regularly update our online prospectus so that our published course information is accurate. Please check back to the online prospectus before making an application to us to access the most up to date information for your chosen course of study.

Confirmation of Regulator The Manchester Metropolitan University is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS is the independent regulator of higher education in England. More information on the role of the OfS and its regulatory framework can be found at officeforstudents.org.uk .

All higher education providers registered with the OfS must have a student protection plan in place. The student protection plan sets out what students can expect to happen should a course, campus, or institution close. Access our current Student Protection Plan .

DPhil in Biomedical Sciences (NIH OxCam)

• Entry requirements
• Funding and Costs

College preference

• How to Apply

About the course

The National Institutes of Health Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Programme (NIH OxCam) is a four-year doctoral programme. You undertake a collaborative project in biomedical research involving two supervisors - one at an NIH facility in the US and one at either Oxford or Cambridge.

Please note that it is a requirement of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), that all applicants to this course should be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident in the U.S.

The NIH OxCam doctoral programme was first established in 2001 and is primarily aimed at graduate students from the USA. You must first apply to the NIH by early December, following which interviews for admission in the following Michaelmas term (October) are held in February in Bethesda, MD by NIH, Oxford and Cambridge University staff. The programme is highly competitive and the approximate number of places available this year is shown in the Key Facts section on this page. You can also apply to the NIH MD/PhD programme.

The selected students are supported financially by the NIH but are full students of the University of Oxford or Cambridge and normally spend half their time in the UK. At the time of selection to the programme, you will not necessarily have decided on your supervisor or even which UK University you will attend. The information below is applicable to accepted students whose primary UK supervisor is a member of the University of Oxford.

The Director of Graduate Studies for the Oxford programme is Professor Michael Dustin, and for administrative purposes all NIH-Oxford students are admitted to the Medical Sciences Doctoral Training Centre of the Division of Medical Sciences. However, NIH OxCam students are not limited to supervisors in the Division of Medical Sciences. For example, many students have supervisions in the Division of Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences. You should explore all departmental websites to discover the full range of opportunities. There are also many students who have supervisions in the Division of Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences.

Examples of previous research areas are Neuroscience, Computational Modelling and Immunology. Students may work with any Oxford/NIH supervisor in any research area and department, as long as the supervisor is willing to host the student in their laboratory. You should explore all departmental websites to discover the full range of opportunities.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Medical Sciences Doctoral Training Centre and/or closely-related departments, and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Medical Sciences Doctoral Training Centre and/or closely-related departments. Each student is expected to have co-supervision, meaning that they should select two Oxford supervisors in addition to the NIH supervisor. One of the co-supervisors will be designated as the primary supervisor. Students should meet with their supervisors at least once a fortnight, on average, across a year. 

All students will be initially admitted to the status of Probationer Research Student (PRS). Within a maximum of four terms as a full-time PRS student you will be expected to apply for transfer of status from Probationer Research Student to DPhil status.  

A successful transfer of status from PRS to DPhil status will require the submission of a transfer report. Students who are successful at transfer will also be expected to apply for and gain confirmation of DPhil status to show that their work continues to be on track. This will need to done within nine terms of admission.

Both milestones normally involve an interview with two assessors (other than your supervisor) and therefore provide important experience for the final oral examination.

Full-time students are required to submit an original thesis of up to 50,000 words after four years from the date of admission. To be successfully awarded a DPhil you will need to defend your thesis orally (viva voce) in front of two appointed examiners, one from outside the University of Oxford.

Graduate destinations

Students follow a wide variety of career paths, including all branches of biomedical research, clinical medicine, teaching, health administration and commerce. The majority of graduates move to roles in clinical academia.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made in circumstances of a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.

Entry requirements for entry in 2024-25

Proven and potential academic excellence.

The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our interactive tool to help you  evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying. 

Degree-level qualifications

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:

• a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in a related discipline.

However, entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a first-class degree.

A previous master's degree is not required.

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.5 out of 4.0.

If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.

GRE General Test scores

No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.

Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience

Publications are not required.

English language proficiency

This course requires proficiency in English at the University's  standard level . If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's standard level are detailed in the table below.

*Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) † Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)

Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides further information about the English language test requirement .

Declaring extenuating circumstances

If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.

You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Supporting documents

You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Performance at interview

Interviews are normally held as part of the admissions process.  

Interviews are held in February each year, at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. Candidates attend the interviews in person and arrangements are made by the NIH. This may be reviewed if pandemic protocols require.

How your application is assessed

Your application will be assessed purely on your proven and potential academic excellence and other entry requirements described under that heading.

References  and  supporting documents  submitted as part of your application, and your performance at interview (if interviews are held) will be considered as part of the assessment process. Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed.

An overview of the shortlisting and selection process is provided below. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide  more information about how applications are assessed . 

Shortlisting and selection

Students are considered for shortlisting and selected for admission without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief (including lack of belief), sex, sexual orientation, as well as other relevant circumstances including parental or caring responsibilities or social background. However, please note the following:

• socio-economic information may be taken into account in the selection of applicants and award of scholarships for courses that are part of  the University’s pilot selection procedure  and for  scholarships aimed at under-represented groups ;
• country of ordinary residence may be taken into account in the awarding of certain scholarships; and
• protected characteristics may be taken into account during shortlisting for interview or the award of scholarships where the University has approved a positive action case under the Equality Act 2010.

Processing your data for shortlisting and selection

Information about  processing special category data for the purposes of positive action  and  using your data to assess your eligibility for funding , can be found in our Postgraduate Applicant Privacy Policy.

Admissions panels and assessors

All recommendations to admit a student involve the judgement of at least two members of the academic staff with relevant experience and expertise, and must also be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Admissions Committee (or equivalent within the department).

Admissions panels or committees will always include at least one member of academic staff who has undertaken appropriate training.

Other factors governing whether places can be offered

The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:

• the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the  About  section of this page;
• the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
• minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.

Offer conditions for successful applications

If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide more information about offers and conditions . 

In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:

Financial Declaration

If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a  Financial Declaration  in order to meet your financial condition of admission.

Disclosure of criminal convictions

In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any  relevant, unspent criminal convictions  before you can take up a place at Oxford.

Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)

Some postgraduate research students in science, engineering and technology subjects will need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate prior to applying for a  Student visa (under the Student Route) . For some courses, the requirement to apply for an ATAS certificate may depend on your research area.

You will have access to all the same facilities that are provided to other DPhil students in your Oxford host department. You should check departmental websites for details.

You will have access to the department’s IT support, University Library services, and experimental facilities are available as appropriate to the research topic. The provision of other resources specific to your project should be agreed with your Oxford supervisor as a part of the planning stages of the agreed NIH-Oxford collaboration. There are a number of workshops that are announced via email and posters throughout the year.

