Interdisciplinary Graduate Program Courses

This is a required course for all third year Basic Sciences students and all MD/PhD students entering doctoral study but who are not on the CPHR track. The PARC course helps to center our students in areas that are foundational to success in research: responsible data management; management of intellectual property; the ethical use of research subjects; recognizing and resolving conflicts of interest, professionalism in peer review and publishing; engaging mentors; and career exploration and planning. The PARC course comprises faculty-led presentations and small group discussions with case studies and workshop material. An online learning module (CITI training program comprising many case studies) is also included and must be completed before the end of the fall semester. 

Credits: 1

Prerequisite(s): None

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Directors: Anthony Imbalzano, Cynthia Fuhrmann

Semester Offered: Fall 

Last Taught: Fall 2023

This course will help prospective scientists in the biological and medical sciences communicate their work effectively, in writing, graphics, and oral presentations. The course teaches how to prepare a research paper using words, statistics, and figures; how to present science to a lay audience; how to write a grant proposal; and how to present orally to scientific peers.

Credits: 2

Prerequisite(s): None

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Directors: Jill Zitzewitz, Daryl Bosco, and Nese Kurt Yilmaz

Semester Offered: Fall 

Last Taught: Fall 2023

This problem-based course provides learning opportunities through exploration of multidisciplinary areas of contemporary biomedical research, and creates a forum for practice in the skills required for research.

Credits: 6

Prerequisite(s): Matriculation in the PhD Program

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Directors: Jill Zitzewitz, Neal Silverman, Elizabeth Shank

Semester Offered: Fall

Last Taught: Fall 2023

This course will provide students with a rigorous and comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the genesis and progression of human cancers. It will build on the basic science knowledge acquired in the SIBR Course and establish an appreciation of cancer as a disease. The salient topics to be covered include cancer stem cells; oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes; tumor-host interactions, invasion and metastasis, cancer metabolism and anti-tumor immunity. A major theme of the course will be to integrate the biology of cancer with the clinical behavior of tumors and cancer therapy.

Credits: 3

Prerequisite(s): None

Fulfills an elective requirement: Yes

Course Directors: Marcus Ruscetti, Jason Pitarresi

Semester Offered: Fall, Spring

Last Taught: Spring 2024

Principles and application of microscopy in biomedical research for graduate students at all levels. Demonstrations and laboratory exercises will be incorporated into some of the blocks of the instruction. This course is designed to teach the biologist how microscopes work and how to optimize image quality.

Credits: 2

Prerequisite(s): None

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Directors: Greenfield Sluder, David Grunwald

Semester Offered: Spring, odd years

Last Taught: Has not been taught in the past 2 years

This course encompasses current topics in eukaryotic gene regulation including the discussion of current research articles. Within this context, we will also explore the role of epigenetic regulators in transcriptional control. Course goals include improving skills in reading, presenting, discussing, and critically analyzing research articles.

Credits: 3

Prerequisite(s): BBS 614 or BBS 748 (non-degree students) or course equivalent

Fulfills an elective requirement: Yes

Course Director: Craig Peterson

Semester Offered: Spring, odd years

Last Taught: Fall 2020

This intense 3-week course will expose students to a variety of topics related to cellular metabolism. The course will cover material ranging from foundational principles to current leading-edge research. The principles and mechanisms regulating metabolism will be explored from multiple perspectives, including biochemistry, biophysics, genetics, molecular biology and cell biology. 

Credits: 2

Prerequisite(s): None

Fulfills an elective requirement: Yes

Course Director: Brian Lewis

Semester Offered: Fall, Summer

Last Taught: Fall 2023

This course covers genetic, biochemical and cellular mechanisms of cell cycle control. Topics include genetic screens for cell cycle regulators; cell cycle checkpoints; cell cycle regulation of DNA replication and chromosome structure; and the cell cycle in development and cancer. 

Credits: 3

Prerequisite(s): None

Fulfills an elective requirement: Yes

Course Director: Nicholas Rhind

Semester Offered: Spring, odd years

Last Taught: Spring 2023

This course examines topics across four short modules within the broader scope of systems biology. These modules are Gene Regulation, Network Biology, Genome Organization, and Mathematical and Quantitative Methods. In addition, this course has a hands-on component that teaches programming in the MatLab coding environment to analyze data and generate insights through computational approaches. No prior knowledge of computation is assumed, and beginners are encouraged to enroll.

Credits: 3

Prerequisite(s): BBS 614 or BBS 748 (non-degree students) or course equivalent or coordinator's approval.

Fulfills an elective requirement: Yes

Course Director: Hyun Youk, Manuel Garber

Semester Offered: Spring

Last Taught: Spring 2024

Research rotations are defined periods of research experience under the direction of a faculty member. They are intended to familiarize the student with concepts and techniques in several areas of research and to assist the student in evaluating research laboratories and projects that might be developed into a dissertation project. The student will participate in an ongoing research project; gain familiarity with concepts underlying the research; acquire a working knowledge of techniques used in the research; and write a report and present an oral summary of the results of the research.

In the summer term, only MD/PhD students may register.

Credits: 2-5

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Director: Varies

Semester Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer

Last Taught: Taught every Fall, Spring, and Summer

Summer Research – Year 1 is for first year BBS students.  Expectations are for students to (1) formulate initial hypotheses and/or goals, (2) design and begin to execute research plans, (3) Critically read and evaluate relevant literature.

Credits: 6

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Director: Varies

Semester Offered: Summer

Last Taught: Taught every Summer

Students are required to register for this course in the fall semester of the academic year in which they are to pass their Qualifying Examination.

Credits: 1

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Director: Mary Ellen Lane

Semester Offered: Fall

Last Taught: Taught every year 

All graduate students are required to have at least one Thesis Research Advisory Committee (TRAC) meeting each academic year. After passing their Qualifying Examination and selection of their TRAC, students are required to register for this course each fall semester until their Dissertation Advisory Committee is formed.

MD/PhD Goals: 1) To periodically review progress along thesis research project advised by content experts 2) To provide guidance for establishing a thesis research project consistent with the MD/PhD Program goals

MD/PhD Curricular Expectations: Two Thesis Research Advisory Committee (TRAC) meeting each academic year as define by the Professionalism Benchmark Checklist

Credits: 1

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Director: Mary Ellen Lane

Semester Offered: Fall

Last Taught: Taught every year

This course is for students who have selected a program and thesis advisor but who have not yet passed the Qualifying Examination. 

Credits: 9

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Director: Student's thesis advisor

Semester Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer

Last Taught: Taught every semester

Students register for Thesis Research fall term of year three of the program (MD/PhD Students: Fall term of year four in the program), after passing the Qualifying Exam.

Credits: 12

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Director: Student's thesis advisor

Semester Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer

Last Taught: Taught every semester

Students register for Graduate Research fall term of year four (MD/PhD Students: Fall term of year five+) in the PhD Program and will continue to register each semester until they complete all remaining requirements.

Credits: 0

Fulfills an elective requirement: No

Course Director: Student's thesis advisor

Semester Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer

Last Taught: Taught every semester