You will have access to the seminars that departments, research groups, or groups with common areas of interest organise. Medical Grand Rounds are also held in the postgraduate centre at the John Radcliffe Hospital.

Workspace will be allocated according to you individual circumstances. If undertaking experimental work, you will be provided with bench space in a laboratory. If undertaking theoretical research, you will have shared office space.

Medical Sciences Doctoral Training Centre

The Medical Sciences Doctoral Training Centre (MSDTC) accommodates the interdisciplinary, cross-departmental DPhil programmes in medical sciences.

Most are structured DPhil programmes, which provide students with the opportunity to undertake two or three 'rotation' projects and relevant course work in their first year of each four-year structured programme. The main doctoral project starts in the second year of each programme. Most of our programmes receive external core-funding, and currently from the Wellcome Trust (WT), British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK and EPSRC.

The MSDTC also accommodates the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars’ Programme, the DPhil in Cancer Science programme funded by CRUK which welcomes applications from clinicians, basic scientists, and medical undergraduates, and the new DPhil in Inflammatory and Musculoskeletal Disease which is funded by the Kennedy Trust for Rheumatology Research and is open to Oxford University medical students wishing to undertake DPhils in the fields of musculoskeletal disease, inflammation and immunology.

The department also offers an exciting new programme (the DPhil in Advanced Bioscience of Viral Products) run in collaboration with Oxford Biomedica, which aims to deliver the next generation of bioscience leaders to advance research on the underpinning bioscience of viral products for future gene therapies and vaccines.

Each programme has a distinctive intellectual flavour, designed to nurture independent and creative scientists. Students are supported in their development through:

• supervision and mentoring by world-class academics training in a wide range of research techniques
• development of student resilience and maintenance of mental health and wellbeing from the start and throughout each programme.

View all courses   View taught courses View research courses

Please note that the application deadline for this course is after the standard December and January funding deadlines, and applicants to this course are therefore ineligible for consideration for centrally-managed scholarships.

For details about searching for funding as a graduate student  visit our dedicated Funding pages, which contain information on external funding, loan schemes and other funding sources.

For details of any college-specific funding opportunities please visit individual college websites using the links provided on our  college pages or below:

Please note that not all the colleges listed above may accept students on this course. For details of those which do, please refer to the College preference section of this page.

Further information about funding opportunities for this course can be found on the department's website.

Annual fees for entry in 2024-25

Further details about fee status eligibility can be found on the fee status webpage.

Information about course fees

Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges .

Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information below.

Continuation charges

Following the period of fee liability , you may also be required to pay a University continuation charge and a college continuation charge. The University and college continuation charges are shown on the Continuation charges page.

Where can I find further information about fees?

The Fees and Funding  section of this website provides further information about course fees , including information about fee status and eligibility  and your length of fee liability .

Additional information

There are no compulsory elements of this course that entail additional costs beyond fees (or, after fee liability ends, continuation charges) and living costs. However, please note that, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.

Living costs

In addition to your course fees, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.

For the 2024-25 academic year, the range of likely living costs for full-time study is between c. £1,345 and £1,955 for each month spent in Oxford. Full information, including a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs, is available on our living costs page. The current economic climate and high national rate of inflation make it very hard to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. When planning your finances for any future years of study in Oxford beyond 2024-25, it is suggested that you allow for potential increases in living expenses of around 5% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation. UK inflationary increases will be kept under review and this page updated.

Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs). 

If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief  introduction to the college system at Oxford  and our  advice about expressing a college preference . For some courses, the department may have provided some additional advice below to help you decide.

The following colleges accept students on the DPhil in Biomedical Sciences (NIH OxCam):

• Balliol College
• Brasenose College
• Christ Church
• Corpus Christi College
• Exeter College
• Green Templeton College
• Hertford College
• Jesus College
• Keble College
• Kellogg College
• Lady Margaret Hall
• Linacre College
• Lincoln College
• Magdalen College
• Merton College
• New College
• Oriel College
• Pembroke College
• The Queen's College
• Reuben College
• St Anne's College
• St Catherine's College
• St Cross College
• St Edmund Hall
• St Hilda's College
• St John's College
• St Peter's College
• Somerville College
• Trinity College
• University College
• Wadham College
• Wolfson College
• Worcester College
• Wycliffe Hall

Before you apply

We strongly recommend you consult the Medical Sciences Graduate School's research themes to identify the most suitable course and supervisor .

Our  guide to getting started  provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application.  You can use our interactive tool to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

If it's important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under a December or January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance . Check the deadlines on this page and the  information about deadlines  in our Application Guide.

Application process

For this course, you must first apply to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by the  deadline shown in the NIH application instructions (usually early December). Candidates who are accepted onto the programme by NIH (Stage 1) will then be invited to apply to University of Oxford or University of Cambridge (Stage 2), usually by June for entry in October of a given year. Candidates who are invited to proceed to Stage 2 will not need to go through further interviews or any other competitive process, but will be assigned a college and college advisor.

Application fee waivers for your University of Oxford application

An application fee of £75 is payable per course application. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:

• applicants from low-income countries;
• refugees and displaced persons; 
• UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and 
• applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.

You are encouraged to  check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver  before you apply.

Readmission for current Oxford graduate taught students

If you're currently studying for an Oxford graduate taught course and apply to this course with no break in your studies, you may be eligible to apply to this course as a readmission applicant. The application fee will be waived for an eligible application of this type. Check whether you're eligible to apply for readmission .

Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?

You are encouraged to contact individual supervisors before you apply. Email addresses for academic staff can be found on the departmental profile pages.

Stage 1: Apply to the National Institutes of Health

You must first apply to the NIH  by the  deadline shown in the NIH application instructions  (usually early December). Please be aware that you will need to meet all the criteria outlined within the NIH instructions , including the requirement to be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident in the U.S.

How to Apply to NIH Apply to NIH

Stage 2: Apply to the University of Oxford

Only candidates who are accepted onto the programme by NIH  should proceed to submit an application to the University of Oxford. Before proceeding, please read the  application instructions provided by the department .

You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents .

For this course, the application form will include questions that collect information that would usually be included in a CV/résumé. You should not upload a separate document. If a separate CV/résumé is uploaded, it will be removed from your application .

If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.

Proposed field and title of research project

Please enter 'NIH-Oxford Scholars Programme' in this field.

Proposed funding source

Please select 'Other Sources (specify)'. This will open a new box entitled Please specify funding source,  into which you should enter 'NIH-Oxford Scholars Programme'. Please answer 'Firmly secured' in the Status field.

Proposed supervisor

If you haven't yet decided on an Oxford supervisor, you can list Professor Michael Dustin, Director of the Oxford Programme as your supervisor at this stage in the application process.

Referees: Three overall

You do not need to add your referees to your application as the department will receive these from NIH. Please enter Referee1 ( [email protected] ), Referee2 ( [email protected] ) and Referee3 ( [email protected] ) in the referees section and tick the boxes to confirm that you are happy for the referees to be contacted. This should enable you to submit your application.

Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.

Official transcript(s)

Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.

More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.

Statement of purpose/personal statement: A maximum of 1,000 words

A personal statement is required and must be in English. You can re-use the statement provided in your NIH application.

If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.

Written work

On rare occasions, written work may be requested from some applicants. You will be notified by the department and given more details of the assignment if it is required. 

Start or continue your University of Oxford application

If you have been invited to proceed to the second stage, you can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please  refer to the requirements above  and  consult our Application Guide for advice . You'll find the answers to most common queries in our FAQs.

Apply to Oxford   Application Guide

Admissions Status

Refer to NIH website for admission status of Stage 1 applications for entry in 2024-25

Applicants who are successful at Stage 1 will be invited to submit a Stage 2 application

Stage 1: NIH application

Refer to NIH application instructions for deadline

Stage 2: Oxford/Cambridge application

Applicants who have been made an offer following the February NIH interviews should immediately apply to the University of Oxford and/or Cambridge. 

*Three-year average (applications for entry in 2021-22 to 2023-24) 

Further information and enquiries

This course is jointly offered by the University's Medical Sciences Doctoral Training Centre  and the  NIH in Bethesda, Maryland, USA

• Course page  on department website
• Programme information on the NIH website
• Medical Sciences Graduate School
• Residence requirements for full-time courses
• Postgraduate applicant privacy policy

Course-related enquiries

Advice about contacting the department can be found in the How to apply section of this page

✉ [email protected] ☎ +44 (0)1865 289548

Application-process enquiries

See the application guide

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About the PhD in Clinical Investigation Program

The program is targeted toward internal physician postdoctoral fellows in clinical departments of the School of Medicine. It involves one year of full-time academic classroom work, followed by at least two years of mentored training in clinical research. The combination of a year of instruction and a year of clinicals allows students the scientific grounding for subsequent original research. This research effort is jointly mentored by faculty from the program and a mentor from the student’s SOM department. After fulfilling all requirements, a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Clinical Investigation is awarded by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Curriculum for the PhD in Clinical Investigation

Browse an overview of this program's requirements in the JHU  Academic Catalogue  and explore all course offerings in the Bloomberg School  Course Directory .

Prerequisites for the PhD Degree

• Satisfactory completion of 90 credit hours of course work, including one year of full-time in-residency course work
• Five additional courses to be taken in the second or third years
• Continuous registration for the Research Forum and registration for Thesis Research each term
• Completion of a Comprehensive Exam at the end of the didactic year
• Satisfaction of all university requirements for the PhD, including completion of a Preliminary Oral Examination, Thesis Preparation, and Thesis Defense

Admissions Requirements

For general admissions requirements, please visit the How to Apply page. For our PhD specific application requirements, please see our How to Apply page.

This specific program also requires:

Prior Graduate Degree

Advanced medical degree: e.g., MD, MBBS, PhD

Prior Work Experience

Work with human subjects in clinical investigation

Standardized Test Scores

Standardized test scores  are required  for this program. This program accepts the following standardized test scores: USMLE and GRE or MCAT.  Applications will be reviewed holistically based on all application components.

GTPCI is one of 60 national recipients of an NIH-sponsored CTSA KL2 Award to support institutional career development programs for physicians and dentists, encouraging them to become independent, patient-oriented clinical investigators. This Multi- disciplinary Clinical Research Career Development Program funds clinical research training for a broad group of physicians, dentists, and other scientists who have a doctorate in a health-related field, including pharmacy, nursing, epidemiology, and behavioral sciences. The Johns Hopkins KL2 program will provide career development support for junior faculty physicians or dentists from within Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.

Information regarding the cost of tuition and fees can be found on the Bloomberg School's Tuition and Fees page.

Need-Based Relocation Grants Students who  are admitted to PhD programs at JHU  starting in Fall 2023 or beyond can apply to receive a $1500 need-based grant to offset the costs of relocating to be able to attend JHU.   These grants provide funding to a portion of incoming students who, without this money, may otherwise not be able to afford to relocate to JHU for their PhD program. This is not a merit-based grant. Applications will be evaluated solely based on financial need.  View more information about the need-based relocation grants for PhD students .

Questions about the program? We're happy to help.

Director Khalil Ghanem, MD, PhD

Academic Program Manager Cristina A. DeNardo, MEd 410-502-9734 [email protected]

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• Ngā akoranga | Study
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• You are currently on: Doctoral study in Biological Sciences

Doctoral study in Biological Sciences

New Zealand’s leading and largest Faculty of Science* brings together ten diverse schools and departments to provide outstanding quality teaching and research opportunities. Our doctoral students work with some of the nation’s leading researchers and benefit from the faculty’s connections with international universities and industry. You will also have access to high-quality laboratory and field research facilities.

*www.science.auckland.ac.nz/excellence

Research opportunities in Biological Sciences

We welcome PhD proposals in areas including:

Biomedical and Applied Biology

• Metabolism and Physiology
• Applied Biochemistry
• Genetics and Metagenomics
• Cell Biology Immunology
• Stem Cell Biology
• Neuroscience

Cellular, Molecular and Organismal Biology

• Biochemistry
• Plant Molecular Science
• Microbiology
• Structural Biology
• Mass Spectrometry

Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour

• Ecology and Evolution
• Conservation and Biosecurity
• Ecophysiology
• Systematics and Biodiversity

Many of our knowledgeable scientists are major contributors in their field.

(and search on relevant topics)

Research topics

See a selection of past and present research topics:

• Vaccinium anthocyanin biosynthesis is regulated at the transcriptional level  | supervised by Andy Allan
• Integrative analyses of seabird health down environmental gradients | supervised by Brendon Dunphy
• Investigating the influence of dietary zinc on the gut microbiome of a mouse model of autism | supervised by Mike Taylor
• Alternative mechanisms of flowering time in the model legume medicago | supervised by Joanna Putterill
• The behaviour, ecology and evolution of the praying mantids | supervised by Greg Holwell
• Energy Balance in a New Zealand Bat (Mystacina tuberculata): Thermoregulation, Roost Choice, and Diet | supervised by Tony Hickey
• Seabird Sensory, Ecology and Conservation |supervised by Anne Gaskett
• Sperm performance and fertilisation in the sea urchin Evechinus chloroticus under increasing pCO2 | supervised by Mary Sewell
• Molecular Determinants of Amylin Receptor Agonism | supervised by Debbie Hay
• Reproductive Genomics in the Stick Insect Clitarchus hookeri | supervised by Thomas Buckley

For more information about PhD theses and topics you may be interested in, or supervisors and their past research, please use the search function on the Libraries and Learning Services catalogue .

Scholarships and awards

• MBIE PhD Scholarship in the Microbiology of the Hindgut in Seaweed-Eating Fish
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Ph.d – biological sciences.

Upon successful completion of the doctoral program, the student is transformed from an amateur to professional researcher who is capable of planning and executing projects in his/her area of expertise.

Inauguration of the HSS Media Lab.

20 April, 2024 | K K Birla Goa

BITS Pilani – RMIT PhD Recruitments

17 April, 2024 | K K Birla Goa

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National Symposium on Current Trends in Pharmac...

1 April, 2024 | Hyderabad

Research Methodology Workshop Series on Conducting...

22 March, 2024 | K K Birla Goa

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21 March, 2024 | K K Birla Goa

Research Methodology Workshop Series on Action Res...

17 March, 2024 | K K Birla Goa

Research Methodology Workshop Series on Ethnograph...

International women’s day celebrations ̵....

6 March, 2024 | Hyderabad

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BITSAT-2024

29 February, 2024 | Pilani

Celebration of Founder’s Day with great enthusia...

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International conference on Wit, Humour, and the C...

13 February, 2024 | K K Birla Goa

Research Methodology Workshop Series Topic – Dat...

6 February, 2024 | K K Birla Goa

Research Methodology Workshop Series Topic –...

27 January, 2024 | K K Birla Goa

HSS Research Forum invites you for Research Method...

15 January, 2024 | Hyderabad

2024 Batch Reunion for Batches of 2012 & 2013

11 January, 2024 | Hyderabad

IUCN CEM Forest Ecosystem Specialist Group, CEM So...

11 December, 2023 | K K Birla Goa

An international workshop on: Depth, Surface and M...

1 December, 2023 | K K Birla Goa

Overseas Student Doctoral Programme Academic Year ...

30 November, 2023 | Pilani

One – day International Workshop as part of...

14 November, 2023 | K K Birla Goa

Indian-European Advanced Research Network & De...

7 November, 2023 | K K Birla Goa

 Beaux Arts and the Second Empire

26 September, 2023 | K K Birla Goa

JOINT PH.D. SCHOLARSHIP – BITS PILANI AND RMIT U...

18 September, 2023 | Pilani

16 September, 2023 | Pilani

12 September, 2023 | Pilani

BITS RMIT PhD Admission | Sem-II 2023-24

7 September, 2023 | Pilani

BITS Pilani launches PhD Program to create Deep Te...

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Independence Day was celebrated at BITS Pilani, Pi...

15 August, 2023 | Pilani

Convocation 2023 held at BITS Pilani, Pilani campu...

Class coordinators for fd and hd programs.

11 August, 2023 | Pilani

List of Electives (1st SEM)

Farewell to phd scholar saurabh mundra., admissions 2017, iccd3 2-4 march 2017- some glimpses, department of pharmacy at bits pilani, pilani camp..., applications are invited from the eligible candida..., jrf position in dst-rajasthan project (dr. anupama..., jrf position in industry sponsored project on “n..., phd admission in i sem 2018-19, bits m. pharm-2018 advertisement, applications are invited from suitable candidates ..., dr anil jindal conferred with eudragit award 2017 ..., mr. ginson george (ph.d. scholar working with dr. ..., bits admission test – 2019 “bitsat-2019..., phd short listing criteria, phd admission in i sem 2019-20, jrf positions under dr. deepak chitkara and dr. an..., jrf for “the office of principal scientific advi..., dst inspire fellowship to mr. prashant auti (phd r..., dr. p.d. sethi memorial national award 2019 confer..., call for research position (jrf / srf) in indo-aus..., ph.d admission in first semester 2021-22, world pharmacist day celebrated on 25th september ..., applications are invited from interested and motiv..., mr. arihant kumar singh, phd scholar working with ..., mr. s n c sridhar (ph.d research scholar working w..., phd admission in ii sem 2018-19, jrf position in an icmr sponsored project under dr..., dr. atish t. paul conferred the “best professor ..., guest lecture delivered by dr. sanyog jain, associ..., miss arisha mahmood (m.pharm, ii semester ) won th..., jrf position under dr. anupama mittal in icmr spon..., jrf position under dr. paul atish tulshiram in dst..., jrf position under prof. ranendra n. saha (pi) &am..., mr. kishan s italiya (ph.d. research scholar) work..., a two day workshop on pharmacokinetic & pharma..., ph.d admission in first semester 2020-21, pharmacist day celebrated at department of pharmac..., international virtual conference on drug discovery..., 03 phd scholars (department of pharmacy) selected ..., virtual conference on regulatory aspects and intel..., prof. rajeev taliyan conferred the nams membership..., miss violina kakoty, phd scholar working with prof..., ms. paramita saha (ph.d. scholar working under dr...., virtual conference on pharmacy: always trusted for..., deepak kumar sahel, phd scholar with prof. deepak ..., deepak kumar sahel, ph.d. student working with pro..., ms. shreeya p shah (b. pharm. 2ndyear) working wit..., disso research presentations india (drpi) 2022, department of pharmacy, bits pilani has organised ..., dr. raj kumar gupta visited raman research instit....

10 August, 2023 | Pilani

Dr. Manjula Devi visited IISC Bangalore for a coll...

“fp7-people-irses msnano network”, which is be..., recently department of physics has started its own..., international project on msnano of european commis..., international workshop on data analytics & app....

3 August, 2023 | Pilani

INDO – CHILE Workshop on BIG Data

Workshop on blockchain technology and applications, congratulations to dr. mamta devi sharma for her s....

1 August, 2023 | Pilani

Congratulations to Dr. Bintu Kumar for his success...

Welcome dr. nitika grover in the department of che..., congratulations to dr. jyothi yadav for her succes..., congratulations to dr. chikkagundagal k. mahesha f..., congratulations to dr. amol prakash pawar for his ..., heartiest congratulation to manisha for receiving ..., congratulation to prof. indresh kumar for receivin..., one jrf/project associate-i position is available ..., applications are invited from highly motivated and..., chemistry department seminar are held on every thu..., aspects of effective teaching.

22 July, 2023 | Hyderabad

20 July, 2023 | Hyderabad

The Indian Mathematical Society (IMS)-2023

19 July, 2023 | Hyderabad

13 June, 2023 | Pilani

Learn more about BITS-RMIT Higher Education Academ...

9 June, 2023 | Pilani

BITS Pilani invites applications to register for P...

11 May, 2023 | Pilani

Admission to Ph.D Programmes

2 May, 2023 | Hyderabad

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

20 April, 2023 | Pilani

President Droupadi Murmu confers Padma Bhushan, In...

28 March, 2023 | President Droupadi Murmu confers Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award, to our Chancellor Dr. Kumar Mangalam Birla at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

BITS Law School, Mumbai Campus

9 March, 2023 | Mumbai

26 January, 2023 | Pilani

74th Republic Day Celebrations at BITS Pilani K K ...

26 January, 2023 | K K Birla Goa

Floral Tribute to Shri G D Birlaji on 71st Founder...

National startup investor day celebrated by bits p....

18 January, 2023 | K K Birla Goa

“9th International Conference on Mathematics �...

9 January, 2023 | K K Birla Goa

National Symposium on Convergence of Chemistry �...

3 January, 2023 | Hyderabad

2 Day National Workshop on Challenges in Welding a...

Chancellor’s medal winners 2022.

2 January, 2023 | Dubai

International conference on ‘Aggregation-Induced...

24 December, 2022 | K K Birla Goa

BPDC Wins The BEST ENGINEERING UNIVERSITY – ...

19 December, 2022 | Dubai

Heartiest congratulation to sumit for receiving th...

16 December, 2022 | Pilani

BPDC’s Wall Street Club Secures the Top Posi...

16 December, 2022 | Dubai

Utilizing microbiome science to improve host healt...

26 November, 2022 | Pilani

AUTO Ltd. SCHOLARSHIP Announcement

24 November, 2022 | Pilani

FDP on Sustainability in Civil Engineering begins ...

21 November, 2022 | Pilani

Programmable DNA nanodevices to instruct biologica...

19 November, 2022 | Pilani

SPARKS 2022

31 October, 2022 | Dubai

Identifying risk predictors for Cardiovascular Dis...

31 October, 2022 | Pilani

GANDHI JAYANTI

28 October, 2022 | Dubai

Studying the mechanisms underlying anti-inflammati...

26 October, 2022 | Pilani

Chemistry department has organized DST-STUTI works...

15 October, 2022 | Pilani

Innate immune recognition of bacterial toxins

14 October, 2022 | Pilani

Cell Counting As A Part Of The Animal Cell Technol...

27 September, 2022 | Pilani

5 September, 2022 | Pilani

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

30 August, 2022 | Pilani

ICON-BITS-2023

25 August, 2022 | Pilani

22 August, 2022 | Pilani

Convocation 2022, Pilani Campus

Independence day celebration- 2022.

15 August, 2022 | Pilani

Drosophila eye model to study patterning and dise...

2 May, 2022 | Pilani

Informatics-Driven Advances in Biological Sciences

2 March, 2022 | Pilani

Lung cancer and Lung cancer screening

8 February, 2022 | Pilani

Sleep modulation by glial transporters in Drosophi...

23 October, 2021 | Pilani

Applications of Synthetic Biology in Metabolic Eng...

Engineering analysis of living systems.

15 June, 2021 | Pilani

Genesis issue

24 April, 2021 | Pilani

The joys and sorrows of any life in science

6 March, 2021 | Pilani

Deeper exploration of cellular heterogeneity with ...

22 February, 2021 | Pilani

Biomolecular interactions measurement using Thermo...

12 February, 2021 | Pilani

A Demo on ‘FPLC’

29 January, 2021 | Pilani

Indian Workshop on Applied Deep Learning (IWADL201...

15 December, 2019 | Pilani

One day Workshop on Blockchain Technology and Appl...

10 November, 2019 | Pilani

International conference on Intelligent Human Comp...

12 December, 2016 | Pilani

Department of Physics, BITS Pilani has successfull...

5 November, 2015 | Pilani

“International Conference on Soft Materials&...

6 October, 2014 | Pilani

Indo-Chile Workshop on Big Data 2014 (ICWBD)

4 June, 2014 | Pilani

The Department of Physics, BITS Pilani, Pilani Cam...

23 March, 2014 | Pilani

Department of Physics, BITS Pilani organized a wor...

7 March, 2014 | Pilani

“Proton acceleration by circularly polarized...

8 July, 2013 | Pilani

Dr. Tapomoy Guha Sarkar taught a course on General...

1 July, 2013 | Pilani

“Thermal studies on materials: A case study...

20 June, 2013 | Pilani

Dr. Tapomoy Guha Sarkar visited the Department of ...

10 June, 2013 | Pilani

Dr. Navin Singh has delivered an invited lecture o...

30 March, 2013 | Pilani

Dr. Anshuman Dalvi has delivered an invited lectu...

Research paper titled “conformational and or....

25 March, 2013 | Pilani

26 February, 2013 | Pilani

“Program on CP Violation in elementary parti...

19 February, 2013 | Pilani

Dr. Jayendra N Bandyopadhyay has delivered Colloqu...

Dr. jayendra n bandyopadhyay has delivered prestig....

18 February, 2013 | Pilani

Dr. Jayendra N Bandyopadhyay has delivered an ivi...

25 January, 2013 | Pilani

Dr. Madhukar Mishra has recently given a talk on &...

18 January, 2013 | Pilani

Dr. Jayendra N Bandyopadhyay has delivered an invi...

6 January, 2013 | Pilani

Dr Subhashis Gangopadhyay presented a paper title...

3 January, 2013 | Pilani

Dr. Tapomoy Guha Sarkar participated in the ASTRON...

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Workshop on Introduction to Graphs and Geometric A...

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Pilani, K K Birla Goa, Hyderabad

Matching with the Institute philosophy of integrated approach to the modern areas of science and technology, the Department of Biological Sciences at the BITS Pilani was formed by merging the existing Botany and Zoology Department in the year 1969. Since then the Department is engaged in providing the quality education to the selected students and contributing to the field of modern biology by the adequate research input. Drawing manpower from Biology, Pharmacy, Chemistry and Computer Science Departments, the institute created Centre for Biotechnology. The centre was formally launched in the year 1999 with the active fund support and technical expertise from Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. Currently the Department is offering M.Sc.(Hons) Biological Sciences, M.E.(Biotech) and Ph.D Programmes

• 14.78 Cr. + Research funding in last three years
• 18 Self Sponsored Projects
• 783+ No. of Research Publications
• 2 Ramalingaswami Fellows

Research Areas

The department offers a full time Ph.D. programme in the following thrust areas of its research.

• Environmental Biotechnology
• Therapeutic Biology 
• Str. Biology & Bioinformatics
• Extremophiles
• Nanobiotechnology

Plant Biotechnology

• Structural Biology
• Computational Biology
• Molecular Parasitology
• M.Sc. (Physics) or Equivalent Degree with a minimum of 60% marks.
• Shortlisted Candidates will be called for a written test which will be followed by an interview.
• Candidates who have cleared the CSIR-JRF will be exempted from the written test.
• Candidates working in reputed Govt. and Private organizations can apply for a part time PhD program.
• Monthly Institute Fellowship of Rs. 28,000 (if M.Sc. or EquivalentDegree) will be provided initially to the full-time PhD students which will be enhanced from time to time subject to performance.
• Full-time PhD students admitted into the PhD program are eligible to be considered for an Institute fellowship of Rs. 28,000 or Rs. 31,000 per month in the first year based on their qualifications at the time of admission.
• Students admitted with M.E./M.Tech./M.Pharm./MBA/M.Phil. or an equivalent Degree are eligible to receive an Institute fellowship of Rs. 31,000/-.
• Students admitted with M.Sc./B.E./B.Pharm. or an equivalent degree are eligible to receive an Institute fellowship of Rs. 28,000/-. These students on successful completion of coursework will receive Rs. 31,000/- from the Semester following the one in which the course work was completed.
• Higher fellowship may be made available in subsequent years. Consideration for Institute fellowship will be as per Institute norms. It will be obligatory on the part of every admitted Full time student to undertake 8 to 10 hours (per week) of work as assigned to him/her by the institute.

To learn more about the Ph.D admissions process at BITS Pilani, please visit the website https://www.bitsadmission.com

Anasuya Ganguly

Tissue Engineering, Stem cells, Environmental Toxicology

Angshuman Sarkar

Cancer Biology, Cell and Molecular Biology, Nanotoxicology, Therapeutics

Arnab Banerjee

Associate Professor

Neuroendocrinology, Obesity associated cancer, Reproductive Endocrinology, Metabolic Syndrome

Balakumaran Chandrasekar

Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Dibakar Chakrabarty

Dr Supratim Ghosh

Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Biological Sciences

Algal Biorefineries, Halophilic Biorefineries for Bioplastics (PHA) production, Hydrothermal Carbonisation/Liquefaction, Technology development for biofuel production (Biohydrogen, Pulsed Electric Fields (PEFs) for extraction of value added products, Biodiesel, Biobutanol), Microplastic pollution

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Mayo Clinic Minute: The vital role of phlebotomists in blood collection

DeeDee Stiepan

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Phlebotomy technicians collect blood from patients and prepare the samples for testing. Most work in hospitals and clinics, but some collect blood for donation purposes. In this Mayo Clinic Minute, Dr. Fiona Craig , who oversees the Laboratory Medicine and Pathology Department at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, discusses the vital role phlebotomists play in blood collection.

Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (1:09) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script .

If you've ever had to get blood collected for testing, there's a good chance a phlebotomist was the person collecting the sample. Phlebotomists play a crucial role in ensuring the right specimens are collected for the lab.

"All of our testing relies on having the right specimen collected in the right way. So I think phlebotomists are really the foundation of our clinical practice," says Dr. Craig.

Dr. Craig says identifying a vein to collect a sample from is truly a skill.

"It's also important for them to be able to feel a vein — feel that it's big enough — and it's not going to roll away from the needle during the collection. And that's a skill that they get during their initial training and certification, but then hone it over many years with experience with patients," says Dr. Craig.

Phlebotomy training programs require hours of classroom instruction plus hundreds of inpatient and outpatient venipunctures to complete the certification examination. Many laboratory staff choose phlebotomy as an introduction to the healthcare field, which can lead to other education and career opportunities.

"The Mayo Clinic Career Investment Program has been a great resource for our staff to grow professionally within and outside of the laboratory," says Dr. Craig.

This expertise is not only crucial during routine blood draws, it's also invaluable during challenging collections.

"When we have a difficult collection, some of our phlebotomists who've been with us for many years are the ones who are sent to help with that procedure. So it's a very, very important skill that they acquire, and we really couldn't run our hospital without them," says Dr. Craig.

• Mayo Clinic Platform expands global footprint of its distributed data network   4 types of head and neck cancers

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To apply for the Bioinformatics PhD Program, you must submit complete applications by December 1 for admission the following Fall term. Early applications are not allowed and will not be considered. 

Please visit the Rackham Graduate School web pages for additional information on applying. There you will also find information on how to respond to an offer of admission, plus tips and materials required for international applicants and incoming students.

If you are certain about pursuing a Bioinformatics PhD, then applications should be submitted directly to the Bioinformatics PhD Program ; there are more than 100 diverse affiliated faculty to choose from.

Applicants should be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. In addition, applicants with a background in quantitative sciences should consider applying directly. Separately, if you are transferring from another University of Michigan Program or have obtained an established University of Michigan mentor affiliated with the program, a direct application is most appropriate.

PIBS is an umbrella program that offers first-year PhD students flexibility in exploring opportunities in bioinformatics and thirteen other graduate programs. Through PIBS, students have the opportunity to rotate in, and potentially join the lab of a faculty mentor in another program; there are more than 500 diverse faculty to select from. PIBS students who list Bioinformatics as their primary choice must complete at least one rotation with a Bioinformatics-affiliated faculty member. After 10 months in PIBS, students officially join Bioinformatics (or one of the other programs). You can visit the PIBS website for more information.

Please note that reviewing admissions faculty for both PIBS and direct applications are the same. In addition, admitted applicants take the same Bioinformatics-specific courses and activities. See below for details on program diversity outreach, application materials, and funding.

Students who will have an MS in a relevant field (e.g. computer science, statistics, biostatistics, biology) from another university may request to have up to 6 credit-hours (two classes) waived. These classes may be used to help fulfill the core PhD requirements for biology (1 course), statistics (2 courses), and/or computing (1 course). To obtain approval, students need to send a detailed syllabus of the class(es) they took to the PhD directors along with their grade(s), which must be a B or better. The other PhD course requirements, including BIOINF-529 and two advanced bioinformatics courses, cannot be waived.

Most international Bioinformatics PhD applicants should apply through PIBS. However, some who are already embedded in a University of Michigan mentor lab affiliated with the program may be an appropriate fit for the direct Bioinformatics PhD program.

The TOEFL or IELTS exam is required unless Rackham Graduate School waiver requirements have been met. Criteria for English proficiency exemption can be found on the Rackham website . In addition, a list of required credentials from non-U.S. institutions for an application can be found here.

The Bioinformatics Graduate Program encourages applications from traditionally underrepresented minorities, students with disabilities, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. There are numerous funding opportunities and resources on campus to contribute to students overall well-being while pursuing studies. Several resources available to students can be found on the Rackham Graduate School Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion website .

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All application materials should be submitted electronically when possible. Applicants must meet  Rackham's Minimum Requirements for Admission . The  online application form  can be found on the Rackham Admissions webpages. The application is available in early September through the deadline. 

• GPA, minimum 3.2/4.0 (exceptions may be made if deemed appropriate)
• Letters of recommendation (3 required): Please be aware that submitting only the Rackham Recommendation for Admission Form is insufficient; forms must be accompanied by a letter from the recommender. All letters are due by the application deadline. Without them, applications will not be considered complete or reviewed by the Program Admissions Committee.
• Statement of Purpose: The Statement of Purpose should be a concise, well-written statement about your academic and research background, your career goals, and how Michigan's graduate program will help you meet your career and educational objectives.
• Personal Statement: The Personal Statement should be a concise, well-written statement about how your personal background and life experiences, including social, cultural, familial, educational, or other opportunities or challenges, motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Michigan. This is not an Academic Statement of Purpose, but a discussion of the personal journey that has led to your decision to seek a graduate degree.
• Transcripts: Please submit unofficial transcripts electronically with your online application
• GRE scores are no longer included as part of admission
• Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency via either the TOEFL or IELTS exam. The institution code is 1839. Other exams may not be substituted. Rackham Graduate School offers a full explanation of this requirement , including exemption criteria. Please contact Rackham directly ( [email protected] ) with questions.

Diversity is a key component of excellence, especially for solving the complex biomedical challenges that our field of computational medicine and bioinformatics faces. We believe that all people—regardless of background, race, religion, sexual/gender orientation, age or disability—deserve an equitable opportunity to pursue the education and career of their choice.

The Bioinformatics Graduate Program will provide tuition, healthcare coverage, and a stipend on a 12-month basis. This level of support will be maintained throughout a student's tenure in the Program, provided s/he remains in good academic standing and makes reasonable progress towards the degree as determined by the Graduate Directors, with faculty input. It is expected that the student will be supported directly by the mentor's laboratory, beginning in the second year. The expected time to degree is typically 5-6 years.

The U-M MS program is a terminal degree program. If you are interested in the Bioinformatics PhD Program, you must submit a new application. If you are a Bioinformatics MS student who is in good academic standing and has identified a Bioinformatics affiliated faculty mentor, you may apply for admission directly to the PhD Bioinformatics Program for the Winter term. Reviewing faculty take all application components into account and mentors are prepared to take both academic and financial responsibility for their trainees.

Eligibility: Only current or recently graduated University of Michigan Master’s students are eligible. Before applying, students must have completed more than half of all required courses, with at least six credits from the Bioinformatics Program.

Application deadline: October 1

The online application form can be found on the Rackham Admissions webpages. The application is available in early September through the deadline.

• Letters of recommendation: Please be aware that submitting only the Rackham Recommendation for Admission Form is insufficient; forms must be accompanied by a letter from the recommender. If you wish to include three letters from your original application, only one additional letter is needed. It must be from the DCMB faculty member who will serve as your primary mentor. The letter should state clearly that the mentor takes responsibility for your funding upon admission. Alternatively, you may wish to obtain three new letters of recommendation. The Admissions Committee strongly encourages you to include letters from those familiar with your research and coursework obtained while pursuing your Master’s degree. Of these, one must be from the faculty member who will serve as your primary mentor. The letter should state clearly that the mentor takes responsibility for your funding upon admission.
• Statement of Purpose: The Statement of Purpose should be a concise, well-written statement about your academic and research background, your career goals, and how the PhD Program will help you meet your career and educational objectives.
• Transcripts: Only a current, unofficial U-M transcript is necessary. You do not need to re-submit materials included with your Master’s application.
• TOEFL: If you submitted TOEFL scores when applying to the Master’s Program, additional test scores are not needed.

Bioinformatics consists of a mathematical and/or statistical analysis of a biomedical problem using computation. We define bioinformatics widely and include traditional bioinformatics areas such as for examples, systems biology, genomics, proteomics, plus statistical and evolutionary genetics, clinical informatics, and protein modeling.

As an interdisciplinary field, Bioinformatics attracts graduate students from mathematics, statistics, physics, computer science, biomedical engineering, chemistry, biochemistry and biology. Most incoming students have both a major in one and a minor in another discipline. In recent years students have entered with undergraduate training in bioinformatics or computational biology.

Each student obtains individual counseling by one of the two graduate program directors upon arrival and throughout their academic career. As Bioinformatics is still developing, new courses are added all the time. Current students are encouraged to contact the Program Directors about courses that may be relevant to their studies and are not listed on the website (esp. if they are new or infrequently offered).

In most cases, we recommend you apply to the PIBS program, as it provides flexibility in classes, funding, and a central admission for many biomedical programs. If you have no or very little biology background, please contact our Student Services Representative as to whether a direct application would be better. Current student who are considering transferring areas of study should also contact the Bioinformatics Graduate Office.

There is no need to apply both direct and through PIBS, as the same committee sees your applications.

For most students, thesis work includes computing, reading, and writing. A small group also participates in wet laboratory work. Please check both the research areas and student webpages for an overview of the varied subjects addressed in research and student theses.

Many of our graduate students obtain academic postdoctoral fellowships and go on to faculty positions. Quite a significant number of graduates go into non-academic professions such as small or large biotech companies. Some have founded their own business, and others apply their analytical skills in companies unrelated to bioinformatics. For a current list of graduate placement, please visit the alumni pages.

No. If you want to get a PhD, directly apply to the PhD Program.

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PhD students earn top National Science Foundation fellowships

The national awards recognize and support outstanding grad students from across the country in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees.

PhD students Caleb Song and Jennifer Wu are each receiving the honor for 2024. Find out more about their research below.

Awardees receive a $37,000 annual stipend and cost of education allowance for the next three years as well as professional development opportunities.

Two mechanical engineering PhD students, Alex Hedrick and Carly Rowe, also received honorable mentions from the National Science Foundation program.

2024 GRFP Honorees

2nd Year PhD Student

Advisor: John Pellegrino Lab:  Membrane Science & Technology

I did my undergrad in Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech before coming to Boulder for my PhD in Mechanical Engineering. For the past two years, I've been working on the characterization, tuning, and scale-up of graphene-based membrane electrodes (grMEs). The funding from the GRFP will allow me to pursue low technology readiness level (TRL) electrochemical device development using these grMEs. In particular, I plan on exploring hybrid electrophoretic/size exclusion-based separations for biopharmaceutical development and processing.

Jennifer Wu

Fall 2024 Incoming PhD Student

Advisor: Daven Henze Lab: Henze Group

My research will involve using computer simulations and environmental observations to investigate the impact of atmospheric constituents on air quality and climate change. By coupling satellite observations with state-of-the-art air pollution models, I aim to provide more accurate estimates of emissions to better inform climate and public health policy. Previously at Caltech, I worked closely with scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in analyzing methane and carbon monoxide measurements in the Los Angeles Basin.

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Astrophysics and Planetary Science Professor Edward Sion, PhD, Examines Accreting White Dwarfs in New Book

Villanova, Pa – When a star dies, what remains? Out of the nearly 200 billion stars in our Milky Way Galaxy, 97% will eventually become white dwarfs, shedding their outer layers and leaving behind a dense, hot core roughly the size of the Earth. These fascinating entities shed light on the history of star formation, give us a glimpse into the future of the Sun’s evolution, and provide insight into the age of the universe.

In recent years, research on white dwarf stars has greatly expanded. In his new book, “Accreting White Dwarfs: from Exoplanetary Probes to Classical Novae and Type Ia Supernovae” (Institute of Physics Publishing, 2023), Villanova University Astrophysics and Planetary Science Professor Edward Sion, PhD, presents a thorough exploration of this rapidly expanding discipline.

Designed for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and astrophysicists, Dr. Sion’s book offers insights into the accretion process of white dwarfs. “The book emphasizes how fundamentally important the physics of accreting white dwarfs is to a broad range of astrophysical phenomena,” says Dr. Sion. He further explains that white dwarfs play a key role in many areas of astrophysical research, including the formation, composition, structure and evolution of exoplanetary systems orbiting other stars. Dr. Sion also discusses their part in classical nova explosions and the explosions of Type Ia supernovae, a type of supernova that provides evidence that the expansion of the universe is accelerating and led to the discovery of dark energy behind this phenomenon.

Dr. Sion received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Astronomy from the University of Kansas in 1968 and 1969, respectively, and earned his PhD in Astronomy from the University of Pennsylvania in 1975. In 1983, he led a team that developed the fundamental classification system of dwarf stars, a system that is now used worldwide and characterizes the chemical composition class and surface temperature of each white dwarf identified spectroscopically. With over 640 scientific publications, 64 of which share authorship with Villanova students, Dr. Sion continues to have a strong impact on the field and has been ranked in the top 2% of researchers globally by Stanford University since 2019.

About Villanova University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: Since its founding in 1842, Villanova University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has been the heart of the Villanova learning experience, offering foundational courses for undergraduate students in every college of the University. Serving more than 4,500 undergraduate and graduate students, the College is committed to fortifying them with intellectual rigor, multidisciplinary knowledge, moral courage and a global perspective. The College has more than 40 academic departments and programs across the humanities, social sciences, and natural and physical sciences.

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The schmidt science fellows for 2024 are announced.

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The 2024 cohort of Schmidt Science Fellows.

Eric and Wendy Schmidt have announced the 2024 cohort of Schmidt Science Fellows . As in years past, this year’s class of 32 fellows are all recent PhD’s who’ve been identified as some of the most outstanding early-career scientists in the world.

The Schmidt Science Fellows is supported by Schmidt Sciences , a philanthropic initiative co-founded in 2024 by former Google CEO and Chairman Eric Schmidt and his wife Wendy, President of the Schmidt Family Foundation.

The current class is the seventh cohort in the program, which is delivered in a partnership with the Rhodes Trust. Since its inception, the Schmidt Science Fellows has supported 177 Fellows, nominated by 62 institutes across the globe.

Considered one of the most prestigious scientific postdoctoral awards in the world, Schmidt Science Fellows are awarded support for either one or two years in a field of study that represents a pivot from their Ph.D concentration.

An emphasis is placed on encouraging interdisciplinary research with the potential to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

“Breaking down silos and harnessing the power of interdisciplinary science holds the key to tackling humanity's most pressing challenges, from global health and protecting our environment to ensuring we can develop new technologies that are both safe and foster societal good,” said Eric Schmidt, in a news release. “The 2024 Schmidt Science Fellows are exceptionally talented in their fields and with the Program’s support we hope to enhance the impact of their work.”

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In addition to an annual stipend of $110,000, the fellows receive individualized mentoring and participate in a year-long Science Leadership Program that helps them cultivate the skills, experience and networks to be expected from interdisciplinary science leaders.

Each year, the Schmidt Science Fellows program works with nearly 100 of the world’s leading science and engineering institutions to identify the most promising candidates for the fellowships. Nominated candidates are selected through a process that includes an academic review by leaders in their home disciplines and final interviews with panels of experts, including senior representatives from many scientific disciplines and different business sectors.

The 2024 cohort represents 17 nationalities nominated by 26 of the world’s leading institutions across North America, Europe and Asia. Four institutions had Fellows selected for the first time this year: Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore; Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Max Planck, Germany; and the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Eighteen of the fellows were nominated by universities in the United States.

The full list of the 2024 Schmidt Science Fellows can be found here . Their areas of study span a wide range of topics in biology, neurosciences, engineering, cancer diagnosis and treatment, artificial intelligence, earth sciences and climate change. As examples:

• Ajinkya Dahake, nominated by Cornell University, will explore how mosquitoes distinguish between humans and other animals or plants, leading to the possible discovery of new strategies to control the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.
• Bruna Martins Garcia, nominated by the Max Planck Institute, will be investigating metastasis — the ability of cancer cells to move to other organs — focusing on understanding organ-specific metastasis.
• Jacob Beckham, nominated by Rice University, will be studying the role that the gut microbiome, a digestive tract bacteria, plays in anxiety disorders.
• Elio Challita, nominated by the Georgia Institute of Technology, will be developing a microrobot that will mimic the ability of insects to monitor and analyze environmental conditions such as water contamination.
• Olivia Goldman, nominated by The Rockefeller University, will use a mouse model of headache to explore how viruses can induce headaches like those seen in people suffering from long-COVID.
• Erin Huiting, nominated by the University of California at San Francisco, will combine bioinformatics and genome engineering to learn how innate immune receptors help make plants resistant to certain pathogens. The research could have implications for more sustainable agriculture production and improved climate change mitigation.

About Schmidt Sciences

Schmidt Sciences is a philanthropic efforts that “aims to accelerate and deepen our understanding of the natural world and develop solutions to real-world challenges for public benefit.”

According to its website, an emphasis is placed on “identifying under-supported or unconventional areas of exploration and discovery with the potential for high impact.” It focuses on AI & Advanced Computing, Astrophysics and Space, Biosciences, Climate, and Cross-Science.

"It's at the edges of things—ecosystems, borders, disciplines—where the most interesting ideas are developed, solutions that don't arise from any single approach," said Wendy Schmidt. "We're excited to welcome the 2024 cohort of Schmidt Science Fellows to approach these edges, look at problems anew, share insights with each other and the world and, we hope, go on to develop solutions to some of humanity's most pressing challenges."

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